Chapter 138: The Little Demon’s Secret
Cassian sat upright, still dazed, as the little demon girl stood nervously in the center of the room, twiddling her fingers.
She seemed less afraid now—her eyes still wide but no longer filled with panic. In fact, her expression was quickly shifting to one of delight. Like she couldn’t believe she was talking to a real, living human.
"I’ve never seen one of you before," she said, tilting her head with curiosity. "You look so soft. I thought humans were covered in armor or scales or something..."
Cassian raised an eyebrow. "I’m not a lizard."
The girl giggled, and the sound echoed sweetly through the room. She looked to be around ten or eleven in human years, though in demon time that could mean anything. Her horns shimmered faintly in the light, and her golden bell jingled again as she moved closer.
"My name’s Miri," she said proudly, puffing out her chest a little. "And my father is the Archdemon."
Cassian blinked. "The... Archdemon?"
She nodded so fast her curls bounced. "Yes! He’s really, really strong. Like—he could blow up a mountain without even moving. They say his magic touches even the stars."
Cassian stared.
Miri leaned closer, as if sharing a secret. "He’s very strict. And scary. But he’s also very kind to me. That’s why I wasn’t supposed to come here, but since you’re under his protection now, I thought maybe... he wouldn’t mind if I just peeked."
She looked up with wide eyes, like she was asking for forgiveness after the fact.