Rosomil felt comfortable and warm. Never before had he felt so good. But the feeling was soon muted by a slight soreness in his whole body. The only comprehension he could make was of his first weeks as an apprentice in the Order. The training had been no joke, and he had found himself just training, eating and sleeping in a seemingly eternal loop at first. Yet, this soreness was different. Frowning but without opening his eyes, he considered this feeling, but after a few moments it amplified the other pleasant sensations he felt as well and made him relax once more. With a content sigh and smiling, he closed his hands around a few soft feathers.

Feathers…, Rosomil mused and nestled into them, their smell equally pleasant as the pure essence of comfort he felt. Feathers?

A second later the memories of the last night washed over him like a tidal wave. Alarmed, he became wide awake while his face grew unpleasantly hot. He rested on his demon’s feathered chest and was warp into her arms and wings. She had taken once more her real shape, which was just a small relieve. She also had conjured up some pillows as well as blankets, which she had scattered around and on top of them like a nest.

Upon flinching he felt his demon’s scaled arms gently tightening around him, her claws tentatively stroking across his bare back as she slightly closed her finger. This made a gentle tingle run throughout his body, which was but a mere shadow of last night's shivers.

Oh Lord!, he thought, alarmed and involuntary tightened his grip around her feathers. What have I done? This… I… It wasn’t a dream! It was real! It was… I shouldn’t have indulged…

Suddenly, a heavy calm settled over him. What did it matter? His soul was tainted beyond salvation. He couldn’t fall any deeper than he already was. So what could the last night change anyway? He might as well see it as it was and relish the tenderness, the comfort, and the warmth.

The Ravendemon started to move. Without letting go of him, she rolled on her side and took a deep breath. She even moved one of her wings over them to block out the sunlight shining through the window.

The shift in position caused a few mild scratches on Rosomil’s back to burn. Despite the slight pain, he found himself slowly drifting back into the feeling of warm comfort. But sleep did not return, and neither did his mind slow down.

“Are you cold?”, asked the Ravendemon so suddenly and so soft, Rosomil thought he had merely imagined it.

She moved a moment later and shifted enough to be face to face with him. Rosomil froze upon looking at her. Somehow, she looked exactly like she had when she had first appeared to him. The face of an angel mixed with a demon’s eyes, but the softness now within them made her appear less unknowable. Less monstrous.

“Something wrong?”, she asked in a low but relaxed voice.

“N-no. Everything… Everything is alright”, he stammered, blushing. “G-good morning.”

She chuckled and leaned over him. Before he knew what was happening, she gave him an almost modest peck on the lips. A moment later, she rolled him gently into the pillows and sat up. With a content expression, she stretched her arms above her head and spread her ruffled wings almost to their full extent.

Rosomil couldn’t help but stare at her. Memories from last night resurfaced and mixed with the remnant of the deep-seated shame he still felt about the ordeal.

“You sure you’re fine?”, the Ravendemon asked after she was done stretching and looked concerned at him. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“No. I’m fine”, he forced out and laughed nervously.

Suddenly, he felt her rough bird-like hand on his cheek. Immediately, he calmed down and took a deep breath — he hadn’t noticed how panicked he had become. The demon lay back down beside him, nesting her face into the space between his neck and shoulder. Almost involuntary, Rosomil warped his arms loosely around hers and ran his fingers through the down feathers at the edge where the scales began.

“I don’t know what to think anymore. What to feel…”, he murmured, half hoping she wouldn’t hear.

“Just feel”, she mused with an audible smile, her breath warm on his skin.

“That’s not enough”, he replied and closed his eyes. “I don’t… How shall I treat you from now on?”

“If you want to know…”, she replied mischievously. “From now on you’ll have to pamper me, take care of my every need and read and fulfil every single wish of mine by merely guessing its nature by the faintest of glimmers in my eyes. Just like any good husband would treat his beloved wife.”

“Are you serious?”, asked Rosomil tense, involuntarily tightening his grip around her arm.

At this, the demon started to laugh. Feeling played by her, he didn’t like this at first but as she stopped after a few moments he relaxed. Her laugh had been genuine and lacking her usual rancid mean-spirited nature.

“You’re sweet”, she finally said, smiling and nuzzled him gently. “Nothing needs to change. You may just call me to your bedside more often whenever you like.”

“I’ll… consider it”, he said, after a moment of hesitation.

At this, the Ravendemon snickered. A sound much more pleasant than what Rosomil was used to. Before long, there was a knock at the door to the study. The demon fell immediately silent.

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“My Lord? Are you in here? It’s me, Offilo”, the boy asked behind the door. “I bring you breakfast. May I come in?”

“You should get dressed first”, the Ravendemon suggested in a whisper with a mischievous expression on her face and stood up.

Frantic, Rosomil looked around but only took note of the mild chaos in his study. A moment later, his clothes were dropped on his head by the demon who used her magic to return everything to its place and vanished what she had conjured. He didn’t waste any time and got dressed.

“My Lord?”, asked Offilo on the other side of the door with clear concern in his voice. “Is everything alright? Your demon told me that you might suffer from aftereffects from your… magic. Shall I go and seek her out?”

“It’s alright!”, Rosomil replied and pulled his shirt over his head. “I just need a moment!”

“I’m already with him”, she said, and moved to the door.

Rosomil stared at her for a moment as embarrassment once more reared its head within him. Hasty, he threw himself into the remainder of his clothes and managed to be somewhat decently dressed as she opened the door.

“Come in”, she said and stepped aside.

Offilo gave her a long cautionary glance, then he looked past her and slightly tilted his head with a confused expression. For a split second, Rosomil was certain that the boy somehow knew what had happened between him and the demon. But after a heartbeat, it became apparent that Offilo was just worried about yesterday’s spell — just as he had said moments before.

“I… uhm… I thought I bring you breakfast, my Lord”, he explained shy. “I can place it on your desk. If you like.”

“Do place it there”, he said and cleared his throat.

As he watched Offilo walk towards the large wooden desk, he noticed a few claw marks at the edge but hoped that Offilo didn’t pay them much mind, if at all. Luckily, the boy’s main focus rested on the tray in his hands, and once he had placed it down, he looked back towards Rosomil with clear apprehension.

“It seems your former companion has once more eluded Duodecum”, said the demon, matter of fact.

“Once more?”, he asked, taken aback. “Did last night…”

He managed to shut up before he could sleep anything uncaught in front of Offilo. The boy seemed all too tense, yet there was also a hint of relief in his eyes.

“Yes, Duodecum did try to apprehend him without my clearance”, she replied amused, which further visibly confused Offilo. “But even under my guidance, little could’ve been change. After all, you want him alive and whole.”

“Now you make it sound like it’s me who’s keeping us from succeeding.”

“You kind of are.”

“Don’t make this mischievous expression when you insult me!”

“But you’re cute when you’re angry, love.”

Damn it!, he thought alarmed, while his face grew uncomfortably warm. I’ve not only made it easier for her to insult me, but also more difficult for me to do anything about it!

“Anyway”, the Ravendemon continued with a knowing smile. “Since you want your former friend in one piece, I guess we leave him be. Considering the situation, he’ll definitely seek you out eventually. It’s the foundation of his contract with the goat-demon.”

Rosomil nodded while taking a deep breath and avoided looking at her. The best course of action would be to stay put. To leave him be. Lodwin wouldn’t stop until he had achieved his goal.

“Yes… He’ll seek me out on his own”, he finally said, raising his eyes somewhat reluctance to meet hers once more. “And when he does, I want to greet him properly without any hostility.”

“He’ll kill you if you’re not careful”, the Ravendemon reminded him. “It would be a shame for your handsome head to be severed from your shoulders or your precious heart to be pierced. You’re tough to kill due to my magic, but certainly not immortal.”

“I don’t plan to walk blindly into my doom”, Rosomil replied, utterly flustered while trying to hide his blushing face. “I’m not that stupid.”

“Yesterday, you certainly didn’t seem that smart”, she retorted with a smirk.

“Don’t remind me”, he murmured bitter, which caused her to chuckle.

“My Lord… should I… uhm… Should I leave?”, asked Offilo awkwardly.

Rosomil flinched upon hearing him. He had forgotten the boy was still there.

“Y-yes… Go to… If you haven't eaten, you’ll do just that and wait for me in the courtyard with a practice sword”, he stammered and hoped to at least save some face. “I’m going to train you once I’ve eaten.”

“Yes, my Lord”, he replied, and made a hasty retreat out of the study.

Once he was gone, Rosomil walked towards his desk and sat down as if his body had turned to lead. His heart raced within his chest and cold sweat clung to his palms. Suddenly, he felt her claws on his shoulders. With a soft rustle of her feathers, she lowered her head down towards his. Her silken hair brushed like a cool curtain against his still burning cheek.

“It seems last night hasn’t resulted in you becoming calmer”, she mused with an audible smile.

“Calmer?”, he asked tense, nearly choking on his words. “How could I remain calm listening to your flattery and allusions after last night? Especially in front of someone else?”

“I won’t stop”, she replied with an amused chuckle and leaned fully against him, while closing her scaled arms around his chest. “After a few more nights like the last, you’ll grow accustomed to everything. If you want to continue, that is.”

“How couldn’t I continue?”, he asked almost whispering.

Instead of replying something, she pressed her lips ever so gently against his ear. He could feel her smile, which made his heart beat almost out of his chest. He couldn’t help but think once more about last night. For a moment, he even wished she would kiss him and slip her claws into his shirt.

“You should eat your breakfast”, she suddenly said. “Instead of fantasising about us.”

Blushing, Rosomil pulled free of her grasp.

“I’m going out for a bit”, she said, and walked over to the door, but not without brushing one of her wings against the side of his face.

“To where?”, he asked after swallowing hard.

“The courtyard”, the demon replied without stopping. “Playing with the boy before it’s your turn.”

Rosomil watched her leave with a tense expression. He wasn’t that certain he really wanted to continue, but on the other hand, it felt right.

“Could… Could I… love her?”, he wondered and chewed on his lower lip.

At the same time, the ghostly memory of her kisses resurfaced and made a slight moan escape his lips.

“I’m pathetic…”, he murmured, a heartbeat later, he felt something slip into his shirt.

Startled, he undid some of the buttons and pulled out his rosary — her feather was still stuck where he had put it. She must’ve placed it in his clothes just a moment ago. A warm feeling tingled his heart and made him smile. All things considered, this wasn’t too bad of a situation.

Slow, Rosomil managed to calm down. To take his mind to other things, he pocketed the rosary and turned his gaze towards the breakfast Offilo had brought him. Since he hadn’t placed any orders for this, he was surprised the boy had thought to do so out of his own accord.

“Could he be worried about me?”, he wondered aloud and started to eat.

Rosomil couldn’t fathom how the boy could’ve turned around so fast, from clearly distrusting and fearing him to wholehearted concern. It struck him as odd, but he had all the time to figure Offilo out once he had eaten.