Willow's Point of View

The villagers had given us so many gifts from fresh vegetables still covered in dirt to giant pieces of unidentifiable meat, all bundled up in my arms as we walked back inside the castle. Most of the food looked pretty normal: carrots, potatoes, and things like that. I'd expected demon veggies to be a bit more...peculiar. Honestly, I'd expected the entire village to be stranger. Everyone seemed so normal, besides the horns and animalistic features of course.

From what I remembered of the book series, I Just Wanted a Peaceful Life, but Now I Have to Stop the Demon Lord and His Entire Army! was all about a hero saving humanity from an evil demon overlord trying to take over the world. It was a classic plot, but done really well, full of heart and a fun writing style. But what I'd read didn't match with what I'd just seen. The demons seemed kind so far, nothing like the aggressive and violent beasts they'd been in the books.

Well, one of them had attacked me on sight, but it was only a scratch. If this really was the world of those books, his spear should have ended me, but this scratch was no worse than I'd gotten in the past while picking herbs on the mountain. Plus, the healing salve had already stopped the throbbing, numbing the pain enough that it was barely noticeable.

"I think I need to re-read your series," I said, glancing at the Demon Lord. "Let's head back to the library and scour it for details. Something just isn't adding up and I need to know why. Was there foreshadowing for this kind of village? Or is this a product of us being here and it has no deeper meaning to the story?"

The Demon Lord stopped walking. "About that, you know I intended to take us both out of this book earlier, right?"

"Well yeah, but it didn't work for some reason." I turned around, pinning him with a stare. "Wait, why didn't it work?"

His purple eyes darkened as he looked away from me, cast in the shadows of the sconces. "I don't know."

"You don't know?" I clutched the food to my chest, accidentally smushing the bread a little. "But the library knows, right? I'm assuming that's how I got in here to begin with at least."

"Yes." He nodded, his shoulders rising as he took a deep breath before finally meeting my gaze. "But the library doesn't always know how its magic works now that wild magic is mixed in. You're not a character from a story, you're a person, and I don't think the library knows how that works yet." He stepped closer, putting a hand on my shoulder. "I promise we'll get you out of here. Nyssa's already working on it, and I'll do everything I can to assist. You will not be stuck here for long."

I swallowed hard. The intensity of his words washed over me, but his reassurance wasn't quite enough to stop my growing concern. Gran needed me at the apothecary shop. I couldn't just waste my time here while Misty figured out its magic. I needed to go home!

"Look, I've already been here for so long," I said, "can't you just try and leave with me again? Maybe we need to be holding hands or something. The connection could help?"

He frowned. "What do you mean you've been here for so long? It hasn't even been a half hour yet."

"Half an hour?" I tilted my head. "No, it feels more like half a day. I mean, I explored the castle, got attacked by that soldier, got lost in the Wandering Woods–"

"You went into the Wandering Woods?" His voice sounded strangled as his grip on my shoulder tightened. "Are you okay?"

I shrugged. "Cinder made sure I got out safely."

The little bunny poked her nose out of my bag, reaching up like she wanted to nibble on some of the food the villagers had given us. If more time really was passing here than outside, then maybe it was okay to wait a little bit. Nyssa was very good at her job, so there was no way she'd leave me stuck inside a book for too long.

Even so, I was supposed to be helping Gran prepare for winter, gathering what herbs we could and making fresh batches of cold and fever medicines. Sure, I'd agreed to work on this book, but I hadn't intended on abandoning her entirely like this. Not during our busiest season of the year.

"Did Nyssa seem confident about getting me out of here?" I asked softly.

"Yes." The word escaped his lips like a promise, a vow that I wouldn't get trapped here forever. "You're safe for now. And maybe we can use this time difference to our benefit. If we have more time, we can plan the last book even better." He winced, pulling away. "If you still want to write it, I mean. I know I'm the one who did this to you. I never meant to put you in danger like this. I just..."

His voice trailed off and it felt like the temperature in the castle dropped a few degrees. I shivered, hating that this fun adventure suddenly felt more like a nightmare. If I really was stuck here, then I shouldn't spend my time moping. Gran wouldn't want that. She'd want me to use this opportunity to write the best story I could. Plus, she'd agreed to hire help. She'd be fine for a bit; I had to believe that.

"Let's make something for dinner and figure out a plan." I shoved the food I was carrying into his arms, holding Cinder closer for warmth. "And maybe find a fireplace? What's with this cold air all of the sudden?"

"The castle is drafty." He started walking again, leading me to what I hoped was a kitchen with a big blazing fireplace. "So you're really okay with this? You're not upset with me?"

I shook my head. "What's to be upset about? It's not like you or the library did this on purpose. Plus, what other author can say they got to literally go inside their favorite book for ideas? I feel lucky, not angry." Lucky. I had to believe that. This was a great opportunity for me. I blinked back what felt like tears and scratched behind Cinder's ears. The bunny cooed, leaning into my hand. "Nobody's at fault here. I just wish I'd been able to let Gran know. Maybe you can hop out of the book and tell her?"

"I actually did that already." He stopped to open a door that led into what looked like a kitchen. "Well, I wrote her a note and had Nyssa deliver it."

"Really?" My chest warmed. He really was a lot nicer than the books portrayed him to be. "What did you say?"

"That we were working hard on the book and you'd be back in a few days. Not to worry."

"Oh man, she already thinks you're a shadow daddy, now she's going to think you've seduced me." I laughed nervously, entering the kitchen ahead of him. "Well, thank you. That was very thoughtful."

He'd sent a message to Gran so she didn't worry. That was beyond sweet. If I wasn't careful, I'd fall head over heels for this demon, which wouldn't do either of us any good. Falling in love only opened yourself up to loss and I'd had enough of that in my life already.

"Sorry the kitchen's so bare." He was about to set the food on the counter, but pulled out a towel and set everything on that instead. "It's a bit dusty in here. Let me clean up."

I nodded, carefully placed my bag on the floor so Cinder could hop out. Her little nose twitched as she explored the kitchen, hopping from corner to corner. The Demon Lord moved quickly as he cleaned, shadows whipping all over, removing every speck of dust with the intensity of a general off to war. Soon the kitchen was shining.

Man, I could get used to that, if only he wasn't staring at Cinder like she was vermin he wanted to toss out with the trash.

"Do you not like bunnies?" I asked, washing the vegetables in the sink. "I've seen you with the dragons in the library and you adore them. So what's with the look?"

He froze, a faint blush sweeping his ashen cheeks. "I do not adore those flying lizards. They use my horns as a perch. What's to like about that?"

"Oh, nothing." I grinned, watching Cinder hop right onto the Demon Lord's shoe. "But I think that bunny might like you."

"Animals always seem to. It's a demon thing. At least this one led you out of the Wandering Woods, so I guess it can stay here." He bent down to pat Cinder on the head stiffly, as if he wasn't used to showing such affection. "As long as it behaves."

Cinder bowed her head low, then hopped off his shoe and went back to my bag as if she was looking for snacks. Food sounded good, even after trying so many different things in the village. A hot meal and good company could shoo away any chill, sending the nightmare vibe away for good. The tension in the Demon Lord's shoulders made me think he could use that even more than me.

"So what kind of dinner are you thinking? I could probably make a soup with this, or maybe you'd prefer grilled meat?" I frowned. "Actually, I don't know that much about you. What foods do you like?"

"I'm...not sure." That pause told me everything as he fumbled trying to peel a carrot with a dagger more suited to throwing than peeling vegetables. "Maybe sweets? Mochi always has good food."

"Sweets, huh?" That's the one thing the villagers hadn't given me anything for, of course. "Well, I'll see what we can do tomorrow. Maybe we can try lots of food and see what you think of it. Gotta learn more about you somehow."

A small smile tugged at his lips. "That sounds nice."

It did sound nice. We could explore the village more, try out some tasty food, and get ideas for his story. It honestly almost sounded like a–no. I was not going on a date with the Demon Lord! This was work. Just gathering information for my book, that's all.

I busied myself with putting a pot of water on the stove and dicing up all the vegetables that the Demon Lord had peeled. Little bits of skin still remained on all of them, like he'd never peeled vegetables before. Not that he'd admit that, of course. It felt like everything was a new experience for him and I was determined to make them good ones. Everyone deserved happy memories to drown out the inevitable bad ones. Even a Demon Lord.

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If only I had some chicken stock or bouillon. Something to really make this soup pop, because right now, it was more like hot vegetable water.

I rummaged through the cabinets, searching for spices or salt or anything that could liven this dish up, but there was nothing. Besides a few pots and utensils, the room was empty.

"What do you usually cook with?" I frowned at yet another empty cabinet. "There's nothing here. How do you eat?"

"When I go into the library? It's not really a big deal. I don't need much."

"Don't need much?" I sighed. "You really don't take care of yourself well, you know that? Honestly, what have you been doing this whole time?"

He turned his back, searching for something in the cabinets. Since they were empty, it felt more like he was avoiding the question. Maybe I shouldn't have pried, but how did he think this was all okay? He slept on a stone slab and now he didn't even seem to eat? That wasn't how anyone should be living, especially not somebody like him. He might seem grumpy, but I could see the kindness in him too. He'd asked me to be his writer because he believed in me. He believed that I could write him a better ending than anyone else.

Maybe part of that was getting him to believe in himself too. Believe that he deserved a good life. Why else was he doing all this? He'd said something about wanting an ending worthy of a Demon Lord, but that couldn't be the whole story, right? He had to want more than an impressive ending; he probably wanted a good ending too. A happy one. Or maybe that's what I wanted for him...

I stirred the hot vegetable water. There had to be something I could do for him. Something like....

"Hey, Demon Lord?" I waited for him to turn towards me. "Is there something else I can call you? Demon Lord feels so official and I think we've gotten close enough to drop the formalities. I mean, we are about to eat dinner together and I did follow you into a book of all things."

"Demon Lord is fine," he said gruffly. "It's the only name I've got."

"That can't be right." I paused, thinking back on the previous books. The Demon Lord really had only ever been called just that. "Huh, okay, so maybe we start there. Let's give you a name!" I glanced down at Cinder, getting an idea so silly I couldn't help but grin. "What about Lord Shadowbuns?"

He rolled his eyes, sinking onto one of the stools by a small wooden table in the corner.

"Okay, so not that name," I said, chuckling. "Maybe Sir Broodsalot then."

As I bounced various names off him, each sillier than the last to lighten the mood, I poured two bowls of soup and took a carrot over to the table for Cinder too. The demon bunny's red eyes lit up as she took it in her furry little paws to nibble on. The Demon Lord eyed the soup up like he wasn't sure if it would be edible, but dug in anyway, barely even giving it time to cool down. I picked up a spoon and blew on it, sipping on the kind of watery, but not half bad concoction.

The soup was warm, at least, and comforting. It reminded me of Gran's. What would she do in this situation?

Pry into his personal life, probably, in a loving way of course.

"If you don't use the kitchen much," I said, swirling the soup in my bowl, "and you don't care about a good night's rest, what do you do for fun around here?"

He blinked. "For fun?"

"Yeah, you know, the thing that makes life worth living?" I frowned as he averted his eyes, suddenly very interested in Cinder, even going so far as to feed her a chunk of carrot from his soup. "You do have fun sometimes, don't you? Like hang out with friends or read a good book?"

"Of course I do," he snapped. "I've read almost every book in the library."

I nodded, eating my soup slowly. I knew for a fact that the story spirits weren't at the library all the time. Each of them spent at least a portion of their day inside their books, to sleep and recover, but also to let the library rest and give others a chance to come out. Plus, the villagers had been shocked to see him, which meant he probably didn't go outside much...

So, what did he do all day?

He lifted his bowl of soup, drinking the last of the broth. If I didn't ask him soon, this little cozy dinner of ours would be over and I might lose my nerve.

"Could we, maybe, visit the village tomorrow?" I froze with my spoon halfway to my lips as he pinned me with a death stare. My mouth suddenly felt so dry I had to get a glass of water. "I mean, the villagers seemed pretty excited to see you and I could really use some supplies. Like paper and a pen. You know, to write your book?"

The Demon Lord didn't answer, so I peeked over my shoulder at him. His eyebrows were pinched together as he studied his empty bowl, running his fingers along the edge in circles. He usually said whatever thought popped into his mind, so why was he so quiet now?

"What's wrong?" I asked, rejoining him at the table. "You don't have to come, if you don't want. I can explore on my own."

"No, that's not it. I just don't really go outside." His voice was soft as he sank lower into his chair, dissolving into his shadows. "Today was the first time."

"Wait, what?" I almost dropped my glass in shock. "So you just stay inside this castle? All alone?"

Between the shadows swirling around him and the bad lighting, I could barely make him out anymore, but it seemed like he nodded. Really? He had never stepped outside his castle? That was basically the first thing I did once I realized the castle had nothing interesting in it. It was cold, dark, and lonely. Not a place for anyone to hole up in for months.

"But why?" I felt myself reaching for his hand, hovering next to the shadows. "Weren't you lonely?"

"Not really, and if I ever was, I'd just look out the windows at all the townsfolk. I'd make up stories about their lives and it was oddly comforting."

His shadows flickered, betraying his light-hearted tone. There was no way watching everyone live their lives while he was locked up in here all alone was comforting. It probably made him even lonelier. So why did he do it?

"I used to make up stories with my Grandpa all the time," I said softly, "but it hasn't had the same vibe since he passed away. Now it's just me and my thoughts. It's not nearly as fun. I'm guessing it's the same for you. So why didn't you ever just go talk to the townsfolk?"

"I'm the villain of the story, Willow." The Demon Lord's shadows snapped around us both now, pulling me into the darkness with him. His face was contorted with such pain that I did take his hand this time. It was cold against mine. His eyes widened at the touch, but he still wouldn't meet my eyes. "With nobody in here, I didn't have to see how people would treat a villain. Didn't have to hear what they'd say to me. I could just go to the library and ignore what was happening in my book."

I laced my fingers through his, trying to warm his hand with mine. "But they all seemed so nice."

"Then why am I the villain?" His purple gaze finally met mine. "Why am I the evil that must be destroyed for this book series to end well? Why do all the fans expect me to die horribly?"

"I don't know." I stared at our intertwined hands, wishing I had better answers for him. If I was in his situation, I'd probably be terrified of how people would treat me. Maybe I'd end up locked inside this big empty castle too. "But there's something I do know: you are not alone anymore. I'm right here with you."

"So you are." He closed his eyes and pulled his hand away from me. "That's my doing too."

"Oh come on, I thought we moved past that." I crossed my arms, suddenly feeling colder again. "Honestly, what is with the heat in this building? Is there anywhere warm?"

His shadows dissipated as he stood up. "Come, let's find you a blanket."

"Do you even have any of those?" I asked, picking up Cinder along with my bag. "Feels a bit too cozy for a big bad Demon Lord, don't you think?"

A small smile tugged at his lips. "Even big bad Demon Lords need to warm up sometimes."

"Careful, you're starting to sound like me." I laughed, following him into the hallway. "I should probably find somewhere to sleep too, actually. Since I'm going to be here for a while."

"You can use my room," he said. "It's the best in the castle."

"Your room, huh?" I looped my arm through his, leaning into him a bit. "Well my, my. I didn't think we'd be moving that quickly."

"I will sleep elsewhere, of course." He tried to glare at me, but the little half smile ruined the vibe. "Just take the room or sleep outside."

"The grass outside might be softer," I said with a grin, "and I wouldn't want to force you out of your room so I'm sure there's somewhere else I can sleep, right? If you really do have a blanket, I'll be fine."

He stopped so fast I bumped into him. Cinder whimpered, sticking her head out of my bag with a glare.

"Sorry." I pet the bunny until her gaze softened. Then I walked around to look at the Demon Lord. "What's up with the sudden freezing? You could warn me, you know."

His gaze was locked on a soft golden glow coming out of one of the rooms. I'd searched the castle top to bottom before I went outside and there hadn't been a room with lights on before.

"Is somebody else here?" I whispered.

He put his finger to his lips, moving slowly towards the room. The light brightened as the crackle of a fire filled the air, which was deliciously warm and inviting. It felt almost magical, like something was giving me exactly what I wanted. The Demon Lord held his arm in front of me before I walked inside. The room was full of floor to ceiling shelves heaped with books. Hundreds of them, just waiting to be read. There were thick tomes, what looked like journals, and even some old leatherbound rarities.

It reminded me of Misty.

"Since when does your castle have a library?" I asked.

"Since never," he growled, storming into the room. "This isn't possible. I've been in every single room, and all of them were cold and empty. If this was here, I'd have known it."

"But it is here."

I walked inside, taking the large room in from the warm fireplace to the cozy-looking couch positioned between two massive bookshelves. A table sat in the middle of the room, covered in books as if somebody had been reading here just a moment ago. The Demon Lord searched every nook and cranny of the room, but there was nobody else here. Eventually, he just stared into the fire like he was lost in thought. I sank onto the plush couch, relaxing into the cushions with a sigh of contentment.

"Now this is a couch I could fall asleep on." I snuggled deeper, easing into the comfort of the warm fire and the cozy cushions. "Maybe I'll just–"

"Nope, not a chance." The Demon Lord yanked me up so fast I thought my arm might fall off. "There's no way I'd let you fall asleep here. What if it's a trap?"

I raised an eyebrow. "And what kind of trap would it be?"

"You could get stuck here and never leave," he said. "I mean, you kind of already are, but that's not my point."

"At least I'd be in a warm room with enough books to keep me occupied for years." I walked back into the hallway, hopping over the threshold back and forth a few times. "See? No trap."

The Demon Lord crossed his arms, glowering at the books. "Then what is it?"

"A gift." I trailed my fingers along the spines of the books, reading each title as I went by, but none of them sounded familiar. "Maybe it's Misty's magic?"

"If Misty was going to change something, it probably would be to add a library." The Demon Lord browsed through a few of the books, flipping their pages open. "But these all seem to be empty."

I snagged a few books off the shelf, opening them for myself. He was right. Every book had a pretty cover, but the pages inside were as blank as newly purchased paper. It felt just like the castle: pretty on the outside, and empty on the inside. I sighed, setting the books back on their shelf. What was the point of a book you couldn't read? I covered up a yawn, feeling the excitement of the day taking its toll on me.

"Well, whatever it is, I'm grateful." I sprawled out on the couch, closing my eyes before the Demon Lord could haul me out of here with more warnings of danger. "Goodnight, Lord Shadowbuns."

He snorted. "Goodnight, Willow. I'll be right over here if you need me."

The Demon Lord sank onto the floor, lying with his back to me so he could watch the doorway. I couldn't imagine the floor was any more comfortable than that stone bed of his.

"We could share the couch, if you wanted," I said softly. "All jokes aside. You deserve a good night's rest."

"I'm perfectly fine here," he said, his long black hair trailing over his shoulders. "Sleep well. I will guard you while you dream."

He would guard me while I dream? My stomach fluttered as I laid back on the couch again, all thoughts of sleep forgotten. How could I when that adorable demon was just a few feet away? I forced myself to close my eyes. We had a big day tomorrow, so I'd need all the sleep I could get. Not even a demon could distract me.