14. Dezoth
14
DEZOTH
T he knock on my study door comes just as I finish sharpening my blade. The familiar rhythm tells me it’s Rolfo before I even call out. “Enter.”
He steps inside, his silver eyes scanning the room like he’s searching for shadows. Rolfo’s the kind of man who always looks like he’s halfway into a fight, even when he’s lounging in a chair. His jaw’s set, and there’s a tension in his shoulders that doesn’t belong in a casual visit.
“You look like shit,” I say, leaning back in my chair, the blade resting across my lap.
“Feels like it.” He shuts the door behind him, his movements deliberate. “The disappearances are increasing. I got a report about two missing kids last night, both under ten."
I tighten my grip on the hilt of the blade, the leather creaking under my fingers. “Where?”
“North quarter. Near the old market. No witnesses, no traces. Clean work, but not the kind I like.” His voice drops, like he’s afraid the walls might hear. “We’re running out of time, Dez. Whoever’s behind this, they’re moving faster and soon, there will be no kids left to protect.”
I shake my head. "Maybe we need to send out a mandated curfew. Increase patrols at night. Just until we know who it is." It's a shock the city isn't in an uproar.
They would be if it were full-blooded demon children. That sends an ache through me thinking that.
"Maybe we need to send guards to check each house and inform anyone with a mixed-blood child."
I don't want to scare them but he might be right.
I already know what he’s going to say next before he says it. Rolfo’s got that look, the one that means he’s about to tell me something I don’t want to hear.
“You need to tell Ada.”
I push away from the desk, the chair scraping against the stone floor. “I can't, Rolfo. She doesn’t need to know about this shit.” I just got her to calm down, to stop feeling like she has to run.
“She’s smart. If she doesn’t hear it from you, she could hear it from someone else. Or worse, she’ll figure it out on her own - the hard way. You really want her taking Rose somewhere because she doesn’t know the danger?”
He’s right, and I hate him for it. My chest tightens, the weight of it pressing down harder than any blade ever could. Rose - sweet, curious Rose with her violet eyes and honey curls - doesn’t deserve this. But Rolfo’s not wrong. Ignorance won’t protect her. Not in this city. Not with what’s happening.
“Fine. I’ll tell her.”
Even if I can't stand to put that weight on Ada, I will do anything to keep them both safe.
Rolfo nods, his expression softening just a fraction. “Good. She trusts you. She’ll listen.”
“It shouldn't matter. We'll stop it before it gets that far.” I stand, the blade in my hand catching the light. “Because if anything happens to her, there won’t be enough of these bastards left to bury.”
Rolfo leaves and I head down the hall to where I hear Rose's voice. I stand in the doorway of the dining room, watching Ada set out the plates with practiced grace. She looks so beautiful. I've barely been able to think of anything but what she tastes like, what she looks like on top of me.
I knew I was growing attached, that I wanted her to let me in. But now that she is, I can hardly keep myself away from her. It's a delicate balance, one I'm trying not to disturb.
Rose bounces in her chair, her tiny legs swinging back and forth as she clutches a piece of paper to her chest. "Cappy Dez!" Rose's violet eyes light up when she spots me. "I made something for you at lessons today!"
My throat tightens at the nickname. Ada looked so nervous when Rose first called me that, but I love it. It's endearing.
I move to my seat, forcing my face to remain neutral despite the growing unease in my gut. I don't want to upset Ada, not when she seems so shy around me now. It's been a few days, and every time I get her alone, I find reasons to touch her. She doesn't pull away, but she flushes, and I know that I don't need to push her just yet.
I hope this doesn't break that.
"Did you now?" I settle into my chair as Ada places a bowl of steaming soup in front of me. Our fingers brush, and her warm brown eyes meet mine for a brief moment before darting away, that beautiful blush creeping up her cheeks.
Rose thrusts the paper across the table. "It's you! See? I drew your special marks!" Her small finger points to scribbled lines representing the ritual markings on my forearms.
The drawing shows a stick figure twice as tall as the others, colored in black and silver - my usual colors. Next to it stands two smaller figures, one with yellow curls like sunshine, the other with a long braid. My chest constricts at the sight of us drawn as a family.
"That's very detailed, Rose." Ada smiles at her daughter, and my chest tightens at that smile. She's finally starting to look relaxed. "Remember to eat your soup before it gets cold."
I watch Rose dip her spoon into the bowl, managing to get most of it in her mouth rather than on her dress. The ordinary moment feels fragile, like glass about to shatter. The weight of what I need to tell Ada presses against my ribs.
I'm tempted to ask her for one more taste before I taint everything, but it would be wrong. I know that.
"Cappy Dez, you're making your scary face." Rose tilts her head, purple eyes too perceptive. "Is it because the soup's too hot?"
Ada's hand freezes halfway to her mouth, her gaze sharp on my face. She's learned to read my expressions too well these past months. I'm hoping that Ada won't see the tension I'm trying to suppress, but the glances she throws me the rest of dinner tells me I fail at that. But I hold it together through the meal at least.
After helping tuck Rose into bed with her favorite batlaz pillow, I lead Ada down the torch-lit corridor to my study. My steps echo against stone, each one feeling heavier than the last. Ada's bare feet make no sound - a habit from her years of service that she hasn't broken I've gathered.
I unlock the heavy wooden door, gesturing for her to enter first. She glides past me, her braid swinging with the movement. Even now, after months of safety, she carries herself like she's ready to bolt at any moment.
The fire crackles in the hearth as I close the door behind us. Ada perches on the edge of the leather chair, her fingers twisting in her lap. I remain standing, unable to keep still with the weight of what I need to tell her.
"There's something you need to know." My voice comes out rougher than intended. "I don't want to scare you, but I think you deserve to know."
She nods, studying me. "What is it?"
When I offered you and Rose sanctuary, it wasn't because I knew someone was hunting you. The second I saw what she is, I knew you both needed protection."
Her shoulders tense. "What do you mean?"
I pace to the window, staring out at the city lights below. "Children are disappearing. Half-demon children, specifically. There's been ten in the last two months alone, and I haven't been able to catch them."
The sharp intake of breath behind me cuts like a knife. "Rose?—"
"Is safe here." I turn back to face her. My hands shake slightly as I grip the back of my chair. "But that's why I was so insistent you stay. Why I pushed when you wanted to keep running." The admission feels like gravel in my throat. "I couldn't let you wander out there, not with these monsters hunting."
Ada stands, her warm brown eyes haunted in the firelight. "You knew this was happening when you found us?"
"I suspected. The disappearances were just starting then. But now..." I drag a hand through my hair, loosening the silver cord. "It's getting worse. More frequent."
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Her voice wavers between anger and fear.
"Because you already had enough reasons to run. I needed you to trust me first, to know that Rose would be protected here. It's not safe out there, and I couldn't let her be at risk." I meet her gaze steadily. I don't add that it kills me because I almost had my own half-demon daughter and the need to protect Rose rises from a role I was never allowed to fill. No, I don't need to spill that many secrets tonight. "I swear to you, Ada, no one will touch her while I draw breath."
The color drains from Ada's face, her honey-blonde braid slipping over her shoulder as she sways. Her fingers clutch at the chair, knuckles white against the dark leather. I recognize the signs before she starts to fall - the slight tremor in her legs, the way her breath catches.
I cross the space between us in two strides, catching her against my chest as her knees give out. Her slight frame feels fragile in my arms, though I know better than most how strong she truly is. The scent of herbs clings to her hair, and I breathe her in.
"Easy." I guide her back to the chair, kneeling before her. Her warm brown eyes are distant, seeing horrors I can only imagine. "Ada, look at me."
She blinks, focusing on my face. "All those children..." Her voice cracks. "Their families- they must be-" She presses a hand to her mouth, shoulders shaking.
"We're tracking them." I keep my voice steady, an anchor in her storm. "We're going to get to the bottom of this, I promise. And Rose is safe here. The wards are-"
"The wards didn't save those other children." Her words cut sharp as any blade. She grabs my forearms, fingers pressing against the ritual markings there. "Promise me. Promise me she won't end up like them."
"I'd die first." The words rumble from my chest, a truth as fundamental as breathing. "No one gets past these walls without my permission. No one touches Rose."
Her grip tightens, and I see the mother who fled through demon territory with nothing but wit and will to protect her child. "Swear it. On your markings, on your honor - swear she'll be safe."
I cover her hands with mine, feeling the slight tremble in her fingers. "I swear on my life and my honor. Rose stays safe." I meet her gaze, letting her see the truth of it. "You both do."
She sags forward, her forehead resting against my shoulder. I remain still, offering what comfort I can while she processes the horror of what's happening beyond these walls.
Ada's whisper breaks the silence, her breath warm against my neck. "Maybe... maybe we should run. Before they find us."
Something primal and fierce rips through my chest at her words. My hands tighten over hers where they still grip my forearms. "No." The word comes out like gravel, rough and raw. "No one is taking you from me. Either of you. You're safer here than anywhere else."
She stiffens in my grip, pulling back just enough to meet my gaze. The firelight catches the gold flecks in her brown eyes, making them shine like amber. Her lips part, but no words come.
The weight of my declaration hangs in the air between us, heavy with implications neither of us is ready to face. My thumbs trace unconscious patterns over her knuckles, feeling the slight tremor that still runs through her hands.
"I didn't mean..." But I did mean it. Every word. The possessiveness in my tone surprises even me, though it shouldn't. These past months of having them here, of Rose's laughter echoing through my halls and Ada's quiet presence filling spaces I never knew were empty - they've become mine to protect. To cherish.
Can't she see that? That she means something to me - even if neither of us will name it?
Ada's breath catches, her pulse jumping beneath my fingers where they've slid to her wrists. She doesn't pull away, but I see the wariness creep back into her eyes, the careful distance she maintains even now.
"Dezoth..." My name on her lips sounds like a question and a warning all at once.
I release her wrists, standing to put space between us. The loss of contact feels like a physical ache, but I force myself to step back. Neither of us is ready for what that possessive declaration truly means.
"Just…stay here. For Rose's sake."
She chews on her bottom lip, but finally, she nods. And I'll take that, even if this is all I ever get with her.
Even if it's not the promise of forever I'm starting to crave.