Derius woke before the light had fully crept through the high, carved windows of his Building. The air was cool, still carrying the lingering scent of the night's incense and… her.
The demoness.
She lay beside him, black hair spilling across the pillow like smoke, breathing slow and deep, her bare back rising and falling in a rhythm that almost convinced him she was human.
Almost.
Derius stretched, rolled to his side, and for a moment simply studied her—this strange woman from the Veythar, bold enough to stay the night under his roof. Most demons wouldn't have dared. Most couldn't have.
He slid from the bed without waking her, the floor cool beneath his feet. A splash of water across his face, a towel drawn over his skin, a quick drag of his brush through his hair, and then the small morning ritual of creams and powders—though truth be told, his face needed neither. His reflection didn't just stare back; it approved.
He was halfway through brushing his teeth when he heard her gasp.
It was sharp, panicked—like a blade drawn too quickly from its sheath.
Her eyes had snapped open to the sight of sunlight bleeding through the edges of the window drapes. The golden rays fell just short of her skin, but she recoiled as though they were fire itself, scrambling backward until her back hit the carved headboard. Her breathing grew ragged, every exhale dripping with centuries-old fear.
Her gaze darted around the room for anything—anything—to cover herself with.
Derius paused mid-brush, brow lifting as foam gathered at the corner of his mouth.
"…What are you doing?" he mumbled around the bristles.
She didn't answer. She didn't even look at him—only at the light creeping closer across the stone floor. Her pupils had shrunk to slits, her chest heaving.
Derius set down the brush. For a heartbeat, he simply stared at her, this powerful demoness reduced to a trembling shadow at the sight of day. Then, unexpectedly—
He laughed.
Not a chuckle. Not a polite smirk. A full, rich, unrestrained laugh that echoed off the high ceiling and rolled through the chamber like a drumbeat.
Her head whipped toward him, eyes flashing with outrage.
"You think this is funny?" she snapped, voice shaking more from panic than anger.
Derius wiped a tear from the corner of his eye, forcing himself to breathe. "I'm sorry—hah—truly, I am, but… gods, that was incredible. The way you leapt back—your face—it's—" He broke again, shoulders shaking.
Her nostrils flared. "I could be dead right now!"
"You're not."
She froze.
"You're in one piece, aren't you?" Derius said, finally regaining some composure. "Not a single flame licking your skin. Not even a wisp of smoke."
She looked down at herself, then at her hands, flexing her fingers slowly. It was true—her body felt untouched. No burn, no sting, no sign of the agony sunlight should have brought.
"How?" she whispered.
Derius leaned against the bedpost, arms crossed. "This Building is old—older than most cities in the Human Realm. My home was built on layered wards, protection sigils carved into the stone itself. And one of those protections—" He tilted his head toward the intricate silver patterns etched into the ceiling beams. "—happens to shield any demon within these walls from the sun's touch."
Her eyes followed his gesture, tracing the strange lines and spirals above. For a moment, she almost forgot her fear.
"So I can walk around freely here… during the day?"
"In this building, yes," Derius replied with a faint smirk. "Out there?" He pointed toward the sunlit balcony. "You'd be nothing but ash before your foot crossed the threshold."
The tension in her shoulders eased slightly, though her glare returned. "You still laughed at me."
"I did," Derius admitted, a spark of amusement still dancing in his eyes. "And I probably will again. That scene? Mind-blowing. Like watching a dragon afraid of a candle."
Her lips pressed into a thin line. "You're insufferable."
"Mm. I've been called worse."
And as she wrapped herself in the sheets, refusing to let his grin win, Derius was already thinking—about her fear, yes, but also about what it meant for her to have survived the night in his bed at all.
There was something more to this demoness.
Something he intended to uncover.
She stared at him, chest still rising and falling fast, but color was returning to her face. "…You could have said that earlier."
"Where's the fun in that?" he replied, brushing past her with a smirk.
They talked idly as he dressed, but her mind kept returning to one thing: leaving.
"How do we get to Veythar?" she asked at last.
"We?" he said lightly.
"Yes, we. I need to get back. And no, I'm not staying here all day again. I don't know how to leave without—" she gestured vaguely toward the sunlit window, "—turning to dust."
Derius didn't look remotely concerned. Which only irritated her further. "This is serious," she pressed. "We have to leave today. No more… bed distractions."
At that, his eyes slid toward her, amused. He stepped forward, closing the space between them, his hands resting lightly on her shoulders. "I've already thought of a solution," he said softly.
Then he kissed her.
Her mind stuttered. She didn't know if it was his lips, his voice, or the quiet command in the way he touched her — but something in her refused to move away. She wanted more. The pull of him was unlike anything she'd felt before.
And just as quickly, he drew back. "That's… if you wish to leave right now. But…" he glanced toward the balcony, where warm light spilled like honey, "…if you'd rather stay — until sunset, say — be my guest. We can leave later. I'm just saying."
Her voice slipped out before she could stop it. "I'll stay with you."
His brows rose slightly. "For real?"
She nodded, stepping closer until their bodies almost touched. "I don't know what you did to me last night, or how you do it, but…" her voice dipped, "it was my first time with a human. And it was… unforgettable. I still don't know what this feeling is, but I want it to last. Just a little longer. Let me savor it. Let me… savor you."
He gave a low whistle. "Correction again — half human. And wow. That's… refreshingly direct. Women here don't say these things. They make me guess. I like your way better."
A small smile played on her lips. "Then let's keep each other busy while we wait."
She pulled him closer, her kiss igniting something reckless between them — a heat that had nothing to do with the sunlight outside.
And for a while, the journey to Veythar was the last thing on either of their minds.
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