Page 121 of Fated to the Demon Lord

The town came into view, its small, familiar buildings nestled among the trees. My heart leaped. Somehow the place was already starting to feel like home.

We made our way to my mother's cottage and knocked. The door swung open to reveal Gerand. His hair had been neatly trimmed, and his face was fuller than I remembered.

Excitement lit his eyes.

"Denara!"

"Gerand." I pulled him into a tight hug. Even in the short time he'd been in Derand, he looked healthier—happier.

"Denara!" my mother exclaimed. She and Bargoth sat at the table with their children, but her smile faltered as she looked past me to the towering figure filling the doorway.

I reached back and took Vaelor's hand, guiding him inside. "This is Vaelor. He's bonded with a body now."

Silence settled over the room.

"Then...how is he here?" Bargoth asked cautiously. If Vaelor had a body, they had every reason to believe he still belonged to the Spiritu Malignos ranks.

"It's a long story," I said. "But everything's all right. He's bound to me now, not the Spiritu Malignos nation."

Mother studied him for a long moment before giving a slow nod. "Then you can tell us the whole story over supper." She rose from her chair. "I'll set two more places. Please, both of you, sit."

Vaelor and I slid onto the bench at the table. A moment later, Mother placed steaming bowls before us.

"My famous venison stew," she said proudly. "You and Gerand always loved it."

Heat crept into my cheeks. It was the very stew I'd once used to poison Vaelor. I stole a glance at him.

He stared quietly into the bowl for a heartbeat without moving.

I cleared my throat. "Uh...Ma, this may not be the best⁠—"

"It looks delicious," Vaelor said simply. He picked up his spoon and tasted the stew.

Relief washed over me.

Dinner passed as Vaelor and I recounted everything that had happened since we'd left Derand. The story was almost too impossible to believe, sitting around my mother's table, and I enjoyed the gasps and surprise on the faces of those surrounding us as we regaled them with our journey.

Afterward, Bargoth gathered the children and settled beside the hearth with Gerand to read. Mother began clearing the table, and I rose to help.

Vaelor stood as well, reaching for the empty bowls.

I rested a hand on his arm. I’ve got this.

He looked down at me. Are you certain?

I nodded. I’d like to talk to her alone.

His gaze flickered toward my mother before he inclined his head and crossed to the fireplace. Leaning against the mantel, he listened quietly as Bargoth read to the children.

I gathered the remaining dishes and followed Mother outside. She bent over a large basin, the cool evening air carrying the scent of soap and damp earth.

I set the bowls into the water before straightening.

"Thank you." She smiled, but it quickly faded. Her hands twisted in her apron. "How are you doing, my love?"

I gave her a reassuring grin. "I'm better than I ever thought I'd be."

Her eyes glistened. "You look so happy. There's a light about you that wasn't there when you first came to Derand." Her voice caught. "A light I was afraid I'd taken from you."