DAUGHTER OF DARKNESS

23

Past

Kianna

After the incident with Jocelyn, Kianna saw Devon in a new light. She tried not to, but it was impossible. He was everywhere she looked. Always ready to help, always offering an encouraging smile, always surprising her.

The quiet farmhand had warmed up even to Selina and Calvin, the two pests who never did what they were told. When she least expected it, Kianna would glance out of the window and see the kids playing around Devon. At first, it always looked as if her siblings were bothering him, until Devon dropped his tools and gave chase to the kids, making them squeal and laugh in delight.

The sight warmed her heart.

This time was no different.

Seated on the wooden bench on the back porch, Kianna sewed shut the holes in Calvin’s pants and Selina’s dresses. She sighed, convinced that soon she would need to buy new clothes for them. The fabric was threadbare. There was only so much she could do with a needle and thread. Besides, Selina had Kianna's old dresses to use, but Calvin was still growing and needed new clothes often.

More money they couldn’t afford to spend.

Upset, Kianna looked up from her work. Her mother was in the field with Giles, while Devon fixed a broken tool right beside the barn. Selina and Calvin were supposed to be cleaning tools, but instead were poking at each other, trying to provoke a game of chase. Finally, Calvin couldn’t stand it anymore. He dropped the tools and ran at Selina. She let out a squeal and ran from Calvin.

She squealed even louder when Devon shot to his feet, hooked his arm around her waist, twisted her out of the way, and pushed her to give her a head start. Her laughter echoed through the field as she ran.

Calvin stomped his foot in the grass. “Not fair!” He tried to go around Devon, but Devon stepped to the side, blocking the way. “Get out—”

A sound like a roar came from Devon as he charged Calvin, who stared at the man, too surprised to react. Devon wrapped his hands around her brother’s waist and pulled him over his shoulder, as if the boy were a sack of potatoes. Calvin laughed as he jerked to get free.

Playfully, Devon let Calvin slip down his back, holding the boy by his ankles. Calvin shouted and laughed at the same time, begging for Devon to not drop him.

Selina came back. She jumped up and down and clapped her hands in excitement. “Drop him! Drop him!”

As if Calvin didn’t weigh more than a flower, Devon pulled him back up to his shoulders, then knelt down to settle the boy on his feet.

“You!” Calvin snarled before lunging at Devon. Since he barely reached Devon’s waist, Calvin couldn’t really do much, but Devon pretended to be wounded by the boy’s attacks. Devon dropped to his knees and fell backward as Calvin attacked him.

A wrestling match ensued.

As much as Kianna wanted to ignore them, she couldn’t. She found herself smiling and laughing with them.

Until Devon turned his back to her, and the sunlight hit his drenched white shirt, showing off every inch of his muscular back, shoulders, and arms.

The laughter died in her throat. Heat coiled low in her stomach. Even her neck and cheeks burned.

“Kianna!” Kianna whipped her head in the direction of the side yard. Waving a piece of paper in her hands, Cat rounded the house and ran into her direction. Cat slowed down when she got close and frowned at Kianna. “What happened to your face?”

Kianna brought her hands up to her face and patted her cheeks. “What? What is on my face?”

Cat took the seat beside Kianna and narrowed her eyes at her friends. “You’re … blushing.” Cat looked around, but she didn’t have to look long. Devon still played with the kids, his long, hard body on display under the fitted brown pants and semitransparent shirt. “Ah, that’s why.”

Kianna snorted, dropping her hands. “That’s nonsense.” It truly was. Devon was an attractive man, but he was nothing more than that. Not to her, at least.

“Whatever you say,” Cat drawled, clearly unconvinced.

Eager to change the subject, Kianna glanced to the paper in her friend’s hand. “What’s that?”

A smile spread over Cat’s lips as she straightened the paper and showed it to Kianna. “The lamp festival was announced. It’ll be in a couple of weeks.”

Gasping in delight, Kianna took the paper from Cat’s hands. “Finally! I thought they would skip it this year.”

“The festival?” Calvin asked. He had stopped playing and now walked toward Kianna and Cat.

“Is it?” Selina asked, sounding hopeful. She too left Devon behind. “Is it the lamp festival?”

The siblings leaned over Kianna to take a look at the paper. She couldn’t help but notice that Devon had approached them too, a slight furrow between his brows.

She cleared her throat and returned her attention to the paper. “Yes, it’s the lamp festival.”

Calvin and Selina smiled at each other. The siblings loved the lamp festival. Kianna loved it too. Well, everyone in town loved it. It was the most anticipated event of the year.

“What’s the festival?” Devon asked.

Cat gasped. “You don’t know about the lamp festival?”

“He doesn’t have any memories,” Kianna whispered. She wondered how that worked. He didn’t remember anything? Not even big events? Or his birthday? He still knew the basic things like how to write and read, which were uncommon for the lower class. He knew how to tend crops, to fix broken tools. All of these questions only piqued Kianna's curiosity. “Oh.” Cat glanced at the farmhand. “I’m sorry. I forgot.”

Devon shrugged. “It’s okay.”