Page 59 of The Demon Crown

But she didn’t feel like it was too much of a shame as she strode over to the door, finally clothed for the first time since arriving here. She felt a little proud of herself, and more like the tomb raiding adventurer she had been born to be.

Now, she had no idea what to do. Just that she felt more like herself and less like the shell of a person she’d been while injured. Which meant... what? Should she explore the grounds of the castle? That was ridiculous. She couldn’t go get Greed because frankly she’d seen enough of him.

So she just... opened the door.

Her feet would lead her to where she needed to go. They always had. She would walk forward into the unknown and adventure would reveal itself. That was how it had always worked before, at least.

But there was a broad back in front of her door. A tall man who stood at attention as though his life depended on it.

Ivo glanced over his shoulder, looking down. Varya hadn’t realized how small she was compared to him. Her head barely came up to his shoulder. Was he as tall as Greed?

No, not quite. But she was much smaller than these men. It should have made her a little afraid but... Ah, she’d lost all ability to be afraid a long time ago.

“You’re awake,” Ivo said, the words falling a little flat.

“I’ve been awake for a few days now,” she muttered, trying to dodge past him. “I’d like to go, if you don’t mind.”

“Go where?”

“I don’t know.” She tried again, but for a big man, he was quick. Huffing out a breath, she crossed her arms over her chest and glared up at him. “Well?”

Was he amused? That was a new expression on his face and she swore he looked down at her like she was a rather adorable kitten he’d found on the street. “Well what?”

“Are you going to get out of my way?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I’m supposed to watch you.” And there it was. His damnable loyalty to Greed that he had shown time and time again.

“Did Greed tell you that?” she asked, even though she already knew the answer.

He gave her a nod and crossed his arms over that massive chest. Eyeing her now with no small amount of worry, he looked her up and down as if he could see her injuries just by staring at her body. Surely he knew she was feeling much better? Taking a deep breath didn’t even hurt!

“Well, you can watch me from wherever we go. Didn’t Greed say this was the safest place in the kingdom?” Throwing his master’s words back in his face seemed to do the trick.

Ivo looked a little confused, as though she’d somehow managed to stump him. That success was all she needed to duck underneath his arm and start down the stone pathway.

“What is this place?” she called out over her shoulder. “I didn’t realize there were so many different kinds of plants in this kingdom. I thought it was all cacti.”

Nor had she expected to find an actual treasure trove here. There were so many beautiful things surrounding Greed’s home, and no one else saw them. She’d barely even seen servants in her time here, but now she saw them. A few people meandered through the leaves, brushing them aside as they moved to the glass domes that bubbled up through the greenery. They were easy to miss, though. All that glass made them almost disappear into the oasis.

Ivo grunted and then she heard his big footsteps trailing along behind her. “This is the oasis, Greed’s home.”

“Yes, I know that.” She turned, walking backward with her arms wide. “But where did all this come from?”

“I do not know.”

“Have you ever asked?”

His shoulders rounded in a bit, and Ivo shook his head. “I have not.”

“A man of many words,” she muttered before turning around. The last thing she needed was to fall off one of these large walkways and injure herself again. Then Greed really wouldn’t let her out of the room again. “What’s your favorite place in this oasis, then?”

She kept walking even as the wall behind her remained silent. He didn’t have to tell her his favorite place if he didn’t want to. All of it so far was her favorite.

Varya kept moving, and she poked her head into every glass dome they walked by. Most seemed to be empty rooms, some filled with treasure, others filled with beds. She wondered if servants slept there, but they were far too nice. Maybe they were for guests? One door blasted heat, and she peered into the kitchens that bustled with countless servants and three cooks who were shouting orders.

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