6. Dezoth
6
DEZOTH
A knock at the door startles me from watching Rose's magic lesson. Before I can react, a tall woman sweeps in, her black hair streaked with silver flowing behind her like a banner. She smiles, her eyes on Dezoth, and for a moment, my heart seizes. Both because she's a stranger and…something else.
"Now tell me why I had to learn from our aunt of all people that my brother has guests!" Her golden eyes, warmer than Dezoth's, sparkle with interest. Two small redheaded girls peek around her skirts.
"Vashti." Dezoth straightens, the thalivern dissolving. "I wasn't expecting you today."
"Clearly." She winks at Rose, who watches the twins with obvious curiosity. "Luna, Nova, come say hello."
The slightly taller twin - Luna, Vashti says - steps forward first. "You have pretty eyes like us!" She points to Rose's violet irises.
Nova follows more cautiously, freckled nose scrunched in concentration. "Can you do magic too?"
"I just started!" Rose bounces on her toes. "Captain Dezoth-” She is not getting any better with that pronunciation. “Made thaliverns!"
Luna gasps. "Uncle Dez, you never make thaliverns for us!"
"Uncle?" I mouth silently. Dezoth's just shakes his head, and I'm sure he'll explain later.
"Watch this!" Luna waves her tiny hands at Rose's batlaz pillow. The stuffed animal lifts wobbling into the air as Rose claps in delight.
Nova, not to be outdone, creates a shower of rainbow sparkles that rain down around them. "I can make pretty colors!"
"Mama, look!" Rose tries to catch the sparkles. "Can I try?"
The three girls huddle together, Luna patiently showing Rose how to position her hands while Nova adds more colors to her magical display. Their giggles fill the previously quiet house.
"They're natural teachers," Vashti murmurs, moving to stand beside me. "Luna especially."
I tense at her proximity, but she radiates a warmth so different from her brother's stoic presence. "You're... Dezoth's sister?"
"The fun one." She grins as Nova turns Luna's hair bright blue, earning a squeal of protest. "Though someone has to be, with him being such a grump."
"I can hear you," Dezoth growls, but there's no real heat in it.
"The twins are my neighbors, but they spend some time with me. Their mama thought it would be nice if they came to meet someone their age."
The girls pay no attention to the adults, lost in their own magical world. Rose's face glows with joy as she manages to make her pillow twitch slightly under Luna's guidance.
Vashti settles onto the couch beside me, her flowing emerald dress pooling around her feet. I shift away instinctively, but her warm smile never wavers.
"You remind me of Mira when she first arrived," she says, watching the girls attempt to create a rainbow between them. "Same wariness in your eyes."
"Mira?"
"A dear friend. Human, like you." Vashti's voice drops lower. "She found sanctuary with my neighbor Karn after escaping her master. Now she helps run his shop and cares for these little troublemakers. His nieces."
At that moment, Luna sneezes, sending a burst of golden sparkles over Nova and Rose. Their delighted shrieks draw my attention to Dezoth, who watches the scene with softened eyes. When his gaze drifts to me, I quickly look away.
"The twins adore her," Vashti continues. "She's become family, really. Even taught her blacksmith husband to lighten up a bit. I kept hoping that they'd rub off on my brother, too."
"I heard that too," Dezoth rumbles from his position by the window.
"Oh hush. You just don't want to believe it's true." Vashti waves dismissively. "Remember when she caught you wearing that tiara during the twins' tea party?"
A faint flush colors Dezoth's sharp cheekbones. "They were... persuasive."
"Rose, careful!" I call out as she wobbles trying to copy Luna's floating spell. Before I can move, Dezoth steadies her with gentle hands.
"Like this, little one." He adjusts her stance. "Power flows better when you're balanced."
Vashti's knowing smile makes me uncomfortable. "Mira was terrified of demons at first too. Now she bickers with Karn like an old married couple."
"I'm not-" I start to protest.
"Of course not." She pats my hand. "But you might find not all demons are like the ones you're running from."
My eyes drift back to Dezoth as he kneels beside the girls, his massive frame somehow less intimidating as Nova decorates his horns with illusory flowers. Rose's laughter rings pure and bright, and for the first time in years, I feel something in my chest loosen just slightly.
The girls' magical display continues as Vashti leads me to the kitchen, pulling out delicate cups with practiced grace.
"Tea?" She measures leaves into a pot. "I know Dezoth drinks at least three cups a day, and he hoards the good stuff. But I doubt there are any tea biscuits. My brother probably ate them all before they even got in the house. He has no self control with those things."
I glance toward the other room where Rose's excited voice mingles with the twins'. "I wouldn't have expected..."
"The fearsome guard Captain to have a sweet tooth?" Vashti's laugh rings like silver bells. "Oh, you should have seen him when we were children. He'd sneak extra honey cakes from the kitchen and always blamed it on me."
I cock my head, watching her. I never really thought about Dezoth as anything but the Captain. But now, I'm seeing him as so much more.
Steam curls from the spout as she pours. Her voice lowers. "He wouldn't tell you this, but he needed life back in his home. He's been alone since Raina left, and he doesn't handle it well."
Raina. I can't help but wonder who Raina is.
"He'll act all tough, but he's really a big softie." She slides a cup toward me. "Used to braid my hair every morning before school because I couldn't reach the back properly. Even learned to sew so he could mend my dresses."
Through the doorway, I catch Dezoth creating tiny light orbs for the girls to chase. His severe features soften as Rose tugs his sleeve, pointing at a particularly bright one.
"Don't look so shocked." Vashti's eyes sparkle over her cup. "That gruff exterior is mostly for show. Though I'll deny saying that if he asks."
"I just... after everything I've seen..."
"Not all demons are monsters." She reaches across the table but stops short of touching me. "Some of us actually care about more than power and pride. Dezoth especially - he'd die protecting those he considers his to guard."
"Like the twins?"
"Like anyone who needs him." Her knowing look makes me shift uncomfortably.
The sounds of magical practice fade into giggles as Nova apparently turns Luna's hair another wild color. Dezoth's deep voice rumbles something that makes all three girls burst into fresh laughter.
"He deserves his own family," Vashti says softly. "Someone to show him it's okay to let that guard down sometimes."
I stare into my tea, trying to reconcile this new image of Dezoth with my ingrained fears. "I don't know if I can..."
"No one's asking you to do anything." She smiles gently. "Just... keep an open mind?"
The girls play for a while longer, but the magic seems to drain them. I watch Rose nestle between Luna and Nova on the plush rug as they throw sparkles, eyes drooping, their copper and honey curls mingling as Dezoth's deep voice weaves a tale about a brave warrior princess. His massive frame seems at odds with the way he perches in the armchair, book balanced carefully in his scarred hands.
"And the princess called all the magic in the land-" He breaks off as Rose's head droops against Luna's shoulder. Nova's already curled into a tight ball, thumb tucked against her lips.
"Three for three." Vashti rises silently from beside me. "He has that effect on children. Something about that growly voice."
I can't help but notice how Dezoth's golden eyes soften as he looks at the sleeping girls. His fingers twitch like he wants to reach out and brush Rose's hair from her face, but he holds back. The longing in his expression mirrors the ache in my chest - the wish for Rose to have peaceful moments like this always.
"They look like angels when they sleep," he murmurs, then catches himself. "Until they wake and turn my guard's hair purple again."
"You loved every minute of that chaos." Vashti smirks. "Especially when Luna made your horns sparkle."
"I tolerated it."
"Please, brother. I saw that smile." She glances between us. "You know, the twins could use more playmates their age. And Rose clearly has a talent for magic that needs nurturing..."
Dezoth's jaw tightens. "Vashti."
"I'm just saying." She holds up her hands innocently. "I might need to make more visits. That's all."
Vashti makes more tea and we migrate to the kitchen while the girls sleep. For the next hour, I mostly listen, entertained by seeing Dezoth as a big brother, teased by his relentless sister. It makes him all the more endearing.
Once the girls are up, Vashti rounds them up. "Their mother will be wondering where they are if we're not back soon. But we'll have to visit again soon. The twins would be heartbroken if their new friend disappeared."
I'm still nervous, but I nod. "That would be…nice."
"And you could come by the bakery sometime if you like. I make excellent honey cakes. And my garden's perfect for magical practice - plenty of space and cushioning spells for when things go wrong."
"Which they often do," Dezoth mutters, cradling Rose. She did not wake with Luna and Nova, and he didn't want her disturbed. Her honey-blonde curls spill over his arm as she snuffles in her sleep.
"Oh hush." Vashti waves dismissively. "As if you didn't blow up half the training yard learning force magic."
A muscle tics in Dezoth's jaw. "That was different."
"Of course it was, brother dear." She turns back to me, golden eyes warm. "We're just down the street - Dezoth can show you. You're welcome anytime - no guards, no questions. Just tea and friendship."
Dezoth's shoulders lose their rigid set at his sister's words. The careful way he holds Rose, the softening around his eyes - he truly doesn't see us as prisoners.
"I..." My throat tightens. "We'll think about it."
"Wonderful!" Vashti claps softly, mindful of the sleeping children. "Swing by any time. Though the twins are most manageable after breakfast. "
"They're never manageable," Dezoth grumbles, but there's fondness in his tone.
I watch him transfer Rose to my arms with surprising gentleness. Her weight settles against me, familiar and precious. She doesn't stir.
"The offer stands regardless of when you choose to accept it." Vashti's voice carries no pressure, only sincerity. "My door is always open to friends. And I know Mira will never turn down a playdate."
The word 'friends' echoes in my mind as we make our way back to our room so I can lay her down. She's not used to so much exertion with magic.
Behind us, I hear Vashti's melodic voice. "Well brother, that went better than expected, didn't it?"
His rumbled response is too low to catch, but something in his tone makes Vashti laugh like silver bells.
And I think that maybe not all demons are so bad.