by K. L. Thorne
Unthinking, Lephas obliged. He skidded to a halt and lowered the princess down onto her feet. He grabbed her hand and encased it tightly with his own. Together they ran, the faerie sprinting full pelt alongside him.
Sharp pine needles slashed and bit at them as they pushed onwards through the wilderness, running blindly deeper into the woods. Soon all Lephas knew was snow crunching, wind howling and harsh, short breaths.
They jumped a log in unison. Lori flew over it gracefully, her long legs stretched out like a forest doe.
The snow fell thicker and faster, and large flakes began to make it through broken gaps in the forest canopy as the woods thinned out. The wind picked up, howling once more. Lephas didn't stop to consider the implications of that until it was almost too late.
“Wait, no!” Lori’s boots skidded despite the snow spikes.
Lephas pulled himself up out of his sprint just in time, halting dangerously close to a steep, rocky drop. He bent forwards to rest his hands on his knees, gasping for air. Lori wavered on her legs and leant against him as she fought to regain her own breath. They both looked down the steep incline silently.
“We'll never make it,” Lephas panted and glanced over his shoulder. “Fuck, but they're going to find us if we stay here...”
Lori looked at him thoughtfully for a moment before unbuttoning her jacket and hurriedly shrugging out of it.
“Your wings -are they strong enough for us both?” Lephas swiped a hand down his face.
“I won't be able to stop us falling but it may be enough to stop us dying at the bottom.” Lori hesitated. “Death is certain if we stay here anyway, right?”
“Yes, without a doubt.”
They didn't have time to weigh their options up. Lori removed her fur coat completely and threw it to Lephas. He tucked it under his arm.
The faerie's wings were truly something to behold. She stretched them outwards and fluttered them back and forth a few times. They were magnificent, shining like a golden sun through the snow. Lephas was entranced, just as he had been when she had revealed them earlier that day.
“Ready?” the princess asked and rushed in closer.
“How are we going to–?”
“I don't know, just jump! I–” She paused and looked up at him, unspoken words dying on her tongue.
“What?”
“Oh, fuck it - I'd regret not doing it if we die!” Lori's face deepened to a determined scowl.
She reached up and cupped either side of his face in her hands before roughly pulling him down to her level. Lori pressed a warm, desperate kiss against his mouth.
Lephas’ surprise was fleeting. He instinctively grasped the back of her head and pulled her in tighter. He deepened the kiss and their tongues met briefly. Lori moaned softly against him.
A faint yell echoed through the woods behind them. Without another word they broke apart and jumped over the edge, hand in hand.
∞∞∞
“Ugh...” Lephas coughed. Pain shot up his side and he cracked his eyes open. He was lying, face down, on the forest floor. Stone and bark pressed painful indentations against his cheek.
Sharp spines prickled at him as he fought against the dense bramble bush he was ensnared by. He dragged himself free on his hands and knees.
“Lori?” he called out.
“Over here,” she replied from nearby. Her voice sounded groggy.
Lephas carefully got to his feet, pausing momentarily as his vision wavered. The faerie was sat up, rubbing her shoulder, in a deep drift of snow. There was a large skid mark through the dirt indicating where they had both crash-landed.
“...We lived?” She squinted at him through one eye, confused.
Lephas laughed hoarsely. “It appears so.”
He held out a hand for her, helping the princess to her feet. They both glanced up the steep incline thoughtfully and then to each other. There was a long, heated pause before Lephas cleared his throat and moved away from the faerie.
“Come on, we need to move. If we can get away from here before they reach the edge, they probably won't entertain the fact that we've jumped down.” He bent to pick up Lori's now filthy fur jacket and held it out to her.
“I can't believe we did!” Lori laughed, wriggling back into her coat.
“I can't believe we did and we lived! Come on.”
He instinctively held out his hand for her. The commander flushed with embarrassment when he realised what he had done, but as he was about to retract his hand, Lori grasped it firmly.
They both set off running once more. Close to the edge of the drop there had been very little snow, shaded from the worst of the blustering storm. As they ran further into the dense pine forest and the trees began to grow closer and closer together, the drifts thickened once more. Their enthusiastic run didn't last long. Within minutes they were back to slogging through deep snow.
“Where are we?” Lori asked breathlessly.
“Honestly? I don't know any more. We have never come down this far when scouting - and we definitely wouldn't have hurled ourselves off the edge of that cliff!” Lephas glanced up at the trees.
They walked on in silence for long moments, still hand in hand. Lephas glanced across at the princess.
She was deep in thought and her beautiful face was marred with dirt and scratches. The large cut on her cheek where the knight had hit her was still bleeding and swollen. A dark bruise had already begun to bloom beneath her alabaster skin.
Lephas clenched his teeth. It was a shame Karn had gotten the killing blow. He would have very much liked to end that particular faerie himself. One of her own father’s men had tried to kill her. Anger boiled in the pit of his stomach. As if he needed more reason to hate the faerie king.
He couldn't begin to understand what Lori was feeling. She looked exhausted. Her face was drawn tight, purple circles lay beneath her glassy azure eyes.
Lephas glanced up at the sky again. He supposed they probably only had an hour or so of daylight left. The forest was growing darker by the minute. They would need to find somewhere to stop and rest for the night, but he couldn't risk a fire. The princess was cold, her lips were tinged with blue. He doubted she would last a night exposed to the elements as she was.
Though he would find it uncomfortable to sleep in such cold conditions, Lephas was confident his tough winter gear would prevent him dying of hypothermia. He couldn't say the same thing for his companion.
Lori looked up at him, meeting his gaze. She smiled, but sadness shone through behind it.
“We'll need to stop soon,” he said simply.
“Yes, but where?” Lori asked, hiding a small yawn behind her fist.
“I haven't figured that bit out yet. We won't be able to light a fire.”
“No, I suppose not.” Lori had begun to shake again, but Lephas feared it wasn't so much from the cold as shock. He squeezed her hand and strode on determinedly. As they continued to meander through the thick forest, the demon scanned the wilds for a suitable hiding spot.
Just as he was beginning to lose faith, a large, hollow log loomed through the mist.
“Sit there for a minute,” He instructed, coming to a halt beside the log. Lori obeyed silently, staring off into space.
He crouched and crawled into the log. Something, possibly a small bear, had made a home here once. Scratching through the debris, Lephas determined that whatever creature had been here was long gone. The den lay undisturbed with no signs of recent activity.
The lingering smell of a predator would keep any smaller creatures at bay. Lephas was more than aware that it wasn't just faeries they needed to be wary of in these woods.
The log was dry and seemed solid. He clambered back out and his breath caught as he knocked the injury to his side. He needed to take time to assess the extent of the damage, but it wasn't the top of his priorities right now.
“Come on, in here.” He stood, dusting himself off and gestured to the entrance.
“...Inside th
e log?” Lori asked incredulously.
“I'm afraid so. It's safe and dry, I've checked.” He dropped his pack from his chest. The bag looked rather worse for wear, scuffed and sprayed with blood, but it still held.
“I can't believe I'm doing this.” Lori laughed, but got to her knees and climbed inside. Lephas cast his eyes around the forest for any last-minute threats before clambering in after her.
The log was just wide enough for Lori to spin herself around and tall enough that she was able to sit up. Unfortunately, the demon had to stoop considerably.
“Sorry, this is the best we can do for tonight.” He unclipped the thin rolled up mattress once more, unfurling it carefully in the enclosed space.
“This is fine.” Lori waited for Lephas to put the mattress down before eagerly climbing onto it and laying down.
“Tired?”
“Exhausted.” Lori sighed. She rolled onto her side to face away from him.
“Do you want any food or water?” Lephas asked, grabbing his water skin and drinking eagerly from it himself.
“No, I just want to sleep.”
“Okay, but it's there if you want it. Help yourself.” He shimmied awkwardly in the tight space and threw his bag at their feet.
Lori didn't respond, just curled her knees up and tucked her chin down.
Lephas sat beside her, feeling awkward. There was nowhere in the small log that he could lie without touching her in some capacity. He didn't want to seem forward, but there was very little option. The demon scratched his head thoughtfully and adjusted his sword belt so he wasn't lying on top of the hard metal.
He cautiously lay back. At first, he tried to roll onto his side facing away from the princess, so at least the only part of him that would be pressed against her would be his back... But there wasn't quite enough space. He sighed deeply, scrubbing his hand over his face.
You're in deep trouble... Lephas chastised himself, rolling over.
His body slotted comfortably behind Lori's, his knees tucking in behind hers. He was sure she wasn’t asleep yet, but she didn't protest.
After laying still for long moments, he steadily began to relax. The commander listened to the girl's breathing – steady and soft, albeit a bit fast for his liking.
His arm hung awkwardly at his side. In the past, any time he had been in a position similar to this with a woman it had been wholly appropriate to drape an arm over her, perhaps resting a palm on her hip. Now, he wasn’t sure.
Lori took a deep, shaky breath in and startled him momentarily. When she began to tremble, he sat up and leant his head on his hand.
Though it was dark inside the log, he could see the glistening tears rolling silently down the princess' cheeks clearly.
Without giving it another thought, he wrapped an arm over her small body and squeezed her. Lephas felt his chest grow tight. He barely knew her, really, but he never had been able to stand it when women were upset.
Lori sniffed and wiped her face. He noticed she still had the handkerchief he had loaned her back at the farmhouse. Just as well, she clearly had more use for it than he did.
They didn't talk. There were no words Lephas could say that would make her feel any better. He figured maybe it was better to just let her get it out of her system.
The faerie princess had had a terrible couple of days and, unfortunately, he wasn't convinced her luck was about to change. At least she wouldn't freeze to death with his body heat wrapped around her in such tight quarters.
The last of the daylight faded and Lephas found himself lying in the pitch black, listening to Lori's soft sniffling. Never had he felt so useless. The demon supposed it said a lot about him that, despite his extensive survival training and combat knowledge, he panicked when faced with something as simple as a crying woman.
With little warning, the princess shifted. She rolled onto her back and then over again onto her opposite hip to face him.
“Is there anything I can do?” he asked awkwardly.
Lori didn't answer but shuffled in closer. She fumbled through the darkness and grasped his hand which was, once again, lying awkwardly at his side. The faerie tucked it against her waist and pressed her own hand over the top of it reassuringly, like she was giving him permission. Lephas held his breath as she wriggled closer still.
He jolted with surprise as her soft, warm lips came into contact with his own.
“Lori, I–” He attempted to reason, but she pressed in insistently.
Shamefully, he didn't require much persuading. Lephas felt his less-than-stalwart self-control crumbling and returned her kiss gently.
Lori's hands were tucked up, pressed flat against his chest. He quickly pulled his gloves off and brought his free hand up to her face, taking care not to disturb her wound. She shivered as he brushed his thumb along her cheekbone. He noted, with sympathy, that her face was still wet with tears.
Lori opened her mouth invitingly and Lephas couldn't resist. He felt excitement fizzing in his chest as he slipped his tongue into her and she met him eagerly with a soft moan that got his heart pumping harder still.
Lephas was suddenly painfully aware that it had been too long since he had last been with a woman like this. He reined himself in, being careful not to over-do it when she was clearly in a delicate mental state.
Lori swiped her tongue against his bottom lip before taking it gently between her teeth as he attempted to pull apart from her. A groan escaped him before he could hold it back. The demon felt heat rising in his cheeks. Lori laughed softly and tucked herself into his chest. The moment was over.
Lephas supposed romantically-awkward, boring demons were her thing after all.
∞∞∞
A dull, distant noise, scratching and tapping, woke the demon commander. He cracked open his eyes, feeling confused for a moment as to where he was.
It was still dark outside but there was a familiar faint glow of sunrise. Lephas came to his senses and realised he was still lying in the hollow log, entwined with the faerie princess. Her breathing was deep and slow – sleeping.
Scratch, scratch, tap, tap...
A bird was on the outside of the log It clawed at the surface as it hunted for insects. Lephas craned his neck back to glance outside, taking care not to wake Lori.
It had finally stopped snowing and the sky had cleared. He could see a shaft of rosy early morning sunlight spearing through the forest. That would certainly make travelling easier for them today.
In a moment of quiet contemplation, Lephas glanced down at the sleeping faerie in front of him. Her cheeks had returned to a healthy colour, albeit marred with a painful looking gash and a dark bruise. He was relieved that she had remained warm enough through the night.
The demon couldn't quite believe the previous day's events. There were almost too many things to wrap his head around.
Naturally, his immediate thoughts were of Lori’s kisses... Plural.
He had been, and still was, surprised. The faerie had definitely been the initiator. He was confused. Lephas couldn't quite bring himself to believe it was as simple as she found him attractive and had wanted to kiss him. Was there trickery involved? Did she think to sweeten him up and gain his sympathy by engaging him romantically? It was working, he admitted sourly.
Maybe his lack of confidence around women was palpable? She had seen him as an easy mark and decided to hone in on his weak spot... Or maybe she really was just attracted to him? Lephas frowned. He didn't know.
Unsurprisingly, the girl had been upset after the previous day’s turbulent events, but why had she turned to him for comfort? He was part of the reason she was in this mess in the first place.
His thoughts turned to King Lazuli with a scowl. What kind of monster sent a troop of fifteen men to slaughter a young girl? His own daughter, no less. Though there was no denying the princess’s actions had led her here, Lephas doubted she had even considered her father might have had her killed for it.
Lephas had begun to piece
together some of the puzzle and intended to probe further once Lori was less sensitive about the issue. She had defied her father's wishes in something and had fled. Whatever the princess had done, he doubted it deserved a death sentence. The commander felt his grip tightening on the girl in his arms.
She squirmed and mumbled sleepily. As Lephas attempted to shuffle across to give her more room a razor-sharp pain splintered through is ribcage, stealing his breath momentarily.
He suspected he had broken a rib, maybe two. That was going to hinder his ability to trek through the snow today. He would have to attempt to bind it with one of the bandages in his pack.
“Lephas?” Lori asked groggily, interrupting his thoughts.
“I'm here,” he replied.
“My head hurts.”
“I bet it does. You took one hell of a hit yesterday,” he soothed
“Is it bad?” She wriggled free to lie flat on her back and pulled her hood down. Her braid had come undone during the night, leaving her hair knotted and wild.
“Let me see.” Lephas sat up carefully. He gently inspected the dark bruise on Lori's cheek.
“Ow.” The girl winced.
“It looks clean and has stopped bleeding, but it will take a few days to fully heal. We'll keep an eye on it.”
Lori gazed up at him. Though she still looked tired and was covered in scratches, the faerie appeared to be more alert now she had rested. She eyed him curiously and Lephas felt himself growing hot.
“I need to get up.” He groaned and clutched his ribs as he dragged himself out of the narrow log.
“Are you alright?” Lori shot him a questioning look.
He gave a short laugh. “Not really. I think I've broken a rib.”
The demon carefully clambered out into the snow, relieved to see the vast blue sky above them. It was still cold but the sun's rays were already making a noticeable difference to the temperature.
“Did you do that when we fell?” Lori asked, her face creased with concern as she climbed out of the log behind him.
“No, earlier than that. I took a horse to the face at one point back there.” He grimaced and cautiously stretched to stand upright.