Page 7 of Snowed in with the Demon Lord
I cannot let her distract me from my work, not when I’m so close. But ignoring her is obviously beyond me.
Holly wrung her hands, looking at the chaos she’d caused. Before she started apologizing again, I spoke.
“We need ground rules, mortal, for both our sakes. You are in a demon’s lair, not a human home, and there are dangers you cannot be aware of. I should have realized you are not used to cooking over hellfire, but now we have both learned that lesson.”
Her frown lifted, then her furrowed. “What do you mean, ‘hellfire?’ That doesn’t sound good.”
“It is very effective if you are careful. Unfortunately, it has a tendency to setanythingalight if you do not tend it carefully.”
“So that’s—” she waved at the scorched skillet and smoke. “—not my fault?”
“You were still careless,” I pointed out. “But you couldn’t have known the consequences. Hellfire not only burns hotter but also more viciously than the flames you are used to.”
Her frown deepened, and she looked as though she were going to say something, but stayed silent. It wasn’t easy to hide my amusement, but while she looked so damnably cute, she wasn’t likely to see the humor. “I know it makes little sense to describe fire as ‘vicious’ in English. It makes sense in my native tongue, but I do not know how to translate it.”
“Okay, so what else is dangerous around here?” she asked, folding her arms. I hoped that meant she’d take my warnings seriously.
“The basement. Everything down there is a hazard to humans, and the door’s security system is potentially deadly. Do not touch it. Be aware of the runes—though they will not harm you unless you meddle with them, so I advise you not to do that.” I paused, considering whether anything else in my home might be a dangerous surprise to a mortal.
“Okay, so, don’t fuck with the runes, no going into the basement, and the stove is vicious. I can do that, I guess.”
I wasn’t sure whether to trust her to keep that promise, but she would only be here for a few days. I could keep her alive that long.
Probably.
Why does it matter? What does one mortal life mean to a lord of Dis?I snarled at myself for getting attached, then turned away. I had more important things to do than worry about my feelings.
And yet,I could not keep my mind off her. Or my eyes, for that matter. They kept flicking up from my papers to watch her wandering through the cabin, looking at everything but me. She prodded the runes, looking at the faint energy that marked my wards. She returned to the kitchen and, to my relief, didn’t try cooking anything. Bread, butter, and honey would serve as a meal.
I tried to focus on my calculations, but it was impossible. The distracting mortal was alwaysright there,and her scent filled the cabin. Delicious, enticing as fresh flowers’ first bloom. Despite the pall of smoke, Holly was all I could smell.
The third time I caught myself in an error, my frustration got the better of me and I threw my pen down. Scrunched up the worthless, ruined paper, and flung it at the wastebasket. Missed.
The mortal stared at me, eyes wide, and took a step back. I swallowed my frustration and took a deep breath to compose myself.
“I am angry at myself, not you,” I explained. “This is frustrating.”
“If you’re frustrated, then think about how I feel.”
I couldn’t argue, though it was hardly the same. She wanted to return to her life and escape the scary demon. Her frustration stemmed from being unable to do that.
Mine, from being unable to doher.
The thought froze my mind in place.No,I told myself,I am frustrated because Holly distracts me from my work.But even to myself, those words rang hollow.
“Hey?” Holly’s voice startled me, pulling me back from my thoughts and into the cabin. I glowered at her, tail slashing back and forth as I struggled with my emotions.
“All you need do, mortal, is wait. A day, maybe two, and you can leave. In return, all I ask is that youstay out of my way.”
Holly looked back at me, frightened but still meeting my eyes. Few mortals could manage that feat, and it would have impressed me if it hadn’t been so aggravating.
“Oh, fuck off. You want me to just, what, sit quietly in the corner when I’ve found out that a literal demon lives in a cabin in the woods? There aremagic runeson the walls. You cook withhellfire.I’ll go insane if I don’t try to understand this.”
“What is there to understand? What don’t you get? You can call my runes magic if that helps you accept them, but what do you expect to learn in a few hours’ prodding?”
Both our voices got louder as we spoke, not quite shouting but getting there. Again, most mortals would back away. Warrior kings, bloody from their wars of conquest, backed down from me. Not Holly. She leaned in, glaring right back at me, her beautiful green eyes flashing.
“Anything! Nothing! Perhaps I’m not smart enough to figure this stuff out, but I’ll never forgive myself if I don’t try. What would you do?”
