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“I’ll let Lord Demious know,” I said. “Do a barrier check and report back anything you find.”
Marco sighed. “Aye aye.”
We split directions, me returning to where Lord Demious entertained the guests. Carriages and horses filled the wide circle in front of the mansion. Lord Demious tended to show off to the nobles during his gatherings, though he hardly needed to. His magic kept the more dangerous creatures away from Farrow’s Gate which made the incident with the raptors unusual.
I thought back to Miss Hawk and how the beasts tried taking her. There was something ancient about the magic I sensed in the human. Even dulled by the dampener, it had a raw edge to it. She hadn’t shown much promise at archery, but that did little to discredit the rest of her.
I’d reached the ballroom as the quartet began playing. I searched for Lord Demious who sat at the head of the table, drinking, and speaking with Alec. A spread of meats and cheese before him. The female prospects hadn’t entered the room yet.
“My lord,” I said, interrupting the conversation. “I need to show you something.”
“Whatever it is, it will wait.” Lord Demious smiled at a human female who curtsied as she passed.
“I don’t think this can,” I said with a bit more urgency.
“Is someone dying? Has someone come to murder me at my own party?”
“No.”
“Then it’ll wait.” Lord Demious picked up a goblet of wine. “Drink, your stuffiness is ruining my mood.”
“Of course, my lord.” I took the goblet and downed it in three gulps.
Lord Demious grinned and took the decanter from the table. “There are many beautiful women here tonight. Find a noble that suits you and have some fun.”
It was no surprise Lord Demious treated me differently than the other guards. While the others had been hired, I hadn’t. I stayed out of loyalty. I owed Lord Demious a life debt. One I didn’t think I’d ever be able to repay.
“As the head of your guard, it’s my duty not to have fun.”
He laughed and clapped a hand to my shoulder. “You are also my friend and I hate to see you sulk. Sit with me for a moment.”
While the world thought of Demious as an evil, twisted man, he wasn’t always. Demious wanted everyone to fear him, though the ones closest to him never did, and only because he fiercely protected his own.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked, taking the empty seat beside him. “With your stature, you could have any of these women.”
Keeping his gaze on the nobles that passed, he smiled. “My line needs power. Tell me, who do you think I should pick?”
“We haven’t seen what the women are capable of.”
Demious filled my goblet again and nodded for me to drink, something I rarely did, but Lord Demious pushed me to. He must’ve been on edge.
“True,” he said. “But if I had to choose, which one?”
My mind went to the human girl with vibrant red hair, but for reasons unknown to me, I didn’t say her name. “What do I know of human women? They’re all the same to me.”
Lord Demious held up his goblet with a grin. “If I didn’t need you, I’d send you away to find a nice fae female and have lots of wolf babies.”
I frowned at the absurdity of the sentiment. Family was not in my future. I was a blade, nothing more.
The grin left Lord Demious’ face. “One day you will find someone worth leaving me for. Now go, your frown is ruining my mood.”
Taking my leave, I thought on what he said. The idea of finding a mate left the moment my own family exiled me. My place was here, and nothing or no one would change my mind.
