Chapter 11 - Willow #2
The wooden pens seemed pretty chill, writing notes when they felt like it, dozing off when they didn’t.
It didn’t seem like they’d even noticed me yet as they laid against the paper, rolling around once in a while.
Maybe they weren’t my kind of pen either, not when I was on a tight deadline at least.
“Hmmm...I’m looking for a pen that will notice things I don’t,” I said. “Maybe one who has a sense of humor and can write casually. The kind of pen who finds this world fascinating and wants to explore it more. I’d really love the brainstorming help.”
The racoon demon stroked the fur on his chin. “Maybe you’d prefer the crystal pens. They’re a bit sarcastic sometimes, but they’re also the best brainstormers. They bring a sense of magic and whimsy to the process.”
He led me further down the aisle past a group of quills with brilliant feathers to a section of pens with crystals on the top, shimmering like gems. Most of them were pretty fancy, but one in the back drew my eye.
It had a charcoal base with swirls of silver running through it and a beautiful deep purple feather on top.
I glanced sideways at the Demon Lord. That feather was the color of his eyes. ..
The scritch scratch of a pen scribbling on paper pulled my attention back to the pen. It had written something on the paper, but before I could read it, the proprietor shook his head.
“Oh, this one must have been shelved wrong.” He picked the pen up, holding it in a way that I couldn’t see the paper. “It’s meant to be with the other feathered pens.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Did it write something bad?”
“No, not exactly...” He glanced between me and the Demon Lord. “I just don’t think our Lord would want a pen like this commenting on his life, that’s all.”
Okay, well now I was beyond curious what it had written down.
“You’d be fine with whatever pen I choose, right?” I asked, nudging the Demon Lord. “No matter what it says about you?”
He sighed. “Just show her the pen. There’s no way she’s letting this go until she sees its personality now.”
“You know me so well.” I grinned, holding my hand out for the pen and notepad. “Now, let’s see what you had to say that got you snatched away so fast.”
That guy behind you is sexy as hell. You should get on that. Or under that. Whatever your preference is.
I dropped the notepad, but it floated in the air next to me, its words staring me right in the face.
The pen thought the Demon Lord was sexy?
? A laugh bubbled up in my chest and soon I was cackling in the stationery store as the Demon Lord leaned over to read it too.
His shadows snapped around him, engulfing the pen and its paper.
“What kind of store are you running?” he asked the racoon demon. “Is that normal?”
The demon wrung his hands. “Well, it was used by a romance writer for many years before it was returned to us, and it picked up a few...interesting habits.”
More scratching followed that, and I reached into the shadows to rescue the little pen.
You know I’m right, so what’s the problem here?
“Well, I’m not really writing a romance,” I said. “It’s actually more like an epic fantasy. The last book in a big series about the hero fighting off the demons.”
Oh, so you’re one of those humans. As if the demons would lose to any pompous heroes.
The purple feather stood tall, as if proclaiming its allegiance with the demons. Interesting. Maybe it already knew more about the world than I did. That could be really useful, but maybe I should pick a pen who didn’t have such strong opinions about heroes. It was his book after all.
I glanced at the other pens who were eagerly scribbling, obviously trying to get my attention too. I started moving toward them, but the charcoal feather pen swooped in front of me, angling its notebook so I could easily read it.
Fine, fine. If heroes are your thing, I’ll help you write the best hero ever. Manly and full of...what are heroes full of? Justice? Ego? What are we going for here?
“Honestly, he’s kind of the clueless type.
” I smiled, remembering all the fond memories I had of reading the books with Grandpa.
“He’s kind and eager to help, but doesn’t always go about it the right way.
He sometimes takes things at face value and is a bit naive, but he’s got such heart. Loveable and honorable to a fault.”
Oh, so he’s a himbo. Got it. I can help with that.
“A himbo??” I burst out laughing again. “Okay, maybe he is a bit, but he’s really sweet.”
Sweet only gets you so far. Somebody’s probably going to take advantage of that some day. Maybe lead him down a bad path in the name of justice.
I froze, staring at the pen’s words. What if that was actually the plot twist? That the hero fully believed he was doing the right thing, when in reality, it was completely wrong? Oh, that gave me so many other ideas and I had to write them down.
“Okay Penny, now we’re getting somewhere.” I frowned. “Inky? Penpen? Scribbles?”
The name’s Inkheart.
“Inkheart, hello!” I turned to the shopkeeper. “We’ll take this pen, please.”
He readjusted his glasses, looking pointedly at the Demon Lord before nodding. “Okay, I think you’ve chosen a fine pen. Let’s pick out a flying book worthy of following you around all day.”
The pen was already standing tall on a floating notepad, but maybe those were just for show.
The idea of a flying notebook and pen that could take its own notes trailing behind me at all times was enough to make anyone smile.
This world was the absolute coolest. As we browsed through leatherbound books, wood-covered books, and every other kind of journal I could ever imagine, I paused.
“How is it that this village has so many cool things?” I asked the Demon Lord softly so the shopkeep wouldn’t overhear us.
“I mean, the human villages had magical devices too, but nothing on this scale. They didn’t have personalities, not like this.
They were more like tools than true magic. So what’s with this place?”
“Demons have innate magic,” he responded, leaning in closer. “And that purple glow outside feels like it’s connected too.”
The shopkeep rubbed his hands together. “Exactly! Us demons are wonderful craftsmen, unlike those thieves you call humans.”
“Thieves, huh?” The Demon Lord loomed behind me, his shadows curling around us like a dark cloak. “Do you think we’ve done enough to stop them or are they getting too close again?”
The raccoon demon froze, his timid eyes flicking to me.
“Please forgive me. You are wonderful.” He wrung his hands, his fur puffed out awkwardly as he lifted his gaze to the Demon Lord.
“You saved us when you created the Wandering Woods. I know you’re doing everything you can to protect us. I didn’t mean to imply anything else.”
I elbowed the Demon Lord. “You’re scaring him, knock it off.” Once his shadows shrank a bit, I smiled at the shopkeep. “Sorry about him, he doesn’t know when to turn off the dark lord vibes. I’ll admit I’m still learning about this village. What are the humans stealing?”
He frowned. “Well, our magic of course. We have so much that the very land around us is gifted with it, imbuing the minerals in the ground with magic even lowly humans can use. That’s why they keep attacking us. For our resources.”
I gripped the notebook I was holding so tight my knuckles whitened. “That can’t be right. I’ve never heard anything like that before.”
“Well, humans are awful.” The Demon Lord shrugged. “It doesn’t really surprise me that they’d bend the truth.”
I rolled my eyes. “As a human, I resent that.”
“You’re...okay so far.” His words might have sounded harsh, but his lips were tugged up in a little half smile that made my stomach flutter. “If you stick around, maybe my opinion of humans will change.”
“Guess I’ll have to stick around to save the human race’s reputation then, huh?” I grinned, leaning my shoulder into him to add to the teasing. “Keep bringing me to awesome places like this and I might just be tempted to.”
His deep purple eyes met mine, holding my gaze. “I’d come here every day if you wished it.”
I swallowed hard. I’d been teasing him, light and joking, but suddenly this felt serious.
He meant that. Not that going to a stationery shop was anything intimate, but his tone made it feel like it was.
I busied myself with the notebooks again, searching through every single one on display while the Demon Lord kept his distance, his gaze following me like I was more interesting than every pen and notebook here.
It made my hands kind of clammy, if I was honest. It had to be nerves from a powerful man like him studying me so intently.
Eventually, I settled on a black and silver book that felt more like a witch’s grimoire than anything else, but it suited the pen the best.
“What do you think?” I moved Inkheart from the temporary notepad to the beautiful new notebook. “Keep looking? Or do you like this one?”
Its feather swayed as the pen danced across the pages, swirling and dipping hypnotically.
This is perfect.
Excellent, now I just had to grab some ink and we’d be out of here.
Which was good because it felt like the heat was turned up way too high in this store.
I stepped up to the register, feeling intensely awkward as I realized none of my human money worked here.
The poor shopkeeper just wrung his hands, apologizing over and over for no currency exchanges.
“It’s fine. I can purchase anything you need,” the Demon Lord said. “It’ll be payment for writing my book.”
The shopkeeper’s eyes widened. “She’s writing a book about you, My Lord? Oh, then she can have this all on the house.” He leaned closer, whispering behind his hand. “Just let me be the first to read it, okay?”
“No, I can’t possibly take this all for free.” I shook my head, pleading silently with the Demon Lord. “I’d prefer the payment for writing your book deal, if you would.”
“Of course.” His shadows curled around me for a moment, reaching out for something I wasn’t sure of, before he paid the shopkeep for me. “Please deliver more ink and paper to the castle in a few days. We’ll probably need it.”
A warm fuzzy feeling swept over me as he predicted exactly what I’d need and moved to handle it before I even asked. “How are you so good at taking care of other people, but so terrible at taking care of yourself?”
He shrugged. “I get by just fine on my own. Stop worrying and focus on the book.”
“I’d worry less if we went and looked for that bed we talked about.”
A sigh that felt like it was being pulled from the depths of his soul escaped his lips. “Okay. If improving my sleeping arrangements would make you feel better, then let’s go look for a new mattress.”
I grinned, linking my arm through his as he picked up my bags from the shop. Inkheart flew through the air behind us as the raccoon demon waved goodbye. This had been such an interesting store and I couldn’t wait to see what else this demon village had in store for us.
The demons were apparently more like magical artisans than beasts spawned by dark magic like the books had led me to believe.
There was so much to learn and so little time to figure it all out.
Getting stuck in this book might be the best thing that could have happened if I really did want to finish this series.
There was no way I’d find all these secrets out otherwise.
As we strolled through the town, hope washed over me. Maybe I could actually pull this off.