Page 28 of Caught in the Devil’s Hand

Majo must have put something into that rice wine, and Shumei’s nausea had been a side effect. It all made sense now. She was doubly glad she hadn’t taken any of the witch’s tea the other day. Who knew what that might’ve done to her?

“She was probably experimenting on you, and let’s be glad her experiment was successful. Improperly mixed potions can kill, and the ill effects often look like a disease to outsiders,” he explained. Shumei blanched. “Fortunately, most crows have more than enough magic to fight off these ill effects, but everyone else…?”

The Burning. Had it been Majo’s fault?

“Then the witch…” was all she could say. It was too horrible even to imagine. That Majo would be so reckless and kill so many people, including Shumei’s mother…

“What information, Shumei? What was it you wanted to know so badly that you would kiss such a creature?”

“I kiss you, don’t I?” she replied dryly. The way his jaw stiffened told her she had hit her mark. “I wanted to know more about demons.”

“And what did you learn?”

“Very little, unfortunately. I already knew most of what she told me.” She injected some bitterness into her voice in order to sell her half-truth. Yes, she hadn’t learned much, but what she had learned had been important. He tilted his head, eyes narrowing slightly, and she realized he knew she had omitted something. However, he didn’t say anything further and straightened to his full height.

“Let us not delay any longer. I have prepared a place for us, and my loins ache to be inside you,” he uttered thickly. The abrupt change in subject and his blatant admission had her speechless and blushing. He held out his hand. Dazed, she took it. He turned to the woods behind him and led her to the tree line.

“How far are we going?” she asked.

“Far enough.”

His hand was warm, his grip firm. They entered the trees, though this time there was no path, so the underbrush quickly turned into a hindrance. The ankle-length dress shortened her gait, and she had to stop to pry out every single branch or thorn that snagged her skirt. Vallen seemed patient at first, but the fourth time it happened, he turned and heaved a sigh of frustration.

She eased yet another thorn out of her skirt, face flushed with exertion. She was really trying to avoid damaging her new dress, but the material seemed to catch on every little thing, and its proper fit meant she couldn’t lift the hem more than a few inches. He had said they weren’t going far, but they’d stopped so many times that she could still see the clearing through the trees behind her.

Leaves crunched. Then he was right next to her, practically a hand’s breadth from her side. She looked up at him in question.

“It’ll be faster to carry you,” he said, snaking his arm around her back.

“Wait,” she stammered, not comfortable with being in his arms like that, even though she was about to be a lot more intimate with him. But it was too late for protests.

He swept her off the ground. “Think of it as part of foreplay. You’re fulfilling your end of the deal by letting me carry you,” he murmured, holding her tight against his chest. Then, voice tinged with effort, he said, “But it’d be easier if you put your arms around my neck.”

She didn’t believe for a second that Vallen needed her to do anything to make her easier to carry. Demons had superhuman strength. But before she realized it, she had laced her fingers together on his far shoulder.

“What’s foreplay?” she asked. “Is it a kind of magic?” She heard him choke and wasn’t sure if it was a laugh or a cough.

“Some would call it magic,” he teased, eyes twinkling. Ah, it’d been a laugh, then. “But no, foreplay is not the kind of magic you’re thinking of.”

“I don’t understand,” she said, fighting not to squirm. Being in anyone’s arms felt awkward, his arms especially.

“Don’t worry, I’ll show you,” he promised, glancing down at her. For a split second, she saw something other than emptiness in his blue eyes—something gentle—and a small gasp popped out of her mouth. But as quickly as his gaze fell to her, it rose again, looking ahead.

In the silence that descended, she began to notice other things about Vallen. His white hair brushed her hand, tickling a bit. She fought an insane urge to play with it. A faint scent drifted to her nose, a mixture of a hot night’s breeze and sun-warmed skin. It also strongly hinted of his spicy soap, and underlying it all was a light, manly musk. She shivered in longing even as she wished his smell was less alluring.

Vallen’s thoughts were of a similar bent. She felt so light in his arms. Soft. He wanted to sink into that softness and wrap it around him. Her hair smelled of earthy plants, and her dewy skin glistened under the dawning sun’s intermittent rays. He hadn’t wanted a woman like this since the one who had been his downfall.

He wondered why it was Shumei he hungered for. Though she shared a few physical traits with Miharu, her personality and background were radically different. The whole world had been radically different back then.

He spied their destination up ahead. His steps quickened. She turned her head and stiffened in his arms.

“W-What is that?” Shumei squeaked, having expected a simple blanket on the ground, if anything. She wasn’t sure what to call this structure. A cloth house?

“It’s a tent, which I obtained long ago in Kurosa, the City of Dunes. Wait until you see inside.”

She studied it as they neared, barely noticing his imposing horse standing behind it. The framed fabric was a rich green, and its seams were laden with heavy gold ropes that were furred on the end, a strange flourish she didn’t even have a word for. The entire structure was at least the size of her paltry hut.

She expected to be set on her feet, but Vallen continued around the tent to the side with an opening. He easily steered them through the cloth door that was already drawn open, and she gasped at the sight within. Dozens of pillows were strewn across the cozily lit space. They were varying hues of purple, and the rug that stretched from wall to wall was a dizzying mix of red and gold. Several burning candles sat on metal plates far from where any…activity might occur.