A loud growl echoed. Something moved in the dark; long black tails, which avoided the light that reflected between the trees. A big beast roamed, slowly, with no hurry.

His red eyes glared down at his claws, when he came upon yet another flower. It was blooming. It was beginning to show life. It was truly beautiful…

Its petals were pierced by his sharp nails. The flower seemed to bleed when it was torn apart. He clawed at it, until he could not discern what it once was.

His eyes narrowed while he moved away his claw. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He refused to look around him; he was deadly tired of the landscape that surrounded him: a forest full of flowers. His forest was full of red. They were everywhere, and far too many to claw at.

He shook his long black mane and gave them the most hateful look he could. The flowers were blooming too early this season. It was something uncommon. And he hated it.

Lykaios yawned silently and outstretched lazily. He tried to wake up fully, because the day was dawning. With a clearer mind and less hateful thoughts, he decided to see what always brought peace to his cold soul. He made way easily through the now blooming forest. He headed east, towards human territory; to see Ayako.

———————————-

The lynx leaned his head sideways, with a deep frown.

He had arrived two hours ago… But she had not been there inside her home. However, he knew she was coming back. He could discern her scent in the distance, closer with every minute.

He waited… He watched from the shadows, he saw how the girl neared her small cabin, with a bag over her shoulder. He felt suspicion, because she arrived from the northern path, the one that led away from her village.

He could pick another scent around her, as she stepped unknowingly into her cabin. He did not enjoy the idea of what it could mean.

Ayako placed all the herbs she found in jars, closing them to ensure they would not wither. She was unaware of the huge shadow that crept into her living room, without a single sound. Two bloody eyes watched over her silently while she walked towards her closet and pantry.

Lykaios leaned his head a little, with a blank expression. He watched calmly while the human picked up clean clothes and more food, to place it all in her bag. He could see that she would not stay for long in her home. Ayako blinked when his voice echoed behind her.

“You just returned, and you are leaving already?” Ayako sighed and turned around slowly, to face Lykaios with a frown. “Where are you going now?”

Ayako hated how the demon always behaved like an overprotective and controlling father. She did not want him to be, and not because he was a gigantic feline like animal hybrid.

“You could call before coming in, you know.” She rolled her eyes and walked around him and his long tails, to reach a nearby chest. “I don’t owe you an explanation. But if you really must know… I am going to search for more herbs in the forest.”

Lykaios took a deep intake of breath, and he could not avoid smelling the scent of the angel around her. It was always there for a demon. Ayako had been in that clearing. And so, his red eyes narrowed in frustration. Nonetheless, he hid well his growing anger. Ayako did not notice how his tails shivered subtly, or how his claws sharpened.

“If what you are going to look for herbs, why are you taking money with you?”

Ayako blinked, with a small purse of coins in her hand. She smiled sheepishly and scratched her ponytail, nervously.

“Oh! You see… There was a man in the woods, and-”

She was surprised when Lykaios snarled deeply and stood closer, taller.

“Where?”

Ayako’s smile faded, she looked up at him with annoyance. He was always wary about every single person that was not her, and it tired her.

“For the love of god, Lykaios; I have hunted every kind of animal, I’ve fought powerful angels, and even demons. You really think I would have trouble with a bandit?” She raised a finger when she saw him bare his teeth to retort. She did not let him. “Which he is not. At least he does not seem to be, he is alone. You know that marauders always go in groups, and that they roam isolated roads near villages! He’s in those woods, in the middle of nowhere, far from any thoroughfares.”

Ayako tied the purse onto her belt, and then crossed her arms firmly. She gave her ultimatum, showing she would not listen to his senseless disapprovals.

“I need herbs. I have seen that he has a small plantation, and that he had some I need. So, instead of searching around that area like an idiot, I will try to make a deal with him. Maybe I could buy him some.”

Innocent child…

The demon looked down at her with pity and anger, knowing perfectly that said man was not a bandit. Nor a man; not even a human, but an angel.

Even if he felt certain that she spoke of a familiar angel, he still hoped he could be wrong. There was a slim chance that a human could have found that clearing and claimed it, and that the scent that he noticed was merely a trace that still remained in that cave.

He stepped closer to her, and then took her hand in one of his tails, gently and kindly. He spoke slowly, like a concerned mentor.

“How can you be so sure that he is not a raider trying to hide away? How… did he look?”

Ayako raised an eyebrow and smirked up at him.

“Next you will ask me if I have slept well, or if I had breakfast, or-”

He cut her off, tone loud but without menace.

“Ayako…!” He needed to know. Alexis had been in the manor, not in that clearing. “I swore on my life that I would protect you. I need to know that I can leave you be, like you want, without me being always there by your side. People can be dangerous… and devious.”

His eyes truly showed worry, slight dread. So she nodded tiredly and acknowledged the stern look he was giving her.

“I swear Lykaios… It is ok; he looked nothing like one that would rob or assault. He was slender, not buff. His demeanor was too reticent; he kept himself decently enough, too well to be one of those filthy crooks. He is a loner as well, and even if he is grumpy, he’s not really someone to fear.” She looked down, with sadness. “His amber eyes looked too caring as well, behind his apathy.”

Lykaios’ tail untangled from her hand. Ayako was confused by the demon’s sudden daze. His red eyes were not looking at her anymore, but at nothing.

“Lykaios?”

The lynx was quick to speak, but he did not show any trace of emotion, he did not even look at her.

“You can go.”

His voice was merely a whisper, which dragged along in a tired growl. Ayako sighed and took a moment to brush his mane teasingly and lovingly.

“Of course I can go; I already told you it is fine. You have to stop worrying, you know.”

Lykaios did not answer. He did not move either, not even if she grabbed her bags and opened the door to leave. She only halted to suggest him something.

“Do you want to come with me? We could maybe hunt a deer, or-”

“Maybe in another occasion.”

She leaned her head to a side with surprise, and then sighed with disappointment. It was rare for him to deny some venison. The demon always reacted dramatically to her decisions.

“I will be back soon. I’ll bring you something.”

The demon closed his eyes when she closed the door. He did nothing to stop her, because he couldn’t. He could not forbid her of roaming.

What could I tell her? What could I say to stop her, and avoid giving her any trace of wonder?

Anything he said to keep her away would be questioned. Ayako knew nothing, not yet.

He waited, he did not move. He let time go by, until he stopped hearing her faint steps outside. Once he was sure he was alone, he began to follow her, without being seen. While he stalked her steps, he pondered his dreadful thoughts.

Why is he there… when I told him not to approach her ever again?

He kept his growls silent, not wanting to be seen as he headed north. He kept himself close to her, but he did not let her see him.

Alexis was playing a dangerous game. The worst part… was that he could see clearly in her blue eyes. He could see that the human, who he swore to shield, had lost some of her sorrow. She felt alive again. And that left his claws to step on thin ice, a thin layer of trust he could not break.

He should kill, to prevent anything from happening. But at the same time, he felt that he should let her be happy. But that happiness could go away easily, and leave her broken.

He followed. And for the first time, he debated his own coldness.

——————————————–

 

“Didn’t I tell you to leave?”

She came back, again.

Alexis growled and refused to look at her, no matter if she stood near. He just kept hauling his small axe down to cut wood. He needed to make a fire, and she was distracting him, in the worst way possible.

“You did. But I am, technically, not in your home. You see, your home is, in theory, that small cave, not this clearing, which is part of the forest. As long as I don’t touch any item of yours, I can wander all I want. There’s a river, a waterfall, you know, a freaking forest, a perfect place to hunt, or look for plants, and-”

The angel was already feeling a strong headache. He let the axe drop from his hands and turned to face her, unable to keep on ignoring her. He would not let himself suffer her extensive torturous ramblings any longer.

“I get it! I get it, dammit!” He rubbed his forehead and let out a defeated sigh. “What. Do. You. Want.”

She smiled mischievously, seeing that he finally decided to listen.

“Business, of course!”

Alexis blinked and stared at her poker faced, for a whole minute.

“…Excuse me?”

He was even more baffled when she outstretched a hand and pointed at his garden.

“I want to buy some of the herbs growing there!”

Alexis followed her gaze slowly, and then raised a shaky eyebrow at his plants. Indeed, some herbs grew in between the vegetables. To be specific, ones that soothed pain in open wounds, or on scarred skin.

“…” He looked at her again, this time with more firmness, clearly annoyed. “No.”

Ayako blinked and gasped when he gave her his back again. She saw him grab a wooden bucket and head for the river. She jogged behind him, quick to grab her purse to bargain.

“B-but…! Wait! I can pay you!”

Alexis had picked up some water; he stood with the bucket in his hands and looked at her sideways without interest. She was at his side again, displaying the purse insistently. Again, her hands dropped in bafflement, because he shook his head and walked around her without word. He walked back to his garden, barely addressing her.

“Whatever you have in there, I don’t want it. I need these herbs.”

She raised an eyebrow this time, confused.

“Need them?” Alexis nodded down sharply, ignoring her in favor of his plants. “But these herbs are for healing… Why would you want-?”

At her question, Alexis stopped, tensed sharply and exclaimed in a panicked manner; the bucket almost fell from his hands with his jolt.

“…For Abiel…!” He froze in a tense stance, while his mouth opened and closed nervously, for saying the first thing that came to mind. “…”

Ayako gave him a blank stare, clearly baffled by his sudden yell and nervousness. Alexis was sweating, because he was unable to say HE needed them. He could not say it, not to her. She asked, not remembering the name of the rabbit.

“For a what…?”

Alexis began to throw water onto the plants more hastily, while his eyebrows twitched.

“I need them for my pet!”

Ayako glanced slowly towards the cave; and indeed, there was the rabbit. He was sitting with his ears lowered, almost like a frown. If looks could hurt, she would have a million holes in her body, judging by the growls the animal made.

Alexis was not good at lying, and he thanked god that she did not know. Yet. He pointed a hand at the bunny, while he looked at everything but at her eyes.

“He lost his paws, see…? So, I need those herbs to help his scars feel better! Alright?!”

Half the truth! There! Happy?!

He thought she would drop it already. He did not enjoy the fact that she was here again; much less that she asked questions, which were delicate and dangerous.

After a minute of silence… she was at it again, because she only could see her point of view.

“For such a small animal, you would only need a few leafs every week or so. You have like… twenty herbs right there. You wouldn’t be applying too much on the poor animal, would you?”

All those herbs were enough for ten rabbits. For a whole month.

Alexis snarled under his breath and brushed a hand onto his face, because Ayako was looking at him with her arms crossed. He spoke to her in a hissed huff, with exasperation and resignation.

“You won’t leave until you get them, right?”

Ayako bit her lip and looked up to the sky, as thoughtful as she could look.

“Mmmmm, maybe. Probably. No.” She suddenly pointed a finger at him, serious. “Look, I don’t know why you are here, living like a hermit. But with what I pay you, you could do better than living in a cave. I don’t know, with time, you could move into a real home?”

He was mocking him, without even knowing she was doing it. He wished he had the guts to tell her to shut up. He wanted to break and let his anger out, he did. But instead, he crouched with a long exhale, and then began to pick up the herbs.

Ayako blinked in surprise when he dropped them inside a bag, stood… walked to her with it. He handed them to her roughly, with a frown that told her to grab the bag quickly.

“Here, just take them. Maybe then I’ll get some rest from your ramblings…”

The hunter stared at his hand, not having really expected him to give her any. Alexis was the one to blink deadpanned next, when she outstretched her own hand, with her purse. Both stood there like idiots; neither was taking what the other was giving.

Ayako nodded to the purse, staring at his confused amber eyes. Normally, in any exchange, the payment was checked before taking the item. Alexis gasped nervously and took the purse, after seeing her silent insistence. He felt a little less nervous when she took his bag as well. Ayako smiled, clearly grateful.

“Thank you very much.”

Alexis nodded nervously again, quickly. He expected everything to be over already, for her to leave. He was holding the purse tightly, without looking at its contents. He was just praying mentally for her to walk away. However, Ayako was only looking at him, each second with more confusion.

“Ummm… Alexis?”

Alexis jolted and stuttered, almost yelled in a slight panic.

“Y-yes?!”

“You kind of… should check if that’s enough for all the herbs? You gave me a lot.”

He just wanted her to go away.

As soon as possible. Now, already. Please.

He determined that it would be for the best to just do what she said. So he quickly opened the purse and peeked inside. Ayako really did not know if he was crazy, because he took out the copper coins inside, and then stared down at them like if they were the strangest thing he had ever seen.

“…Isn’t this…?” He met her eyes, with the most nervous smile he could make. “Too much…?”

Ayako had no way to tell if he was joking. She did not get him at all. She leaned her head and gave him a look.

“No, not really, kind of all the opposite. As a matter of fact, I was going to say I should pay you more. I did not think you would give me so many herbs. I brought enough to buy you a few, not all the-”

Alexis huffed and began to wave his hands nervously around him.

“N-no…! No, it’s perfect! I think it’s a good deal!”

Ayako let out a surprised gasp, because Alexis turned and began to hurry towards his cave. He raised his arms at his sides dramatically, to exclaim how the conversation was over, with a tone that was even more doubtful.

“Y-you got your herbs, we both got something! G-great!” He hid into his nest, but not before he stuck an arm out the drapes and waved her off. “N-now you can leave! Get going!”

Alexis let himself fall onto his chair and laid a hand onto his chest. He tried to not hyperventilate. He really thought that she would stay quiet, and that he would get some much needed peace… But he thought wrong. He paled when he heard her yell one last time, while she ran away from the clearing.

“Fine! Will be back very soon! These herbs grow fast and I need more! I will pay you!”

Alexis’ eyes widened, as he bolted off the chair with a grimace.

“Wait what?!”

He pushed away the drapes in a fit of panic and looked outside to protest. But sadly, she was too far already, getting out of sight between the tall trees.

He let out a sob and smiled nervously at once; his quiet whisper showed how doomed he considered himself.

“Why me…?”

He opened his hand and looked down to what he held. He raised an eyebrow and stared at the coins for a minute. He whispered, sure that only a rabbit would hear him.

“…What the hell are these?”

Little did the human know that angels did not trade with coins or precious metals…

—————————————-

 

His red eyes glinted in the dim light. He was creeping in the shadows, while he kept his anxiousness buried inside. The human he stalked was ignorant of his presence; she could not see him while she walked through the forest. One of his tails waved side to side, mimicking his frustration.

She has seen enough…

His sharp claws were tearing the ground. He was dying to stand and run. He was watching without moving, waiting for Ayako to find the path that led south and towards her village. She jumped down yet another small ledge, and the scent of her robes faded at last. With that, he stood.

The demon moved like a true shadow in the dark. The faint sun rays of the sunset were not able to brush him. His silence contrasted his dark thoughts.

Ayako does not know him yet. He is a stranger.

Lykaios easily jumped up uneven terrain. He followed the river. His fangs showed while he glared ahead furiously.

Just some minutes, and he would be there. His ears twitched, because he could hear it, the waterfall. Its water would be red tonight. And in the morning, blue again. There would be nothing left.

He crouched low and began to sneak. Every step towards that clearing was careful and silent, calculated.

Alexis was not a match to him. That, he knew. He had no sympathy for him… but he did not hate him. So he would be fast, and quiet. The angel would not even have time to understand he was a dead man. There would be no fear. He had nothing against him, really. He had seen him; he had seen how he had tried to keep her away. But he could not risk it, Alexis had to disappear. He had warned him; he had told him to never near her. And yet, there he was…

It did not matter anymore. All would be over soon. Ayako would not know anything. He was still a stranger to her; a stranger that could leave without a trace, without a thought from her.

His tails were hanging behind him. They were shivering, ready to rise and lunge at any moment. But not yet, he still had to reach the clearing.

Just a minute and-

His ears and head whipped up sharply, because he heard a sudden loud noise.

Lykaios bounced sideways, fast as light. His long thin tails moved up around him, while his eyes widened in surprise. He glared at the spear that had almost cut him.

The spear moved again, but not to attack. The armor, which had dashed from the shadows, took a weary stance again. Its gauntlets tightened around the handle of the weapon, while its violet ghostly eyes glinted like true fire.

Lykaios recovered from his surprise and took a prideful posture again. He hissed and showed his anger clearly.

“Uriel…”

The armor nodded strongly, unfazed or intimidated. Lykaios looked at it with disdain while Uriel made it move. The weapon was raised ahead, and then slammed down, to strike and sink into the ground firmly. Its entire figure leaned subtly, like if it wanted to dare him to lunge. Its helmet was bowed down, like if it was glaring hatefully.

Uriel had been hiding in the shadows, like an unseen guardian. He had lashed at him to warn him.

Lykaios sighed and sat. He raised a big claw in front of his eyes, to stare at it with faked interest.

“I would ask why you two are here… But I guess that you are not really here, in a sense.” His voice was tangling with scorn, dragging with disdain. “And so, I can’t get answers from you. It’s a tiring routine actually, quite tedious.”

The armor remained silent. It kept its stance, ready to rise up the spear at any moment. Lykaios huffed and pointed a tail at the puppet, knowing quite well that Uriel could hear him and see.

“Not that I want answers anyway.” He shook his snout and demanded with firmness. “Let me pass. Your lack of control over your prey has brought enough complications. No one has ever taught you to not play with food?”

The armor would have snarled if it could. Lykaios was not surprised when the spear was twirled out of the ground. It slashed the air, and then held it pointed at him. He could feel the hate flowing around the armor; he could see how those violet glints flared up with Uriel’s anger.

“Very well, I will play your foolish game, Uriel.” He stood, and his claws came out sharper than ever. “One last time.”

The feline leaped to a side, taking a huge distance from the armor.

The armor stepped forward, trying to keep the huge demon in sight, who somehow managed to hide in the dark. Lykaios’ was massive, yet he was fast and hid silently. Uriel was barely catching glimpses of those red eyes while he searched for him between the trees. He was keeping the spear up and pointed towards every noise that the other demon made. He could hear Lykaios creeping around him, how those claws brushed the ground. The big lynx was chuckling between his growls, with derision. The sound seemed to come from all around him. Those violet glints were moving fast, to try to guess from where Lykaios would leap at him.

The young demon shivered in his dark room when a loud howl echoed into his mind. Lykaios lunged and managed to close his jaws around the sharp end of the spear. Uriel had reacted fast, avoiding that the lynx mauled the armor with his fangs.

Lykaios snorted and pulled at the weapon; while Uriel tried to push it down to stab him. The feline could easily overpower the young demon’s hold on the spear… if not for an unfair tactic. Those red eyes widened, because the armor gave him a sudden strong kick to his chest. A loud whimper escaped him and he let go. He backed a step away, brushing his pained chest with his tails in reflex.

Uriel did not waste time or that chance. He took advantage of Lykaios’ recoil.

Lykaios’ mouth opened wide, silently, because a sudden wave of pain flowed through him. He shook, because he felt a warm flow of blood against his black fur. The armor stepped back and retreated. The lynx trembled and looked slowly down. One of those long tails was lying on the cold ground. It had been ripped off with a precise cut, and now its ends bled.

“You…!”

His whole body shook. His anger and pain mixed, and increased his fury. He was shocked, because he had lived a whole century for that tail to grow. And now…

Uriel shivered, but he did not flee when those red eyes became bloodier. He did not step back or cower when they fixed on him murderously, almost seeming to be able to see through his puppet.

“That wasn’t a fair move.”

The armor almost lost its balance when those claws slammed against its chest plate, so fast that it could not react. Uriel’s real eyes widened when Lykaios leaned onto him, without minding how the spear pressured against his own chest. His muzzle had a feral look, which grew with every second. His tails were moving up around them both like ravenous snakes, even the one he had cut in half and still bled.

Little could the armor do when those jaws closed around one of its shoulders. Those fangs pierced the metal easily, like if it was only paper. Uriel felt the tiring and strange pain that came with the bite. The armor’s eyes glinted weakly, because the beast began to pull and rip apart its arm, slowly. Lykaios crushed the limb in his maw, and left a huge gap in its chest plate with his claws.

Lykaios let the armor fall backwards. He let it go and took away the arm with him in between his fangs, with a high stance. He kept crushing the limb in his maw, without hurry. He growled with satisfaction when he saw Uriel struggle to make the armor stand. The glows in the helmet were weaker than the ones of a candle now. However, the armor did manage to stand after some seconds; Uriel brought himself to his limits to keep controlling his puppet. Its remaining gauntlet was shaking in jolts; its legs were wobbling subtly. The spear was dangling at its side, in a desperate try to keep on fighting.

Uriel felt another shiver when Lykaios dropped the arm from his mouth, like if it was a broken plaything. He tried to give Lykaios another cut when he began to creep closer to him, menacingly. He did not manage to stab or halt him however, because a tail whipped and slammed itself around the spear. The weapon was kept still, unable to come down on him.

The tail moved again, and sharply yanked the spear away. At the same time, another tail pushed the armor to the ground. Uriel could only watch while the tail pressured, until it broke the spear. The weapon was shattered into three pieces, which fell to the ground one by one. Both stared down at the shards for a minute. One tried to not break down, while the other allowed the fear to sink in.

Lykaios leaned closer to the armor again, near its helmet. He fixed his red eyes on those violet ones, no matter if they were not real. Then, he whispered.

“It would be meaningless to tear you apart here.” Uriel’s eyes filled with horror when Lykaios gave him his back, in order to walk away from him. “Wait your turn.”

Lykaios’ eyes narrowed, as he glared at the clearing ahead once more. He tried to take one step towards it… And he closed his eyes, because he felt that something latched onto one of his long tails. He spoke calmly, but firmly, without looking back.

“Let go.”

He did not need to look back to know. The armor was shaking violently on the ground; it was suffering convulsions while it held desperately onto his tail. It was pulling strongly and firmly, to stop him from reaching that clearing.

Uriel could not let go.

Those red eyes finally glanced back, from behind that long black mane. They did not bother to give Uriel a direct glance, and yet they still managed to give the most furious of looks.

He lost his patience.

A loud creak echoed, when that tail rose in the air and pulled up the armor a little. Then, it dropped sharply and let it hit the ground again, strongly. It was a strong whiplash, but that gauntlet did not let go. That hand was still sinking its fingers in his fur, scratching his skin.

Four of his tails moved, in order to grasp the armor’s head covering slowly. Lykaios showed no emotion when he began to crush the helmet, to pressure it below his tails. He knew it was the core of Uriel’s spell.

Indeed… He saw how the armor began to squirm, like if it was a human burning alive. What should have been an agonized scream was a mere jolt, when he made the metal bend more. He was doing this so slowly… that the moon was able to reach its highest point in the sky.

That gauntlet finally let go, and then dropped to a side, unable to keep holding on. But Lykaios did not stop. His blood was boiling. There was another demon near, one that had dared to make him bleed. He had dared to challenge his strength.

There was no trace of Lykaios’ previous reason and calmness. His red eyes were sharp, fixed, and full of coldness. There was only a beast, only able to think of one thing: defend what was his, what he thought he had to shield. Her name was pounding in his mind.

He had to protect her. He owed her everything. His very life.

The words still pounded deep in his soul and cold heart. He still remembered clearly, how her voice had answered his questions with laughter. She had spoken with kindness and warmth.

“You did not do any harm. Not like her.”

Not like her. No harm… No. I am not… a beast?

The pressure loosened. His red eyes opened a little more, with a trace of clarity in them.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Lykaios lost his savage stance. He looked intensely at the armor in between his tails. It was still haunted, because the young demon was refusing to surrender to the agony.

Uriel could not make a single sound as the tails stopped crushing. They pulled at his puppet, to sit and kneel it near those fangs, face to face. He swore that he could feel Lykaios’ cold breath on his skin, when the lynx whispered.

“If I killed tonight… you would not rest until I lied dead, would you?”

The armor slowly nodded, not an easy task when it was torn. It kept on showing defiance, even if it was in pain.

As he had imagined. Uriel was stubborn to the very end.

“I admire your determination. You seem to care for him as much as I love her.”

Those ghostly violet glints seemed to flicker a little more strongly, a condemning glance. The hues sharpened, hatefully. The armor moved its remaining hand; it laid over the crack on its chest plate and made a dividing gesture. Then, it pointed at Lykaios, while it shook its helmet erratically, as if it wanted to object to something he said.

Lykaios let out a long breath, tired of every single emotion he felt since the angel fell. He missed the coldness. He let the armor dangle from his tails and moved his head to glance at the waterfall. His red eyes were full of dread below the moon.

“She would be alone.”

If he ended the angel, Uriel would seek revenge; he would surely kill him, lost in his fury. He could die under Uriel’s claws, and he would never see her again. Then, the young demon would not dare to speak to her because of his guilt. Ayako would have no one left.

He could not take away that joy from her eyes. He could only wait, and pray for things to get better on their own.

His tails untangled; they finally let go of the armor, which slumped to a side, unable to stand anymore.

Lykaios turned away from the clearing, and then spoke up one last time.

“As long as I don’t see her cry again… he will be safe from me.”

The armor did not move while Lykaios left through the woods. Only his blood had fallen on the ground in the night.

Demons could feel emotion. And it was as painful as death.