DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS

20

Past

Devon

If it was possible, Devon would stay within a mile of Kianna at all times. But it wasn’t possible. He had to send word to the gods, to report to the other warriors. So when Ophelia announced she needed to go to the village, Devon volunteered to accompany her.

Devon had never been to this particular village, but on this side of the country, they all looked the same: a poor quarter with dusty roads flanked by ramshackle houses and shops, and a wealthier district, surrounded by stone walls, where the nobles and lords of the village resided in their opulent mansions.

As they rode into the town in the small wagon, pulled by a horse who was in desperate need of more food, Ophelia's gaze lingered on the stone walls in the distance, longingly. Before her husband had died, she would have spent much time on the other side of those stones, dining with the wealthy elite of the town.

They parked the wagon to the side of the road, the horse tied to a low rail. People milled about enjoying the spring day or going to the shops or to work. The scent of rice cake and chicken soup carried through the air.

“Here.” Ophelia handed him a jarful of cherries. “Give this to Laina at the apothecary. She’ll know what to do.”

Devon frowned at the jar but didn’t question it. “Anything else?”

She shook her head. “I can do the rest. Just meet me here in about an hour so we can be home before lunchtime.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He bowed his head to her and she waved him off.

With a faint smile, Devon walked away. Ophelia always reprimanded him when he called her ma’am, but most of the time, he felt weird calling her by her given name.

Despite all his lies, he had come to respect Ophelia and care for her family.

Care for Kianna.

No, it wasn’t right. He did not care for her. He couldn’t. He was an immortal warrior. He couldn’t care for a human like that.

The apothecary was located on the other side of the village—maybe that was why Ophelia had given him only one task—but Devon arrived at the small shop in no time. He took in the shelves full of vials with liquids and powders and herbs, all covered in a thin layer of dust. A small wooden table stood at the back.

A woman walked out from a door behind the table and smiled at him. “How can I help you?”

“I’m here to give this to Laina.” He showed her the cherries.

“Oh, yes, I’m Laina.” She reached for the jar. He reluctantly gave it to her. Carefully, she deposited on the table. “One second.” Then, she walked to one of the cabinets flanking the table. She opened one of the cabinet doors and retrieved a small vial full of red liquid. “Here it is.”

Devon narrowed his eyes. It looked like watered down blood. “What is that?”

“Kianna’s perfume.” His eyes widened and the woman chuckled. “She sends me the cherries and I make the perfume for her.”

Devon took the vial from the woman. “How much do I owe you?”

The woman shook her head. “Nothing.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course. I owe much to Kianna’s family. This is the least I can do.”

A human feeling took hold in Devon’s chest—curiosity. “May I ask you what happened? Why you owe the family?”

“My parents died when I was barely a teenager. Ophelia took me in, and she offered me a home in exchange for work. At first, I stayed out of the way, learning from the other maids at their manor. But time passed and Kianna was becoming a lady. Ophelia assigned me as Kianna’s maid.” A soft smile adorned her lips. “I grew fond of the girl, and considered her as a daughter.” Her smile faded. “But then the master died, and the debt collectors came. Most of the help was fired, including me. But Ophelia helped me secure this job.”

“And that’s why you make Kianna’s perfume for free.”

She nodded. “I wish I could do more.”

Me too, Devon thought.

But he was doing a lot; he knew that. They hadn’t had proper help on the farm for years now, and he had taken on the lion's share of the work.

And what frightened him the most was that he didn’t mind. He wanted to help.

Devon thanked the woman and left to meet with the warriors before his time was up. He was lost in thought, scared of his feelings, when he turned into the alley to meet them.

Ryder, Lucien, and Warren stood side by side at the end of the alley, sporting their leather armor and swords.

“You don’t look good,” Ryder teased. “What happened?”

Devon tucked in the vial with the perfume in his pocket and faced the warriors. “Nothing.”

Lucien narrowed his eyes. “You’re lying.”

A protective feeling surged inside him. “Does it matter? I’m here to report. I’ve been following Kianna for almost two weeks, and nothing has happened. There’s no darkness around her, and she definitely doesn’t have any powers.” He paused, sure of the backlash his next words would bring. “She isn’t evil. The gods are wrong about her.”

Warren crossed his arms. “The girl may not be evil, but her powers are.”

“That’s the thing; there’s no power,” Devon insisted. “We can sense the darkness, and I sense nothing from her.” The only things Kianna stirred were human emotions that should have been dormant.

Ryder pointed to Devon's hands. “What is that?”