DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS

39

He had worried her. He vehemently told her to stay with her family, then disappeared. She had thought he would come back soon, but he never did. The festival ended, they dismantled the stand, packed away their things, and came home without any sign or note from him.

That was the other reason she hadn’t been asleep, but she didn’t want to admit that even to herself.

Devon ran a hand over his hair, messing up his ponytail a little. “I … I thought I saw a band of thieves going around the festival. I went to find the village guards to arrest them.”

Kianna narrowed her eyes. “But … you weren’t back all night. Was it hard to find the guards?” She was sure she had seen a few guards strolling up and down the festival.

“Yes, it was,” Devon said quickly. “But it was even harder to locate the band of thieves after I first lost them. Since the guards thought I was playing a joke on them, they wouldn't let me leave until we found them.”

“So you did find them? And the guard arrested them?”

Devon nodded. “Yes. We found them in an alley, escaping the festival with their pockets full.”

She watched him for a moment. She had never thought he would be the kind to go out of his way to aid strangers. Well, he had helped her and her family many, many times, but they weren’t really strangers anymore, were they?

“That’s good,” she whispered.

Despite herself, her gaze landed on her hands, folded in her legs. Kianna wasn’t shaking anymore, but the memories of that dark feeling still lingered. Would she ever be able to go back to sleep, or would that feeling scare her to the afterlife?

Devon twisted his body her way. “I can see something is bothering you. What is it?”

Slowly, Kianna lifted her hands again. “I’m not sure,” she said, a little startled that she wanted to tell him. “Back at the festival, right before you left, I felt something.” She pressed her hands to her chest. “Right here. Something …” She shook her head. “I’ll sound like a crazy person. Never mind.”

Surprising her, Devon reached over and grabbed her hands, pulling them away from her. He cradled her hands in his. “Whatever you say, I can assure you, I won’t ever think you’re a crazy person.” His dark eyes stared into hers, so intense, so raw. Those kind of looks had been few, but right now, she found herself wanting more of them.

“I’m afraid you’ll stop looking me like that if I tell you,” she whispered.

One of his hands moved up. His fingers slid across her cheek, and he cupped her face. His hand wasn’t as callused as she thought it would be, and she found herself leaning into his touch.

“Impossible,” he said, his voice low. He leaned into her. “Kianna, I—”

“Kianna!”

Kianna jumped up from the bench, almost knocking Devon away and falling on her wobbly feet. “Y-yes!” She glanced up the hill and found Calvin on the front porch, hugging his blanket. She raced up the hill. “What is it? Why are you up?”

“I had a nightmare,” the little boy said.

“You’re okay now.” Kianna pulled him to her arms. “Want to talk about it?”

She felt Devon’s presence a few steps behind her. Of course, he would have followed her. Why wouldn’t he? It wasn’t as if she had been running from him or whatever almost happened by the cherry tree.

Calvin shook his head against her stomach.

Devon knelt beside them. “Hey, you know what I do when I have a nightmare? I drink a cup of warm milk, then I lay back in bed and think of the good things that happened the previous day. With the festival, I bet you have plenty of good things to think about, don’t you?”

Calvin nodded. “It’s just …” He glanced at Kianna. “The monster will get you if I close my eyes.”

“W-what?” Kianna asked.

“My nightmare,” Calvin said. “Monsters came into the village and searched for you. They wanted to kill you.”

She glanced at Devon. There was a deep line between his brows.

“Is it the first time you had a nightmare like that, Calvin?” he asked.

Calvin nodded.

“It’s okay,” Kianna said quickly. “I’m fine. No monster will get me, okay?” It wasn’t the first time Calvin had woken up in the middle of the night because of a nightmare and searched for her, but it was the first time he had ever mentioned monsters. Coming for her? What a wild imagination he had. “Come on.” Kianna patted his back. “I’ll make you some warm milk, then put you back in bed. Okay?”

Calvin nodded again. She slipped her hand in his and tugged him into the house. Beside her, Devon rose to his feet, the frown still in place.

“Good night, Calvin,” Devon said, his voice tight.

Kianna glanced at Devon. “Thank you,” she mouthed.

Devon dipped his chin in acknowledgment. “Good night.”

His eyes remained locked on hers for a moment longer, then he spun around and marched around the house, probably to the barn where he still slept.

“Come on.” Kianna ushered Calvin inside the manor and focused on taking care of her little brother, purposefully pushing all thoughts of Devon away from her mind.

Present

Devon

I stared at the board in front of me.

Newspaper clippings of demons sightings, or strange attacks that only the other warriors and I knew had been demons, and places where I had fought them nearby.

Notes of what I could remember from my nightmares.

A list of ideas of what could have happened in the past and why the gods had punished me.

A picture of the ring I carried on a chain around my neck.

And now: photos of Kenna and Lia, and a list of all the visions I had had when touching Kenna. Also, a scribbled note about her blond hair last night at the festival.

Lines of yarn connected everything relevant—red for demons, blue for humans.