~ Chapter Nine ~

Ivy woke up the next morning, surprisingly well rested for sleeping on the ground. She stretched her muscles, stopping halfway when she realized her right hand was stuck beneath something warm. Ivy opened her eyes and looked over to see Zeke lying next to her, holding her hand whilst he slept. When she tried to move her hand, he just gripped it tighter and mumbled something.

“Zeke!” she whispered, uncomfortable with the warm tingles she was feeling where their hands touched. Ivy didn’t want to think too hard about how wonderful it felt to be touching another being, even if it was just holding hands. She had felt so alone for so long, but now, with Zeke, in a run down tent in the middle of a poor demon community she felt…calm. And that scared her more than anything.

“Let go!” she said, tugging at her hand again. He frowned in his sleep and pulled her closer to him, wrapping his arms around her and nestling his head under her chin. Ivy froze when his warm breath puffed over her skin and his unique scent called to her. She slowly looked down at him, marveling at how innocent he looked whilst sleeping with a half smile on his face. Annoyed, but unable to move, she sighed and closed her eyes, figuring a little more sleep wouldn’t hurt anyone.

Zeke couldn’t help the grin that stretched his face when he felt Ivy relax against him. He hadn’t meant to let it get so out of control, but waking up with her next to him destroyed all of his will power. It was nice to see her with her defenses down for once. And if he was honest, it was more than nice to be in her arms. For the time being he was just going to enjoy the calm before the storm.

Speaking of the storm…“ZEEEEKKKEEE!” Maura yelled from outside the tent. “Zeke it’s time to wake up!”

He quickly rolled away from Ivy and stood up, ignoring her gasp of outrage as she was pushed aside.

“What the hell, Zeke?” she bit out.

“Maura,” he replied gravely, seconds before the little demon burst through the tent opening.

“Good moooorning!” Maura sang happily. “Are you ready to play with me, Ivy? I have all sorts of fun things planned for us. First, we’ll pick flowers for my mum and you can pick some for Zeke, and then we’ll watch the forest for deer, and then we can…”

“Maura,” Zeke chided softly, “maybe we should get Ivy some food first. Then you can show here where the best flowers are.”

She blushed prettily and scuffed her feet, “Oops, sorry. I’ll go grab some food for you.” Maura grinned at Ivy and then ran out the door.

Zeke ran a hand through his hair and gave Ivy a guilty look. “Sorry about her, she’s never going to leave you alone now. I’m the only one who gives her any attention, so a new person she can be friends with is her dream come true.”

“No, it’s alright,” Ivy smiled, “I like her. She’s young and innocent and doesn’t judge me for what I am. It’s a nice change of events.”

Zeke frowned and opened his mouth to comment, but Ivy shook her head and changed the subject.

“What did you mean last night, when you said there are no men above the age of 13 here? Why are you still here? Where did all the men go? How are there babies if there are no men?” Ivy stopped talking when Zeke held a hand up. He looked weary and almost…scared to talk.

“It’s a very long story,” he started, and I promise to tell you all of it, after we eat. We can take a walk around the village and I’ll explain everything, I promise.”

Maura chose that moment to pop back into the tent with food. She brought Ivy a wooden plate piled with dried meat, fruits and a cup of herb tea.

“Thank you, Maura,” Ivy smiled, “this looks delicious. Did you make this all yourself?”

Maura giggled, “No silly, my mum did.” She grinned proudly and pointed at the fruit, “I picked the berries though. All on my own.”

“Well they look absolutely delicious!” Ivy exclaimed.

Zeke ruffled Maura’s hair and pulled her in for a quick hug. “Darling, I know you wanted to show Ivy around today, but I was hoping you could let me give her a tour around the village this morning. Afterwards she’ll be all yours. Is that okay with you?”

Maura scrunched her nose thoughtfully and then nodded, “Alright. Mum wants me to watch Rancor this morning anyways. But don’t you dare show her the flowers! That’s my job.”

He chuckled, “Of course, I wouldn’t dream of it.”

Maura squished his face together with her tiny hands and kissed his nose, “Good boy,” she said before scampering off.

Ivy laughed as Zeke grinned goofily at her. “She is so cute.”

“And she knows it,” he replied.

They ate breakfast in silence, stealing glances at each other when they thought the other wasn’t looking. Ivy wondered where the rude, arrogant Zeke had gone. This kinder, more relatable Zeke was messing with her mind, and she didn’t like it. It was hard to hate him when he obviously cared about his village and showed affection for a little girl. She almost wanted the rude man back, because then she wouldn’t be feeling anything for him. All she could remember now was the way his lips felt on hers when they first met. She blushed and quickly took a sip of her tea. There was no time to think like that, she had to either convince Zeke to let her go back to her family, or find a way on her own. She looked up again to see Zeke watching her.

He grinned rakishly at her, enjoying the way she got flustered and blushed. “So…if you’re ready…”

“Hmm? Oh...um, yes. I – that would…”she cleared her throat and tried again, “What I mean to say, is yes, I am ready for the tour.”

Zeke stood up and offered her his hand. “Come on then, let’s get this started. I know you probably have a million questions. Frankly, I’m surprised you’ve been quiet this long.”

She glared at him and took his hand, letting him pull her to her feet. “Rude,” was all she said, dropping his hand and walking out of the tent like the royalty that she was. He shook his head and followed, knowing that if she stuck around she would definitely give him hell…and masochist that he was, he was looking forward to it.

They walked around the edge of the village for a few minutes before Ivy couldn’t take it any longer. “Alright, spill it. I can’t wait any longer,” she demanded. “What is going on with this village?”

Zeke sighed and motioned for her to walk into the woods a little bit. He wanted privacy from prying ears and eyes if he was going to tell her the demon’s history. Many didn’t like to be reminded about the capital.

“Like I told you earlier, there are only a few demons like the ones your father is fighting against. They have formed their own faction and call themselves the True Leaders of the demon race. Obviously, some of us disagreed with them, but they quickly squashed any attempts at rebellion by enslaving our young men. The ones that are strong enough to fight protect the True Leaders at the capital. Others are used as labor slaves, and finally others are used as examples and sacrificed.”

“Oh my gods, that’s terrible,” Ivy whispered.

“It gets worse,” Zeke said solemnly. “They raid villages every five years or so to gather more men who have turned off age, and they also steal a few women for the True Leaders to mate with. They use the women to reproduce the True Leaders line, and no one else’s. If daughters are born, they are raised like cattle until they are of age to reproduce. Their goal is to eradicate the lesser demons until all that is left is the True Leaders and their sons.”

“How do you…how do you know all of this?” Ivy asked carefully. “And why haven’t you been enslaved too?”

Zeke rubbed a hand down his face and stopped walking. He gave Ivy a sorrowful look, knowing that what he said next would most likely alienate her and ruin any grounds a relationship they had begun to establish. “My father, Ayumu, was one of the True Leaders, which makes me a True Leader’s son.”

Ivy gasped and took a step back, “I don’t understand. Why are you here then?”

“Originally my father agreed with the True Leader’s ways. He thought it was all about bettering the demon race, making us stronger. But once he realized what the true intentions of the True Leader’s were, he formed his own plan. He taught me how to fight and he explained what the True Leaders were doing wrong. He made me promise that I would do everything in my power to stop the True Leaders and educate other races about their genocide. He managed to sneak me out of the capital with instructions to find a village and stay hidden until the time was right. I stumbled across this village and told them that I had escaped from the capital. They took me in without any questions. A few days later Ayumu and other demons attacked your mother and father and he died. I’ve been here ever since, trying to formulate a plan to stop the True Leaders.”

Ivy frowned at him and crossed her arms. “Please explain how kidnapping me is part of your brilliant plan. Somehow I don’t think my father is ever going to forgive you for that, which will only give you more enemies in this fight.”

He smiled nervously, “Right…about that. Originally I was just going to approach you and convince you to talk to your father for me, but I got a bit carried away. Once you reacted to me being a demon, I knew that nothing I said or did would convince you that I wasn’t evil…except for showing you where I live. I know that your family is probably never going to listen to me, but I’m hoping that they’ll listen to you.”

Ivy laughed bitterly, “Well the jokes on you. No one listens to me, Zeke. I’m the outcast panther, a freak, and the evil twin. You probably should have kidnapped someone else. Sorry.”

Zeke grabbed her wrist and pulled her against him, “You are none of those things, Ivy. You forget that whilst I was in your mind I could see the way others treated you. Your father would destroy an entire world for you, your mother would die before she ever let someone hurt you, your best friend loves you as much as she loves your brother, and your brother –”

“Wishes I was dead.”

“That, sweetheart, is a lie and you know it,” Zeke whispered, brushing a tear from her face. “He loves you more than he loves himself, even if he would never admit it.” He smiled and leaned down to kiss her, touching his lips softly to hers.

She gasped and let out a little whimper when he deepened the kiss. He tasted like sunshine and smelled like the earth after a storm with a hint of…sulfur. “Sulfur?” she whispered against his lips.

“Hmm?” he murmured, kissing her softly again.

“Sulfur!” she said more strongly, pushing him away. “I smell sulfur and…blood. Zeke? What—” she glanced up and saw that his face had drained of all blood.

“They’re back, it’s too soon, but they’re back to collect more of our people. We have to warn the village. Now!”

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It took me FOREVER but I finally posted another chapter. Yay! Enjoy and comment :)