Daevas -I- ✔️

Chapter 1.3: Apples

"Kill me." The demon laughed. "I will not be food to you," Ari hissed.

After leaving the decrepit house, the demon denied him rest. Each time he began to doze, a fresh wave of pain jolted him awake, inflicted by the demon in various ways. It reveled in causing him suffering.

"As you wish."

It closed the little distance that sat between them, yet Ari did not retract his words or avert his gaze. Was he to bow his head to the very thing they hunted and killed? He harbored no fear, neither for it nor for death.

"No-no-no. He did not mean it," Freir intervened, standing in front of Ari. "You did not put in all that time and effort to keep him alive just to kill him like this so fast."

Its eyes flicked to Freir before they wandered back to Ari. It lowered itself to Ari's height and grabbed his chin. "I wish I had not. He does not seem very grateful," it said, tightening its grip. "Tell me, would you rather have become food to my lesser kind?"

Ari swallowed.

"I could have watched them tear into your flesh. Ripping you into pieces," the demon whispered in his ear and looked at him.

All there was in its eyes was hate—so much hate! Ari's blood ran cold. For what reason had he garnered such loathing from a creature he had never met? True, they hunted demons, but none like the one now staring down at him, threatening to devour him if he misspoke again.

"You continue to provoke me thinking I will not, why?" Its hand threaded through Ari's hair, pulling his head back to expose his vulnerable neck. Ari turned away and was met with chilling laughter before it released him. "Not so willing to die as you profess," it mocked.

"Demon, we have somewhere we need to be and if we are not there they will come looking for us. You invite trouble upon yourself," Freir warned.

"Oh?"

"As you know, these parts are filled with demons and demon hunters alike. We cannot linger long."

Intrigue coated its face. It pressed a finger to its lips and said, "I will go with you."

It was toying with them. There was something about the demon that made Ari's skin crawl. Not knowing what it was unsettled him even more.

The demon snatched Ari's good arm, lifting him effortlessly. "We should arrive in a town while the sun is high in the sky," it said, glancing away from Ari's assessing eyes. After a passing moment, its gaze returned to Ari, forming a smile that sent shivers across his skin.

"There is good reason to fear the darkness and not just for the demons that it brings," it warned.

Ari rose the rest of the way from the tree he leaned against and directed his gaze to Freir. Whether Freir could not perceive it—the malicious intentions deeply rooted in its eyes—or whether he was merely playing a part remained unclear. Freir clutched onto Ari's arm, preventing him from falling forward, and assisted him onto his shoulder. The way it spoke, moved, and even smiled felt off, everything about the demon seemed wrong. Each time it drew close, a tingling burn crept across Ari's skin, signaling the constant danger posed by its closeness.

"Freir," Ari whispered, "we mustn't let it know of the location. Never."

"Do you think me a fool, Ari?" Freir hissed.

Ari pressed on, hobbling despite Freir's help. The town approached, but the pain intensified, reaching an almost unbearable level. Clinging tightly to Freir, they moved forward. The voices of townspeople filled the air, and before long, numerous stalls and carts came into view. Ari's heart raced at the sounds of laughter, both from men and women, and the sweet trills of babies' cries. Noises he had considered insignificant before now threatened to bring tears to his eyes.