Page 65 of Daman

“How?” I was fascinated. I’d known Nephilim were powerful, but healing wounds without having to chant a spell or apply a healing salve? Putting people to sleep? What else could they do?

“Keep staring at me like a weirdo and I’ll show you.” Daman’s eyes remained closed, but a smile curved his lips.

I smiled too. “Does it hurt?”

“No. I just touch you, and it makes you sleepy. Your mind gets foggy, and then you’re out like a light.”

“Show me.”

Daman looked at me. “Really?”

“Yes.” Training resumed early in the morning, and I didn’t want to show up to the field sleep-deprived. Exhaustion resulted in foolish mistakes.

“If that’s what you want…” He angled the top of his body over mine, that soft smile still on his lips. Fingertips glided over my jaw, chin, and mouth before lifting to my temple. “Listen to the sound of my voice. You’re getting sleepy… veeerrry sleepy.”

I cocked my head at him. His tone had been overexaggerated, like those cheesy hypnotists on TV shows Milena enjoyed watching—and enjoyed forcing me to watch with her.

Daman burst into a laugh and shook his head. “Forget I did that. I was just messing around.”

His playfulness settled over my heart. To so many people, Daman was cold. Standoffish. But in that moment, all I’d felt was warmth, like he was the sun and I was the single blade of grass basking in him.

“I like your laugh.”

He couldn’t hold eye contact with me. Quite the contradiction we were. I became nervous and flustered over intimacy. But Daman became that way when he lowered his guard and a piece of the real him sprang free.

“Okay. For real this time.” He pressed his fingers to my temple and lightly kissed me.

I returned his kiss, though quickly lost energy as a weighted haze pressed down on me, settling in my bones and muscles. The sudden release of tension from my body made me feel like snow on a warm day, turning to slush. My lids felt too heavy, so I closed them.

“Sweet dreams, Commander,” Daman whispered and kissed me one last time.

And then, I slept.

***

The sun broke across the sky, chasing away the shadows of night. The time right before daybreak had always been one of my favorite sights. A moment of beauty, here and gone in an instant. Darkness turning to light. That first glimpse of orange and yellow against a dark sky, like fire bleeding through smoke.

“Why the hell did we have to wake up so early?” Daman grumbled, stepping harder than necessary in the snow as we trekked along the path toward the training area. He clearly didn’t share my fondness for the sunrise. “And it’s cold. I need more coffee.”

“You drank two cups before we left the cottage.”

“Yeah, well, I need three.”

“You’re not a morning person, are you?”

He snarled in response.

I pressed my lips together to keep from smiling. His grouchiness was too adorable.

“Did you sleep okay?” he asked, peeking up at me through long, dark lashes.

“Yes. Thank you for helping. I woke feeling more rested than I have in quite a while.”

“Cool.” He swept a gloved hand through his brown hair, though the front bangs slid right back into place. “I can do that whenever you want. Just let me know.”

Daman was a puzzle I wondered if I’d ever solve. Some moments, he was grouchy and wanted to be left alone. Other times, he was caring and seemed to crave attention. Affection. His multifaceted behavior kept me on my toes.

I enjoyed the challenge.