Page 10 of Once Upon a Demon’s Heart

Kalel doesn’t stop though. His horse keeps heading straight, adjacent with the forest wall to our right until he locates a small red flag hanging from a long outward stretched branch.

He pulls on the reins, and the horse turns into the forest, following a frozen path made of stones to a small cottage tucked away in the woods.

It’s modest. The walls are made of gray cobblestones. Hibernating vines cling to the sides of the exterior, framing the old scuffed up windows. The roof is made with two-feet-thick hay slabs and a small stone chimney juts out on the left side.

Kalel dismounts and plucks me from the saddle without a word.

I keep my eyes lowered as he opens the cottage and steps inside.

When I don’t immediately follow him, he lets out a long, exasperated breath and runs his hand down his jaw.

The darkness in his gaze doesn’t falter as he watches me shiver beneath the blanket.

“ Come ,” he demands.

I concede and step carefully into the cottage.

It’s dark and musky. The smell of an abandoned home—stale.

I stand in the center of the small room and take it in.

It’s made up of only a kitchenette, small dining, a fireplace, and a mussed bed in the corner.

From the dust and cobwebs that cling to the surfaces, I’d bet that it’s been a long time since someone’s lived here. Likely flushed out from the war.

We’re completely alone. Why did we stray from the group? My heart sinks with all the thoughts running through my mind.

Kalel lights the fireplace with some matches he pulled from his satchel, then orders me to sit on the floor in front of it.

I do as he says and pull my legs close to my body. My muscles are frail from a combination of essence exhaustion, my reluctance to eat, and being drained of blood. To top it off I’m freezing too, but it’s better than starting over another time loop.

I stare into the flames as Kalel rustles around the cottage collecting things. There’s not much to look through, only a few cabinets in the tiny kitchen and some dressers in the far corner.

At least the warmth from the flames is already seeping into me and thawing my bones. I let my eyes flutter closed.

What happens if I die now? Do I reset again? Or is this it? I’m no curse expert, but whatever the gods have planned must be going the way they finally want. Otherwise, I don’t think I’d be here.

Why me though? I sullen as I open my eyes and watch the flames dance.

Kalel reaches down and steals the blanket away from me.

I don’t complain or raise my chin to look at him.

I only hold my arms closer and try to absorb as much warmth as I can.

A few moments pass before a heavier fur blanket falls over my shoulders.

My eyes widen and I glance up at him. He doesn’t meet my gaze, instead he sets a pot he must’ve filled with water over the fire.

Is he… cooking? I observe as the revered Blood Knight, in his full suit of Devicitian armor, pulls a small bag of dried toadstools from his satchel and drops an assortment of them into the pot. He adds a few drops of oil and half a bottle of some sort of purple glittering liquid.

“You really are an apothecary, aren’t you?” I offer him a small grin, only because it seemed so unlikely that he was honest with me that day. He’s honest, I’ll give him that.

He sits back on his haunches and gives me a side glance once he’s done adding all the ingredients.

“I told you I was, didn’t I? This soup will help keep you warm for the remainder of the day.

Foxflick and Barbosi are essence-rich and will replenish your energy.

” He actually talks to me like he’s not ready to take his sword to my throat.

He sounds gloomier and more lost in his thoughts than anything else.

My chest warms at the idea of him making me food just as much as it shifts with unease.

He could poison me as easily as he could swing that sword.

Or maybe he simply wanted to prove me wrong and show off his academic side.

When it’s just us, I can picture him so clearly as a man who prefers studying nature and the rules of the world.

How did he become a knight of all things? Why not a fulltime apothecary?

The thoughts bring sorrowful memories of things I didn’t pursue either. I hate reminiscing on the past and lost opportunities. I am what I am. I’m a knight.

Neither of us speak for many moments. The crackling of the fire fills the emptiness of the cottage and our hearts.

When he finally talks, my shoulders tighten at the deepness of his voice. “Why don’t you seem more upset about your situation, Alira?” Kalel asks, sounding genuinely curious.

I let my head rest on my shoulder as I look at him, studying the contours of his cheek bones.

My body finally begins to warm, making me relax a bit more.

“Should I cry instead?” I mutter mundanely.

He only stares at me. Something stirs inside my chest at the idea of him watching me this closely.

Cataloging my features as I’m doing to him.

“It’s better than dying, isn’t it? You led your army to slaughter us all.

I’m only a sacrifice. Many have suffered worse fates.

” My cryptic words hold more meaning than he could ever know.

He’d probably love to know that he’s successfully killed me many times.

He chuckles. “You would know better than most how ugly death is.”

My eyes flash open and I lift my head.

His brow raises slightly, intrigued at my reaction. “You’ve certainly ended enough lives to know,” he says slowly, letting his attention fall back to the soup and stirring it. He pours a cup and hands it to me.

I take it without question and sip on the warm liquid. It tastes like herbal tea. It’s delightfully pleasant. I close my eyes and drink the whole cup.

Kalel grunts. “I could’ve poisoned that and it would’ve gone unnoticed. You didn’t even check it. You’re just gulping it down like you're starving. Have you not eaten anything yet today?”

The cup makes a sharp sound as I set it down on the stone hearth.

I wipe my mouth with my sleeve and side eye him.

“If you wanted to kill me, you would’ve made it a public ordeal,” I mutter.

I haven’t eaten much for a few days either.

He’s been keener on paying attention to that matter.

I wonder if Tessa has been keeping him updated.

It’s hard to have an appetite when you know you’re only being fed because he needs me to be healthy if he plans on consuming my blood.

What I eat, he eats. Ugh.

“ Monster ,” I curse under my breath. He flinches at my words.

He’s so easy to upset it’s almost ridiculous.

“Oh, little godling, you’re right about that. I am a monster. Your worst nightmare. I’d kill you in your sleep if I wanted. I’d kill you while fucking your brains out if I so pleased.” My cheeks flush and I’m mortified at how his tone makes my thighs warm.

I glare at him and throw the blanket off my shoulders, making to stand and walk back outside. “Fuck you.” He catches my wrist and drags me down into his lap.

“You need to warm up so we can be on our way. We aren’t stopping again,” he growls.

“And I need to scent you again before we leave. You reek.” He can say those words with as much volition as he wants, but it doesn’t change the way that he buries his nose into the crook of my neck like he can’t get enough of the way I smell.

I wriggle in his arms, but he leaves no slack.

I don’t want him to know how his hot tongue running up my throat puts a deep ache in my core.

I’ve already begun to feel feverish around him.

My heat cycle is bound to be in full effect soon and the thought of it coming on when I’m so close to him makes me anxious.

“Stop moving, you’ll only make this take longer.”

My lower abdomen warms, and my undergarments are already wet from his foul mouth. Please if there are any gods left, don’t let him know how my body lusts for him.

Kalel stills, hands clamped down on my waist and thigh. He inhales hesitantly.

Oh. This is bad.