Chapter 3
Chapter
Three
Leda
“This is the downstairs washroom,” he said, gesturing to his left. “And this is the library.”
I glanced in each before following him further down the hall.
Without stopping, he pointed to his right. “That is my study. Typically, if my men enter the house, this is where they come, so you might want to avoid it for the time being.”
No argument there, I thought.
“For the time being?” I asked.
“They will eventually understand that you are a guest and not a servant or prostitute, but probably not until I have to whip one of them for ignoring my warnings.”
“Are all daemons like that, or is it just a few?”
The look he shot me was dry, both annoyance and disbelief clear on his sharp features.
“I imagine we’re not too different from humans when it comes to behavior.
There are a great many honorable daemons, but there are always a few that think they should be able to do whatever they want.
Especially to a creature smaller and weaker than them. ”
My chin jerked up. “That’s an accurate assessment.”
There was a reason I taught free women’s self-defense classes once per month. And it wasn’t because all humans were good and trustworthy.
“This is the drawing room, but I rarely use it since I would rather have my horns cut off than entertain.”
I couldn’t contain the snort of amusement that escaped me. I understood exactly what he meant. I didn’t mind socializing, but I didn’t want people in my private spaces. And I considered my entire home my private space.
He turned the corner and went up the stairs.
I picked up a slice of cheese and nibbled on it as I followed.
His commander had fed me a slice of bread and some fruit earlier, but it definitely hadn’t been enough food.
I hadn’t asked for more because I had a feeling I would be expected to “pay” for the food with sex.
I might have considered it if I were already starving, but I figured I would be able to sneak extra food at night and find a way to conceal it if I needed to.
Based on the amount piled in this bowl, Masu and the daemon in charge didn’t intend to starve me.
Which reminded me…
“What should I call you?” I asked as I followed him down the hall.
“I am called Bokkan.”
“Is that your first name or last name?” I asked.
He looked at me in confusion. “What are first and last names?”
“My first name is Leda. That’s what my friends and family call me. My last name is Voight. That is my family name that I shared with my parents and my father’s relatives. In a formal setting, people will call me Ms. Voight.”
He nodded. “I understand. We call our last name a legacy or house name. I am of the Stonesword legacy. Sometimes it will be called the House of Stonesword. It’s my mother’s house. What you call a first name is considered just a name here. Mine is Bokkan.”
“You don’t expect me to call you Master like Masu did? Or General as your men did?” I asked.
He stopped in front of a huge, ornate door. “No. You are my guest and should call me Bokkan. I have also asked them repeatedly to do the same, but they were with me when I still served our king and have yet to get out of the habit.”
“You no longer serve?” I asked.
“I am retired from the king’s service. I now provide extra training for his elite soldiers and his personal guard when they promote.
” Without waiting for me to respond, he opened the door in front of us.
“These are my chambers. I understand that it makes you uncomfortable to stay in here with me, but I’m afraid it is necessary for now. ”
I walked behind him into the room, and my eyes widened.
A huge bed dominated the space. It was large enough for three monsters the size of Bokkan.
A couch, at least six feet long, was angled by the fireplace, the cushions wide and deep.
I would easily fit on it, even if I was stretched out completely.
Immediately, I decided I would sleep there.
A table sat at each end, with strange-looking lamps on them. Double doors on the opposite wall were open to reveal what appeared to be a huge bathroom.
I wandered in that direction and peeked inside.
Wow. Finally, something about this place that didn’t fill me with dread.
There was an open shower stall against one wall.
A heavy sink on another. In the center of the room was a round pool in the floor.
Steam rose from the water and it was so clear I could see the ledge all the way around for someone to sit on.
It was definitely deeper than I was tall, but I felt the urge to jump in anyway because I was grimy and my entire body hurt.
“The water closet is in here,” he said, interrupting my study of the bathing pool.
He opened another door to reveal an object that resembled a toilet, but it was taller than any I’d ever seen before.
“Uh, how do I use that?” I asked.
The daemon shot me an incredulous look.
I scoffed. “It looks like the toilets we have at home, but not exactly the same. I understand where to sit, but how do I, uh, flush? And, well, clean up?”
“What do you use in the human realm?”
“We have something called toilet paper. It’s disposable and will dissolve in time.”
“That sounds barbaric,” he said. “You use paper on your private areas?”
I sighed and rolled my eyes. “I’m not going to argue about human hygiene with you. Please just tell me what the process is so I can take care of myself.”
He walked over to the toilet. “There is a lever here that will release a stream of water to wash you. There are rags in this basket that you can use to dry off.” He grabbed a handle and pulled up a square of wood.
“This chute drops to our incinerator. Most of these cloths are from old clothes, linens, and towels, so we burn them after we use them.”
Okay, so it was basically a bidet.
“I understand,” I replied. “Thank you for explaining it.”
He nodded. “Do you have any other questions?”
My expression explained it all.
Bokkan sighed. “You can ask me anything, and I’ll do my best to answer.”
“The bathing pool. Will I need to do anything to change out the water when I use it?”
He shook his head.
“What about the lamps and lights here? Do they have switches? Or do you use candles? We have electricity where I’m from, and it requires the use of switches to turn them on and off.”
“Magic powers our lights and other useful items in the house. To turn a light on or off, all you need to do is touch it.”
“But I’m human. I don’t have magic,” I replied.
He frowned at me. “All living creatures have magic. Including humans. That’s why daemons make deals with them. As part of the bargain, a daemon will either augment a human’s magic in return for years of service or siphon off a small amount of the magic in return for a favor.”
“Bokkan, I’m thirty-one years old. I think I would know by now if I have magic.”
“Perhaps you don’t have enough to manipulate, but you do have it.”
That answer was simple enough. Also, what did I know of magic? Saving the topic for later discussion, I changed the subject. “Am I allowed to walk around the house, or do you expect me to stay in your rooms at all times?”
He frowned at me. “You aren’t a prisoner here. I do want you to stay close to me for now, but once I know you will be safe, you will have more freedom to move throughout the house and grounds alone.”
That sounded reasonable.
“When can I return home?”
His expression shut down completely. “I don’t know.”
Shit. I carried the bowl of food back into the bedchamber and set it on one of the tables by the sofa.
“Why not?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. I clutched the knife I’d acquired from his soldier in my right hand and rested it over my left elbow.
“Only strong magic users can send humans and daemons across the veil. I don’t have enough magic.”
“I’m stuck here?” I asked. My throat closed up as I spoke, the last word nearly silent.
He shrugged. “Not exactly. There are some witches here that will open portals through the veil. For a price.”
“So, there’s a chance I can go home?”
“Yes, but it will require at least a thousand crowns. And…” he trailed off.
I didn’t have any money. And it seemed the only way I would be able to make any would be on my back. I was desperate, but not that desperate yet.
“If I hadn’t spent fifteen hundred crowns to reimburse my men, I would have paid the fee gladly.”
I shook my head. I might be desperate, but I wasn’t ready to prostitute myself just to return to my life. I had no idea how long it might take me to work off that kind of debt on my back. “That is a price I’m not willing to pay. Not yet. Probably not ever.”
“I understand.”
The way he said it, the measured tone and words, told me that he was sincere.
“Thank you.”
“Eat your food and wash the dust off.” He walked over to an oversized armoire and opened it, pulling out a shirt. “It’s not ideal, but it’s clean and it will keep you covered.”
Bokkan held it out to me, waiting. It wasn’t just a shirt.
It was a test. A test to see if I would get within arm’s reach of a monster that was big enough to kill me with a single blow.
I had no doubt that I only managed to knock his soldier on his ass because Talus hadn’t wanted to harm me too much.
I crossed the room and took the shirt from him. “It’s better than what I have now.”
When I first saw the daemons, the deep black of their eyes frightened me.
Even the sclera was black, like two voids in their deep reddish-brown skin.
I hadn’t realized it was possible for those inky depths to appear kind.
They also didn’t move away from my face.
He wasn’t eyeing me like a juicy piece of meat he wanted to devour in greedy bites, even when I referenced my lack of clothing.
I appreciated not only the shirt, but his consideration.
“Thank you, Bokkan,” I said. As much as I wanted to hang on to my aloof demeanor, I couldn’t. This daemon hadn’t brought me here. It wasn’t his fault I’d been kidnapped. And he was being kinder to me than any of the other imps or daemons had been, save his housekeeper.
He bowed his head. “I’ll leave you alone for an hour, so you can enjoy your food and bath in peace.”
He started to leave the room, but I stopped him with another question, “Does your offer to answer all my questions still stand?” I asked.
The daemon paused at the doorway, his hand on the handle as he turned his head toward me. “Yes. Any time you have one.”
“Good,” I replied with a nod. “Because I’m sure that once my brain calms down, I’ll have a thousand more.”
Bokkan smiled at me then, a wide, white, fanged grin.
He should have looked terrifying with the fierce black horns curving back from the top of his head, onyx eyes, and clawed hands.
But he had two dimples, well, creases really, in each of his cheeks.
Paired with the gentle sparkle in his eyes, he wasn’t frightening. He was beautiful.
I remained perfectly still as he left the room and shut the door behind him, shocked at my own response to that smile.
I had to remember that he might not be the enemy, but that also didn’t make him my friend.
Until I was sure that I could trust him, I had to keep my distance.