“I can toy with you freely when I am home. Here is not safe for a human who does not wear protection, nor comfortable.”
Way to go, Reia. Just shatter your own fantasies that this might actually be okay by saying something stupid. She had been hoping torture wasn’t on the table.
She gave a deep sigh while allowing her eyes to span over the forest passing swiftly around them. The only colours she could see was white from the snow, the thick brown trunks of trees, and the green leaves that loomed over them.
A quiet peacefulness flittered between them, monster and human, as they walked. She felt her body bounce every time he took a wide step, his feet only sinking into the melting snow to just below his calves.
“So, do you have a name? Or should I just call you Duskwalker?”
Orpheus felt his feet sinking into the snow as night fell upon them. The crunching sound did little to hide the clacking, like bones rattling together, and gargling noises of the Demons lurking in the darkness.
He could see clearly in the dark, his eyes providing a glow even if they did little to illuminate the area. They only brightened his bony face while keeping the rest of the area around him shrouded in darkness.
The creatures were able to detect her presence even from a distance. Although her human smell was causing a disturbance, they would never approach with Orpheus holding her.
They may have tried to grab her from above had he continued to carry her in the crook of his elbow with her above his head, but she’d asked if there was a way for them to rest. Orpheus wasn’t interested in stopping, so he moved her until she was cradled in both his arms.
He could survive a few days without sleep, even if it tired him. He was nocturnal and slept throughout the day, but he had a feeling this woman would run if he slept before they reached the Veil. Once he was inside it, he knew the creatures lurking around his home would be a deterrent to her fleeing.
So many have run from me.
Stopping in the night brought danger to her, even if Orpheus could survive an attack from Demons. Unfortunately, he had no doubt the creatures would snap her neck before he even got the chance to rescue her if they were separated.
He dipped his jaw to his chest, twisting his head so he could see her past his snout. She was asleep, curled up as best she could while he held her. She was turned away from him. Humans… So fragile, so frail, so weak. He was currently the most dangerous thing to her.
If he curled his arms and hands around her much more than he already was, he’d squeeze the life out of her with his strength and burst her at the seams. He had to constantly put effort into making sure his claws didn’t extend, otherwise they’d cut through her buttery skin.
It had taken her a while to fall asleep, most likely because she was wary of him, but she’d eventually fallen under just past midnight, despite her futile attempt to remain awake.
The moon shone just beyond the trees but was full enough to make the Demons unwilling to endure its subtle light, knowing it would burn them much like the sun if they were exposed for too long. Only the old and strong could remain in the light of the moon.
Orpheus had never needed to worry about the sun or the moon. He was called a Duskwalker for that very reason, able to walk freely in the day and the night.
He lifted the woman closer to his face, bending over so he could sniff at her neck. He gave a huffing sneeze and pulled away. I hate it when the humans bathe my offerings in those herbs and oils. It was hard for him to sniff through it, and he wanted to smell the true scent of the woman in his arms.
If he didn’t like the way his offering smelt, he’d often felt a desire to destroy it. However, it helped to mask the worst of their fear so he wouldn’t be suffocated in hunger, mindlessly falling upon the humans and devouring them. It was still present, he’d always be able to smell it, but it was masked enough that it didn’t wrap around his mind like a terrible ache.
He disliked the fake scent wafting from his offerings, but it helped to give him time to lessen their fear before his ability to control his hunger lost against that delicious scent – sometimes. And sometimes, it just didn’t matter. No matter what he did, what he said, the human could not shed it.
She does not reek of fear. The subtle hints were to be expected. She no doubt thought he was a monster, and she was right to feel that way. However, it wasn’t strong, and if he was lucky, he’d be able to rid her of it completely.
I still do not have faith in her. Her asking to be released from their bargain had helped solidify that. Orpheus refused to allow himself even a flicker of hope. Other humans had also not been totally afraid of him, and they still hadn’t survived. I do not trust her.