Page 35 of Demon Monster's Little Human

“Of course you did.”

I flinch. “You’re welcome.”

He snorts. It’s a harsh, rough sound, but his fingers twitch against his knee. I realize he is shaking.

He never shakes.

Something tightens in my chest. I almost lost him.

He pushes himself up, shoulders rolling, wings shaking off lingering tension. His movements are slower, measured, as if he’s calculating every next step.

“We can’t fly again,” he mutters, wiping his forearm over his face, smearing the leftover blood.

I frown. “Why?”

His gaze snaps to mine.

“Because they will be looking for us.”

My stomach turns cold. “You think they’re already hunting us?”

He tilts his head slightly, a movement that reminds me of a predator. “They are gargoyles. They are hunters. Of course, they are.”

The words are a low, dark warning, not just about them.

But about him.

I fold my arms over my chest, exhaling through my nose. My body is exhausted, but I ignore it. “Then what do we do?”

His eyes don’t leave mine.

“We walk.”

I stare at him. “Through the mountains?”

A slow nod.

I bite my lip, hesitation warring with reason. I don’t like it. But I don’t argue.

Not when he gazes at me like that.

Not when I still feel the warmth of his skin beneath my fingers, the echo of his pain inside me.

Not when I can still taste the moment he almost died.

I lower my gaze, inhaling deeply, steadying myself.

He steps forward, closer than I expect, towering over me, his presence heavy, unshakable.

“This is not over, Liora,” he murmurs. “Do you understand that?”

I lift my head. “I never thought it was.”

Something flickers in his gaze, unreadable.

A mystery.

15

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