The Paradise Gate

Ch. 8.2 A Devil's Minuet (Contd.)

Lycinder sighed, examining his handiwork. He'd made quite a mess. He probably shouldn't have toyed with the intruders so much, but it simply wasn't every day one got the opportunity to dice up humans and remain firmly on the side of virtue.

He was out of practice, he realized, as he looked down at his bloodied palms where he'd caught the bullets that had been aimed at his head and chest. He'd never seen a firearm before. Those warped little chunks of metal had taken him quite by surprise as they'd hurtled toward his vitals. He healed the wounds with a thought and then turned his mind to Her Ladyship, who had followed his command to stay put better than he'd expected she would.

Huge grey eyes stared up at him from beneath the bed when he bent down to check on Dalli. Lycinder was rather surprised to find that his immediate impulse was to soothe the fear that was so clearly writ up on her pale face.

He supposed it made sense, though; he could feel it clawing at his own emotions, and that would quickly grow tiresome.

"It's safe now, little mistress. You can come out," he said, trying to keep his tone soft.

He reached out a hand to offer her assistance and she flinched. One of Lycinder's slim brows quirked up just slightly. She was afraid of him, he realized.

Something about that did not sit well with him at all. That was odd, though, he mused; she'd be foolish not to fear him, and his new mistress might be many things, but he was certain that she wasn't a fool.

He crouched down so that he wasn't looming above her quite so much, and further gentled his voice for a second attempt at coaxing her out from under the bed. "Here, now. Let me help you. It's alright. They can't hurt you anymore."

Those big, grey eyes flicked around the room briefly, but when they returned to him, the tension seemed to leave her somewhat, and she accepted his hand and wiggled out from under the bedframe.

"Thank you," said Dalli in a small voice once she'd sat up and shaken her loose curls back over her shoulders.

It took Lycinder a moment to understand that she was referring to more than his proffered hand.

"You're welcome, mistress," he replied. "You don't need to worry for your safety any longer."

"You acted without my order, though. If you hadn't— if you waited for me to give the command— I might not have been quick enough, so thank you. Truly."

Lycinder was skeptical of her appreciation. Why would she thank him for defending his own prey?

"There's really no need, my lady. None but I will be separating you from your soul. On that, you have my word."

If Lycinder had been waiting to enjoy a shiver of revulsion or a look of appall, he was disappointed.

"Oh, right," said Dalli, brightening. "That's reassuring."

She sighed, looking around her destroyed bedchamber. "This is quite a mess."

Lycinder, yet again taken by surprise in his dealings with his new petite tyrant, was a beat behind. "What? Oh. I'll deal with the mess, don't trouble yourself, mistress."

Now he did receive that look of skeptical disgust. "You're not going to...eat them, are you?" Dalli asked.

Lycinder's brows drew together in confused revulsion. "Eat them? Of course not! Honestly, my lady, where do you humans get such ideas..." he trailed off, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. "I'll simply get rid of them. However, we first need to see if we can identify them. I take it you weren't expecting to be accosted by armed intruders?"