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“Can’t say I thought I’d ever be friends with a demon, or any demon for that matter.”
“Likewise, you pathetic human,” he quips, clinking his glass with mine.
I shake my head, laughing in unison with him. The fruity wine slides smoothly down my throat without burning.
“All jokes aside, I’m glad to have found a strong ally in you, Hanna.”
He pours me another glass and gestures for me to begin eating.
“Me? No, I’m not as strong as you think.”
“Why do you say that?” he asks.
I look at the piece of meat, impaled by the prongs of my fork. I feel like a xaphan staring down a disposable human.
“I could’ve been stronger had I gotten my wings in the end, but Zathex just had to ruin that for me.”
“What he did wasn’t your fault. You should know that well by now,” he says, slicing easily into his meat and shoving a huge piece into his mouth.
“I know that, but I feel robbed of what I’d strived for and worked so hard towards.”
Kazrith swirls the wine in his glass. In my peripheral vision, I feel him staring me down. I hope I’m not making myself look like a fool.
“Do you regret your decision to turn Zathex down?”
I chew as I think, distracted by the meat’s succulent taste and tenderness. I’ve never had such a rich meal before.
“Of course not. At the same time, I can’t help but think I’ve screwed my father and me over in doing so.”
Kazrith nods, sipping on his wine.
“I mean no harm, but I think xaphans will find any reason to oppose humans, wings or not.”
“I suppose you’re right. A human is the worst thing you can be. There's scrutiny everywhere you go.”
“I can only imagine. Never mind the troubles for a moment, what is it you really want out of this life?”
“That’s easy, a peaceful existence for my father and I. I just hope I have the strength to work all of this out.”
“Hanna,” Kazrith speaks, the sound of my name smooth on his tongue. “I’ve never met anyone with your tenacity. You have every reason to cower down and submit to the xaphans, but you keep fighting.”
The broken parts of me listen intently to his words, the parts that need to hear them the most. For so long, I’ve been yearning to have this sort of validation from someone. From anyone, really. The words come out of a demon’s mouth and nothing has ever felt more sweet.
“Bravery is a trait that most will never possess. I won’t lie, Hanna, I once thought of humans as useless. I know now that I was wrong. There’s some strong ones in your midst.”
I smile both at the delicious food and his compliment.
“Well, I don’t think you’d arrange such a gracious meal for someone so useless.”
“No, I suppose not.” He smirks. “By the way, is the food to your satisfaction?”
“Does my almost empty plate answer that?”
He portions out a small helping of another dish while I reach for the bottle, filling his wine before passing it back to him. As he takes it, our fingers brush.
His hands are invitingly warm and unexpectedly soft, as are his eyes, glowing as the candelabra’s flames dance within them.
Wishing each other good health, we drink.
