19. Ada
19
ADA
T he sharp rap at the door startles me from my book. Rose barely glances up from her sprawl of papers and colored wax sticks on the floor, lost in her own world of art and imagination.
Through the door's viewing panel, I spot the black and silver uniform of the City Guard. My shoulders ease - Dezoth's men often stop by with messages, usually only when he's home, though.
I smooth my braid and open the door. "Can I help you?"
The guard bows, his movements precise. "Message for Captain Blackwood regarding patrol updates." His dark eyes drift past me to where Rose hums and draws.
"I can leave it in his study. Please, come in." I step aside, keeping myself between him and Rose.
"Thank you, miss. Won't take but a moment." His boots click against the wooden floor as he enters.
Rose perks up, violet eyes bright. "Look at my drawing! It's a sparkly dragon." She holds up her creation - more scribbles than dragon, but her enthusiasm radiates.
The guard's smile doesn't reach his eyes. "Quite talented." His gaze lingers on her unusual eyes, that calculating look making my skin crawl.
"Do you want me to make you one?" Rose bounces to her feet, already reaching for fresh paper.
"Rose, the guard is busy-" I start.
"No trouble at all." He settles into a chair, watching her with unsettling intensity as she works. His fingers drum against his thigh in a steady rhythm.
Rose chatters while she draws. "And then Cappy Dez showed me how to make my magic sparkle different colors. Purple is my favorite but blue is pretty too."
I hover near them, every instinct screaming danger. The guard's smile remains fixed, predatory, as Rose presents him with her finished artwork.
"Lovely." He tucks the paper away and rises. "I should deliver that message now."
I lead him to Dezoth's study, my heart thundering against my ribs. Only when the front door closes behind him do I allow myself to shake.
My hands won't stop trembling as I lock the door. Something about that guard felt wrong. The way he watched Rose, how he positioned himself to see the entire room-
"Mama, did he like my drawing?" Rose beams up at me, her violet eyes sparkling with pride.
I force a smile. "Of course, sweetheart. Why don't you make one for Dezoth, too?"
While she returns to her art corner, I circle the house. Each window latch, every door - I check them twice. The garden door's iron bolt slides home with a satisfying thunk.
Back in the sitting room, I pause. Rose's papers scatter the floor in a rainbow explosion of creativity, but something's missing. My throat tightens.
"Rose, where's the drawing you made for the guard?"
She looks up from her new creation. "He took it with him. Said it was too pretty to leave behind." Her curls bounce as she returns to her work, humming a tune Dezoth taught her.
Ice spreads through my veins. Guards never take personal items during message deliveries - it's against protocol. Dezoth drilled that into me when we first arrived.
I slip into Dezoth's study, my footsteps silent from years of practice. The message lies sealed on his desk, but something about the wax stamp catches my eye. The edges are rough, amateur work compared to the precise seals I've seen on official guard documents.
The walls press in. I grip the edge of Dezoth's desk, forcing air into my lungs. What if the guard wasn't here for a message? What if he came to confirm what someone suspected - that a half-demon child lives in this house?
Rose's laughter drifts from the other room, innocent and bright. I press my palm to my mouth, fighting back nausea. Her drawing will prove what her unusual eyes hinted at - the swirls of magic she tried to capture in wax, the human features she would have drawn.
I need to tell Dezoth. But first, I have to get Rose away from these windows where anyone could be watching.
"Rose, darling? Let's practice your reading in the library." At least there, the windows are high and no one can see us.
I pace the library floor while Rose naps on the window seat, her latest book clutched to her chest. Every footstep outside makes me flinch until I finally hear the distinctive sound of Dezoth's boots on the front steps.
The door opens and I'm already moving. "Something happened."
Dezoth's golden eyes narrow at my tone. He shrugs off his cloak, revealing the silver accents on his dark uniform. "What's wrong?"
"A guard came with a message, but-" My fingers twist in my skirt. "He wasn't right. The way he watched Rose..."
"Explain." His voice drops lower, a growl threading through the word.
I tell him everything - the guard's lingering stares, how he positioned himself, the drawing. Dezoth's jaw tightens with each detail.
"The seal on the message was wrong too. Rough, not like the usual ones." My hands shake as I lead him to his study. "I've seen enough official documents to know the difference."
Dezoth examines the message, his large frame tense. "This isn't guard issue paper." He crushes it in his fist. "Description. Now."
"Tall, but not as tall as you. Dark eyes, clean-shaven. Three rings on his right hand - gold with red stones." The details tumble out. "He moved like he was trying to copy guard posture but it wasn't natural."
"No guard wears jewelry on duty." Dezoth's eyes flash. "Did he touch anything besides the drawing?"
"No. But he watched her do magic with her crayons. She told him about the sparkles you taught her." My voice cracks. "I should have stopped her from talking-"
"Ada." Dezoth grips my shoulders, steadying me. "You did right. Acting suspicious would have made it worse." His thumbs brush against my collarbone, the touch grounding. "Where is she?"
"Library. Sleeping."
Dezoth's jaw works as he processes everything I've told him. His fingers flex at his sides - a tell I've learned means he's suppressing rage.
"We'll handle this." His voice drops to that dangerous purr that makes even hardened guards step back. "No one will touch her."
"But what if-"
"Ada." He catches my chin, tilting my face up. "I said we'll handle it. Trust me."
The intensity in his golden eyes steals my breath. His thumb brushes my jaw, the gesture surprisingly gentle for such a powerful demon.
A sleepy voice breaks the moment. "Cappy Dez!"
Rose bounces into the study, her curls wild from her nap. Dezoth releases me and turns, his stern expression melting as Rose barrels into his legs.
"There's my little flower." He scoops her up, settling her against his chest like she weighs nothing. "Did you practice your sparkles today?"
"Uh huh! I made purple ones and blue ones and-" She wiggles with excitement. "Oh! And I drawed pictures! Lots of pictures."
"Drew pictures," I correct automatically.
Dezoth's lips twitch. "Show me these masterpieces."
Rose launches into a detailed explanation of each drawing as Dezoth carries her to the sitting room. His massive frame dwarfs her tiny one, but he handles her with such care. The same hands that can crush steel and wield deadly magic now carefully hold her artwork.
"This one's for you." Rose presents him with a paper covered in swirls of color. "See? It's you fighting bad guys with your sparkly magic."
"Ah yes, I see the resemblance." He studies it with exaggerated seriousness. "Though my horns are a bit larger than that."
Rose giggles. "They're the biggest horns ever! That's why you're the bestest guard."
Something in my chest aches watching them together. Despite the danger lurking outside our door, Rose blooms under his attention like a flower turning toward the sun.
The anger still simmers in Dezoth's eyes when he glances my way, but his voice remains gentle as he asks Rose about the other colors she wants to learn. His arm tightens around her just slightly - a promise of protection wrapped in casual affection.