Hellion's Reckoning

All day, Ashryn had been avoiding him. Despite the storm, Ruvyn delivered his usual morning report once Keira was gone. Ashryn had been present among them. At dawn, she commanded the strengthening of their magical shields to ward off the rain. He had never seen her, somehow; she evaded his sight all day as they worked together. The runes they used were like those around the cottage, but with slight modifications to extend their coverage. It successfully blocked most of the storm, permitting them to dry off.

Nothing new from the scouts besides the people’s growing discontent with the magistrate. The city’s resources had been largely allocated to bolstering the army. Despite their shared hatred for the magistrate, they were not allies. The Hellions were consistently demonized by the Rouans and Ailog. Their roots of hate ran too deep.

He spent the rest of the day in bed with Styx, reading the grimoires Keira had left for him. The use of dark magic. According to one grimoire, hellions were a breed capable of harnessing dark magic without being consumed by it. Their blood already carried the darkness within. This was a kind of magic that only demons and hellions could truly excel at. The books contained a variety of hexes, and he was excited to experiment with some of them.

One held a spell to absorb and turn against. To turn one’s power against them. By combining a rune to attract and another to repel, he might have discovered how to ward off Devilsbane. With a grin, Inias closed the grimoire and visualized it in his mind. He remembered the devil’s dance, where two blades were used. One for defense, the other for offense. If only that blond brute would appear, he could put it to the test.

He was unable to sleep as night descended. He remained trapped beneath the blanket due to the coldness in the air. Throughout the day, Styx stayed asleep, possibly to forget the storm. Inias was restless, his thoughts racing. The fight would continuously replay in his mind. One sword could absorb while the other could reflect it. The only issue was figuring out the correct way to connect the two blades.

The sound of footsteps in the cottage finally lured him away. Inias felt a sense of peace as the air filled with the fragrance of dandelions. Upon hearing her movements, he sat up as she moved the ivy out of the way. In a hushed tone, she murmured “hey,” trying not to rouse Styx. “Is it alright if I stay?” She asked, waiting for his nod before she sat beside him. Only a pair of shorts covered her legs. His gaze fixed on her for a moment, but Inias swiftly looked away and noticed the loose blue sweater she had on.

“Are you okay?” Inias asked, relaxing back against the pillow while she pulled the bear’s fur blanket around herself. Keira shook her head and snuggled up to him, facing away. “I can’t talk about it,” she muttered into the pillow as his arm came around her, “What’s keeping you up?”

Inias let his head rest near her shoulder, relaxing against her. “Sylvis,” He said, “I think I know-.” A finger pressed against his lips, and he caught her head shaking. “Not tonight,” she said and turned back to the pillow. “No war talks.”

Inias refrained from prying, regardless of her reasons. “Alright,” he said as Styx leaned against his back. With a gradual turn, Keira rotated her body, her dark eyes meeting his red stare. As Inias looked into Keira’s eyes, a sense of calm washed over him. Keira’s presence calmed his restless mind, reminding him of the moments of peace and warmth that could be found amidst the chaos. A tender silence enveloped them, the only sound being the gentle patter of rain outside. The storm had ended, the once pounding rain falling into a gentle drizzle. In that moment, the weight of impending war seemed to fade away, leaving only the warmth of their shared breaths mingling in the cool night air.

Their shared demon blood bound them in a way that transcended words. As Keira settled in closer, Inias couldn’t help but notice the delicate curve of her horns, the vibrant hues of her hair blending seamlessly with the shadows of the room. Her inky black eyes held a depth that seemed to draw him in, a mysterious allure that he had never fully appreciated until now. He felt a strange flutter in his chest, a warmth that had nothing to do with the blanket wrapped around them.

Inias, with his fangs glinting in the dim light, exuded an aura of danger that both intrigued and comforted her. His scarred cheek told tales of battles fought and survived, a testament to his resilience. She gazed into his blood-red eyes, a reminder of the primal nature that lurked beneath all the brooding. Keira closed her eyes, savoring the warmth of his touch.

He leaned in as her hand came to his neck, fingers lightly grazed his jaw, sending a shiver down his spine. And in that fleeting moment, as the world outside faded into obscurity, their lips met in a soft kiss that said all they had left unspoken in that moment. And as they drifted off to sleep, their breathing synchronized in the hushed rhythm of the night, the storm outside finally subsided, leaving behind a peaceful stillness that enveloped them in its embrace.