My Journey with the Demon King

3 - Meeting the Demon King

I didn't protest. I was still new to walking this much over such rough terrain and it was killing my feet. Sitting down on a log, I let out a long breath. "How long are we going to be stopping for?" I asked as relief filled me. My feet no longer had to hold up the entire weight of my body.

"Not sure yet," was his distracted answer. He was staring off into space, standing absolutely still. His lips were moving every now and then silently, talking to himself.

I stayed silent for half a minute before I couldn't keep myself from asking. "Zane, what are you doing?"

He didn't even open his eyes to look at me. "Mind palace, thinking," he muttered. His voice was a mixture of annoyance, distraction, and concentration.

Deciding I should just leave him to his own thoughts, I pulled out one of the books from my pack. The cover was a simple faded brown, with gold lettering on the front and along the sides. Beast and Beauty: A Retelling of the Old Classic by Z.K.

This was my absolute favorite story. It was a love story about a young woman who was forced to take her father's place as the prisoner of a beast. At first she doesn't really understand the Beast and hates him for keeping her prisoner. But after a time she comes to know him better and falls in love with him. I had read this story so many times, I was almost sure I knew every word by heart.

Smiling to myself, I opened the book and began to read. I had gotten six chapters in, to the point that Belle had refused to have dinner with the Beast, before I sensed a presence close by. Blinking, my mind slowly pulling out of the world of the story, I glanced up. Zane was crouched in front of me, incredibly close, watching me intently. Startled, I cried out in surprise, rearing back. Loosing my balance, I began to fall backward, the book slipping from my fingers. Crying out in worried fear, I threw my body to the side, reaching out my hands. When I finally hit the ground with a painful thump, I was relieved. The book was cradled protectively against my chest, unharmed. I took in several painful breaths, my side sore from having hit a large rock on my way down. I blinked and I was back in the same position as before, though this time Zane was standing, looking down at me.

"I didn't realize you became so...absorbed when you are reading. It's very...cute."

I blushed despite myself. "I...I do not and I am not."

He grinned, his eyes laughing. "Ana, it's been an hour already. I have been staring at you, watching you read, this entire time."

My face grew hotter than ever before. "I...I...y-you..." I couldn't speak coherently. Instead I brought the book up to hide my face.

Zane's laughter was the most heart-warming sound I had ever heard in my life. Despite myself, I felt tears in my eyes. Blinking rapidly, grateful for the cover of the book, I tried to fight back the mixture of emotions in my heart. I didn't know why I felt sad, hearing that sound. I also didn't know why I felt incredibly relieved or incredibly happy either. I just did.

Honestly.

Completely.

I sucked in a breath when Zane's hand gently pulled the book down, making it so that I could see his face. His expression was filled with so many emotions. Suddenly, it was like he was letting me see his entire soul, laying it all bare in the one, short space of time. Unfortunately, there was too much for me to catch. Too many emotions, too many thoughts.

And, I admitted to myself, I'm too terrified to see all of them.

"Oh, Ana," he whispered softly, watching me closely. "Hopeless Ana."

I lowered my gaze, pulling the book close to my chest once more.

We were quiet for several more minutes. He was the first to speak again, to break the awkward silence. "I see you really, really like that story." His voice pulled my eyes back to his face. He was smiling, a little smug and almost secretive.