Keep Your Demons Fed Ch. 06

She really could be a sweetheart, when she wanted to. It was uncharacteristic enough of her though that it really did make me curious about what exactly he was. It could wait, I told myself. For now I really did want to simply enjoy him. He loosened his grip and I brought my arms up around his neck, his now fairly furry neck, and snuggled in.

He was snoring lightly, and I couldn't really blame him for passing out like that. For Eish to have taken enough to be, dare I say, satisfied? He really must be drained. Guessing by how I was sloshing around down there I imagined he was drained in a few ways. I felt myself start to nod off when his rough skin began turning back into the softer, more pliable skin.

I felt him tense up below me as he finished turning. I slid from directly on top to being at his side, cuddling into his side and kissing his bare chest.

In barely a whisper, "Neva, I--"

"Ya owe me no apology, Kal. But if it'll make ya feel better, go on." I'd butchered his accent, but neither of us cared. He turned to look at me, beginning his search for answers in my eyes with me ending it with an impassioned kiss as he settled back down beside me.

We laid there for a long while before he spoke again. "I'll be honest, I don't have the best control over it. I can stop it from coming out. But I can't bring it out when I want ta. You've certainly tested me with the former these last few days.

"I need ya ta know before we go any further. My people, most of 'em can't turn human anymore. That isn't ta say they aren't. Ages ago we were cursed. Few of us can still turn, fewer still have magical abilities. I'm tryin' ta help my people. I never dreamed I'd fall fer anyone. That wasn't part of the plan and know everythin' is a bit of a mess and I owe ya, I know I do, and I'll do what I can, but I still need to help--"

I managed to somehow move to him quickly enough to kiss him, quieting his rambling and hopefully his fears. "I'm here for it. All of it. For you, for you helping your people, for eventually seeing if we can split me and Eish. I just don't want to hurt anyone, but I'm not so worried about that now." I kissed him again, gently biting his bottom lip as I settled back in at his side.

"Transformin' refreshes us, those of us that do it, but only with a new moon. As the moon restores itself, so too do we. That's the sayin' anyway. I'm sure there's more ta it than that. I'm not sayin' I'm invincible, but I agree with ya. Ya shouldn't have ta worry too much about that now."

I looked over, noticing for the first time, "Your patch of gray is gone," I said surprised with a melancholy that startled me. I knew I'd found it endearing, but I really did hate the idea of having hurt him. "I guess I liked the idea of having left a mark on you," I said sheepishly, smiling sadly to myself.

He pulled me to him, staring deeply into my eyes. "My Neva, you have no idea the mark you've left on me."

***

Kal taught me a new cleaning spell. It mostly only worked on his...mess, shall we call it? But since that was the majority of it I wasn't complaining because, just, damn it was a lot. I mean, I loved that, as weird as that sounds it's true but there's a time and place. Now I felt newly refreshed and energized. Kal seemed slightly ragged, but more than satisfied. He couldn't stop smiling and I was just happy he hadn't thought to say, "I told you so," yet.

We sealed up the Tower before heading into town where Kal's horse had been stabled. We'd be riding it for the journey to the port before traveling to the Capital in the Northern Isles. There was no love lost between me and horses.

Kal seemed annoyingly comfortable atop his stinky, hairy animal. That being said, his horse was one of the prettier ones I'd seen. Shining black coat and huge. I didn't know horses came that big. He'd named him Bear and I couldn't help but laugh. Bear seemed friendly enough, but he was Kal's through and through, barely acknowledging my existence even when I had food for him.

With a bag loaded on either side Kal leapt atop Bear with a vigor that annoyed me. He shouldn't still have that kind of energy after what we'd just done. But I suppose I was also feeling more spritely too.

I took his extended hand, and he pulled me up to sit more or less in his lap. "This could get interesting," I couldn't help myself from saying as I wriggled against him.

"Ay, ya won't want ta keep doin' that. Not if we're ever ta get where we're goin'"

"You're probably right," I admitted reluctantly as I stilled as much as I could. I knew how to entice him, when I was ready for the beast to come back out. I bit my lip to stop myself from giggling. The way Kal was holding me to himself was such a warm embrace. I'd heard of butterflies in your stomach before, but this was more like fireworks in my chest.

As we started away from my town and my Tower, I wondered what this feeling was. I heard Eish again. She was hesitant, unsure, but her warning was sincere, 'Be careful, Mistress.' I wanted to ask her what she meant. But she wasn't going to answer me. All I knew was that it wasn't just the journey she was talking about. I got the sense that she didn't want me to fall for Kal, but I was afraid that warning may have come too late.

"Kal, you said you made some provisions in the next town over. What exactly did you mean?"

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