DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS

28

She pressed a hand to her chest, trying to calm her racing her.

Devon, still shirtless, walked in. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” His dark eyes stared at her with such interest, with such attention. She felt her resolution melting away.

“No, it’s okay.” She turned back to the cutting board. Better to face the knife than to risk staring at his bare chest.

“I …” Devon took a step closer. Her back to him, Kianna held her breath. “I have something for you.”

Kianna couldn’t help it. She spun around and faced him. “Something for me?”

Devon offered her a gift. “I know how you like reading, so …”

Kianna hesitated for a second, but her curiosity won. She grabbed the wrapped rectangle and ripped the wrapping paper. “A book.” And it wasn’t any book. It was one that she had been meaning to buy. A fantasy romance about warrior females and angel knights. She hugged the precious gift. “You bought a book for me?”

Devon ran a hand through his hair, pushing the shirt-turned-bandana back a little. “I was running an errand in the village and spotted it in the bookstore.” He paused and she waited, her heartbeat hurting from the anticipation. He gestured toward the book. “Well, I thought of you and got the book.”

Kianna glanced down to the book as if it was a precious treasure. But how? How could he afford a book like that? Books were expensive. Had he spent his meager money on her? Why?

She wanted to ask him all those questions, but she couldn’t find the courage.

“Thank you,” she whispered, choking up. It had been a while since someone had done something nice for her. And Devon wasn’t just someone. “I haven’t had the time to read lately—” Or the money to buy new books. “—but I really appreciate the gesture.”

A small smile adorned Devon’s lips. “You’re welcome.”

Present

Devon

I barely remembered my human life before becoming a warrior of light, and I had lived as an immortal for a long time, so long that many feelings and things humans did or said sounded foreign to me.

But there was one taste I had acquired since being rescued from the underworld and thrown back onto Earth: cars. When my days were too boring or too stifling, I either went out for a long run or for a long drive. I liked my Maserati the most about having to live as a human. There was nothing like lowering the windows, putting on a rock ballad and driving aimlessly.

But I couldn’t drive forever, and so I ended up back at my house in the shitty Misty Hill town.

It was late afternoon when I came back from a six-hour drive, and as I was bringing my car up my driveway, I saw Kevin sneaking around Kianna and Lia’s house.

Like everyone else in this town, I knew about Kevin and Sabrina’s past. Abandoned at the age of three and one, placed in the foster care system. I was sure the ones they lived with now were probably the worst of the bunch, and yet, they didn’t have much say in it.

Worried Kevin might be sneaking into my neighbor’s house to steal something, I cut off the engine of my car and followed him. I rounded the corner of the house when he opened the backdoor and slipped inside.

The little fucker.

I raced up the porch steps and caught the door before he closed it.

“Gotcha!” I said, reaching for him.

But I froze as I took in the scene.

Around the kitchen island, Kenna stared at me, a knife covered in butter in one hand, a slice of bread in the other. Carol was right beside her, a milk carton in her hand. Sabrina sat on one of the stools, her books open in front of her. The spot beside her was empty, but there were more books there—Kevin’s.

My shoulders sagged.

“W-what happened?” Kevin asked, his eyes huge and his face pale, as if he was afraid I would hit him. f**k. His foster parents probably beat the crap out of him for no reason.

“I …” I straightened.

Kenna lowered the knife and the bread to a plate. “What are you doing here?”

“I …” I tried again. Why not be honest? The siblings wouldn’t be offended, I was sure. “I saw Kevin sneaking around the house. I thought he was gonna …” My words faded as something I rarely experienced filled my chest. Shame. Shame for having assumed the worst of the little boy.

“You thought he was coming in to steal,” Sabrina finished. “I don’t blame you. I would probably have assumed the same.”

I narrowed my eyes at her. Had an eleven year old just said that?

Carol nodded. “Yup, I would have thought the same.”

Finally relaxing, Kevin took his place beside his sister. “I wasn’t stealing, though.”

I glanced around the odd group. The siblings and Carol were studying, and Kenna was making them a snack. “I can see that.” I gestured toward them. “If you don’t mind me asking, how did this start?”

Kenna grabbed spinach and tomatoes from the fridge and set them beside the bread and butter. “Well, Carol is always here, despite my many hints that she should leave.”

Carol chuckled. “She thinks she can scare me away.”

“As for Sabrina and Kevin,” Kenna continued, “they tried to steal my purse the other day. At first I was mad, but then Carol explained their situation.” She shook her head. The siblings looked down at their books. “I just couldn’t do nothing, you know? So … they have been coming here after school for the past three days.”

“She makes us snacks,” Kevin said.

“And helps us with our homework,” Sabrina said.

“Don’t forget about your clothes,” Carol added.

“Oh, yeah.” Sabrina gestured to her shirt and pants. I hadn’t realized until now, but for the first time ever, their clothes looked clean and well cared for. “She washed our clothes, mended them, and even got us some new things.”

I stared at Kenna. What the f**k was she doing? Was she trying to adopt them or something? She was eighteen, for f**k’s sake. She didn’t have the maturity or means to take care of two kids.

Despite it all, I was shocked. Touched, actually—another human feeling that only came around once every century. Instead of reprimanding the siblings and reporting them, she took them in. She was helping them.