Chapter 110: A Story in a Song

As Blair ate her breakfast, Daemus leaned back on his hands, perfectly content to fill the quiet room with conversation. He began blabbering away about hockey, complaining about how stiff and out of shape he felt after missing so much practice.

"I’m going to have to get some training in, too, between studying," Daemus planned, staring at the ceiling. "I’ve already missed two games since we’ve been away. The team’s on a losing streak right now. It’ll take a literal miracle for us to advance to the next round."

Blair listened to him quietly, a small, fond smile playing on her lips. She honestly didn’t know the first thing about hockey, she barely understood the rules...but she found it very calming to just sit and listen to Daemus speak so passionately about something he loved.

Daemus sat up, turning his head to look at her.

"Do you play any sports?" Daemus asked curiously.

Blair quickly shook her head. "No. I don’t really have any talents or skills outside of studying."

"That can’t be true," Daemus argued, tilting his head. "Maybe you do, and you just don’t know it yet."

Blair didn’t think so. The sisters at the church had made it very clear that her intellect was her only defining feature.

"You should try singing," Daemus suggested brightly.

Blair immediately shook her head. "I don’t know any songs."

Daemus furrowed his brows in genuine disbelief. "Were you living in a cave?"

Blair’s face reddened instantly. She ducked her head, staring at the crumbs on her plate. "I know a few of the hymns the sisters would sing at the church," she admitted quietly.

"Okay, then sing one of those!" Daemus encouraged, shifting closer on the bed with an eager grin. "Give it a shot."

"No," Blair stubbornly refused, shaking her head. "I am an awful singer, Daemus. Your ears might fall off."

Daemus let out a loud, booming laugh. "It can’t be that bad! Come on, now I really want to hear it."

He nudged her shoulder playfully. "Just one song, Bunny. Please?"

Blair bit her bottom lip, looking at his expectant, smiling face. She couldn’t say no to him when he looked at her like that.

"Okay," Blair hesitantly agreed, her cheeks burning. "But you can’t laugh."

Daemus raised a hand, tracing an ’X’ over his chest. "Cross my heart."

Blair took a deep, steadying breath. She closed her eyes, recalling the familiar melody of the morning hymn the choir would sing every Sunday.

She opened her mouth, and began to sing.

The notes drifted into the quiet bedroom, soft and melodic.

Daemus sat still. The amused, teasing grin slowly slid off his face. His silver eyes widened, stunned as the sound of her voice filled the air.

Her voice was incredibly beautiful. It carried a pure, angelic quality that instantly commanded attention, washing over the room like a calming breeze.

"The sun will rise on the other side," Blair sang, her pitch flawless and sweet. "Beyond the far horizon where shadows hide.A brand-new world will take the flame,When the fallen goddess remembers her name.And man will change from what he has been,When the light of the forgotten washes him clean."

Blair slowly opened her eyes, immediately stopping the song. Her face flushed a brilliant crimson when she saw Daemus staring at her in shock. His jaw was slightly slack, captivated.

"That was beautiful," Daemus breathed out. He shook his head in disbelief. "You are such a liar, saying you can’t sing."

"I’m really not that good," Blair mumbled shyly, shrinking a bit under his gaze. "I’m nowhere near as good as the church sisters."

"Bullshit," Daemus countered instantly. "You’re amazing. You sing like a siren."

He rolled his sleeves up, offering his arms for her to inspect. "Look, you gave me goosebumps."

Blair peered at his forearms, a warm smile blooming across her face. "Thank you," she whispered.

Daemus dropped his arms, tilting his head. "What is that song even about, anyway?"

Blair hummed thoughtfully, taking a moment to gather her words. "It comes from the core beliefs of the church," she began to explain. "The story goes that there is a goddess who felt terrible for the humans when the beastmen arrived and took over the world."

She traced the rim of her ginger tea mug with her index finger. "But the goddess’s father was against her helping the humans. He grew paranoid, thinking she just wanted to build up a massive following of humans so she could eventually overthrow him."

"So, what did the father do?" Daemus asked, invested in the lore.

"He punished her," Blair said. "He stripped her of her divine title and erased all of her memories. Then, he cast her down, sending her to live in the human world as a mortal. But a prophecy was made. If her conviction remained true even without her memories, she would still find a way to help the humans and save them."

Blair looked back up at Daemus. "The song means that the sun will rise on the other side of the horizon on the day the goddess remembers her name which is actually when she remembers exactly who and what she is. On that day, humans will change for the better, and a new world will be born."

Daemus hummed, leaning his chin on his hand. "So, this goddess is going to come down here and beat up all the beastmen?"

Blair couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped her lips. She brought the warm mug of ginger tea to her mouth and took a sip. "Don’t worry," she teased gently. "I’ll make sure to tell the goddess that you’re one of the good ones."

A grin stretched across Daemus’s face. "You’re too kind," he murmured smoothly.

He shifted his weight, leaning in closer. He closed the distance between them until they were sharing the same breath.

Blair tightened her grip on the mug in her hands. Her heart immediately kicked into a frantic, sprinting rhythm as their noses brushed lightly against each other. Her eyelashes fluttered. She slowly let her eyes drift shut, her lips parting slightly as she waited in anticipation for him to kiss her.

"Isn’t that hot?" Daemus whispered against her mouth.

Blair’s eyes snapped open. She blinked, confused, before looking down at the space between them.

The steaming mug of ginger tea was pressed awkwardly against her chest and his stomach. She had been so distracted by him that she hadn’t even noticed.

Blair quickly set the mug back down onto the tray, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

Daemus chuckled softly, pushing himself up from the bed.

"I’ll let you get back to studying," he told her, heading for the bedroom door.

Blair scrambled to her feet, instinctively trailing a few steps behind him. Daemus pulled the door open and glanced back at her over his shoulder.

"See you later," Daemus offered with a bright smile.

"Later," Blair replied, offering him a small, awkward wave.

The door clicked shut, leaving her alone in the quiet room.

Blair let out a long sigh, dropping her hand. She turned around, intending to get back to studying.

Suddenly, the door swung open behind her.

Blair barely had a second to turn around before Daemus grabbed her. His hands wrapped firmly around her waist, pulling her flush against his chest. He crashed his lips against hers in a searing, passionate kiss.

Her eyes went wide, but she melted into him almost instantly. Daemus’s tongue slipped effortlessly past her lips, exploring her mouth with a dizzying confidence. His large hands wandered from her waist, trailing up her spine to pull her even closer. The intensity of the kiss sent a jolt of electricity straight to her toes.

Just as quickly as he started it, Daemus pulled away.

Blair stood frozen in the center of the room. She was breathless, her chest heaving as she desperately gasped for air, her face flushed the color of a ripe strawberry.

Daemus stood in the doorway, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips. He offered her a wink, then, he stepped out and pulled the door shut behind him.

Blair raised a trembling hand, gently rubbing the spot over her wildly hammering heart. Her knees felt like jelly. She slowly walked backward until the back of her legs hit the mattress, and she sank down onto the bed.

She picked the hot mug of tea back up, cradling it carefully in both hands. A shy, smitten smile spread across her face as she took a small sip.