Why You Should Never Rescue Stray Demons Chapter 120

**KACIA**

What the hell is wrong with me? Honestly. I finally have Oz here, holding me, being sweet, saying every single thing I’ve been aching to hear, and what do I do? I shove him away. And the worst part? I know he means it. Every word. Every touch. Every kiss. That spell didn’t put feelings into him, it just stripped away the walls he hides behind. Which means all those things he blurted out, all that talk about loving me, wanting a future, imagining a life together, that’s real. But even with all of that, even with how much he clearly loves me… He still plans to leave. 

That’s the problem, isn’t it? I kept thinking that maybe, deep down, he didn’t actually mean it. That all this talk about leaving was just fear or self punishment. That he was being dramatic, or that he hadn’t thought it through, or that once he let himself care about me enough he’d realise how ridiculous it was. But no. This morning proved it. He really, truly believes leaving is the right choice. So where does that leave me? I flop back on my bed, staring at the ceiling like it might have the answers, my stomach tight and twisting. If I look at it coldly, I have three options. One, stay in danger forever so he feels like he has to stay. Two, let him go without a fight. Or three… Find some way to fix things. Option one? Absolutely not. I refuse to trap him that way, and I refuse to live like prey. Option two? I’d rather cut out my own heart. So option three it is. Oz is convinced it’s impossible. But everything is impossible until the first time someone does it. Alright. If I can’t go out right now while I wait for the spell on Oz to wear off, then I’ll plan. I drag my notebook across the nightstand and flick it open, scribbling furiously, forcing myself to get every idea down no matter how ridiculous.

*1\. The library. Duh. Clarence and Vidar know practically everything, and even when they don’t, they know where to look. If there’s anything written about breaking a Kakos demon’s binding, it’ll be there.*

*2\. Angelo. Weird choice, maybe, but he knows a lot. More than he lets on. He’s clever, resourceful, and has probably heard a hundred things from customers or gossip. Worth asking.*

*3\. Tarish. He’s already offered to teach me. Maybe he’d share more about demon bindings, or at least point me toward the right kind of fae magic.*

*4\. Ulric. Old, well-connected, and nosy enough to have heard whispers. Even if he doesn’t know, he might know someone who does.*

*5\. Other demons. Oz never talks about friends or family outside his siblings. But he has to have connections. Elders, teachers, rivals. People who understand the laws and bargains of their kind. Maybe someone out there has tried, and succeeded, before.*

*6\. A fae library. If there isn’t one, there damn well should be. The fae hoard secrets like treasure. If anyone has obscure information tucked away, it’s them.*

*7\. Google. Yes, I know. Pathetic. Scraping the bottom of the barrel. But Mikey could help with the tech stuff. It’s worth trying.*

When I stop writing, my pen hovers over the page. I stare at the list, dissatisfied. It’s short, vague, and honestly kind of depressing. ‘Google demons’ isn’t exactly an impressive plan. But… It’s something. A start. And once I start digging, the list will grow. One lead will spark another, one conversation will open a new door. And at some point, I’ll have to ask Oz if there are any demons he actually trusts me to approach. That conversation will probably go down like a lead balloon. But if I want answers, I’ll need to take the risk. I close my eyes, letting out a slow breath. The truth is, the list scares me. Because every item is another chance to fail, another chance to run into a dead end. But until I’ve tried all of it, every name, every library, every whisper and long-shot, there’s still hope.And I’m not giving up. Not until there’s nothing left to try. 

Because this is Oz. Us. And I refuse to believe that’s impossible. This list isn’t nothing. And until such a time as there is absolutely nothing on the list. Nowhere else to look, no one else to ask and nothing else to try, I refuse to give up. 

I sigh heavily, dropping my pen and rubbing at my eyes. My notebook sits open on the bed in front of me, my scrawled list of possible ideas looking short, vague, and pitiful. I’ve been staring at it for so long that the words blur. Before I can decide whether to hide it away or keep going, there’s a sudden flash of light. I jerk upright, my heart leaping into my throat just as Tarish clears his throat behind me.

“My apologies.” He says smoothly, though his voice carries a thread of guilt. 

“I should not have startled you or brought myself straight into a young woman’s bedroom. I haven't been to your home before, so I used you as the location rather than your house.” He explains. I clutch my chest, trying to calm my racing pulse. 

“Damn, you scared the hell out of me.” I grumble. His pale eyes soften. He bows his head slightly, and I get the sense this isn’t a hollow apology, he actually means it. 

“It was a discourtesy. I should have warned you before entering your room. I am very sorry.” Hew says sincerely. I wave him off, sinking back onto the mattress. 

“It’s fine. Really.” I assure him. But he doesn’t move on. His gaze lingers on me, calm and sharp, reading more than I want him to. Then he sighs.

“I also came to apologise again. For Raylah’s actions.” He adds. That makes me blink. 

“You don’t need to-” I start. He cuts me off. 

“Yes. I do.” His tone hardens. 

“She broke the rules of hospitality under my roof. She spelled my guest. That dishonours me as much as it harms you.” His mouth presses into a flat line. 

“I have sent her back to her family estate for now. But her punishment still needs to be decided. I would choose something myself, but… You and Ozraed were the ones most affected. It is only fair that you have a say.” He explains. My lips part in surprise. 

“But I wasn’t the one who was spelled. Oz was.” I point out. Tarish fixes me with that piercing gaze. 

“Do not lie to me, Kacia. Don’t pretend this hasn’t harmed you as well. I can see how unhappy you are right now.” He says pointedly. Heat prickles in my cheeks. I look away, down at the notebook lying open beside me. He notices instantly, of course. He misses nothing.

“Your notes…” He says softly, his voice cutting through the silence. 

“You’re searching for a way to… What exactly?” He asks. 

“A way to combat or avoid the nightmare effect in his eyes. So that he can’t hurt me with it.” I explain. Then, I chew my lip, hesitating. The words tumble out. 

“Can you help? With his eyes, I mean. Or… Could Raylah? Is there something she can do?” I ask, a little desperately. Tarish’s face turns thoughtful, his brow furrowing in rare uncertainty. 

“I doubt Raylah has the answers you want.” He admits, his tone flat and honest. 

“But… I could make that her punishment… Her task to earn back my trust. If she can find a way, any way, to fix your situation with Ozraed, then she may be forgiven. Until then…” His voice drops, cold as steel. 

“I won’t see her again. It is her burden now, to prove herself to me, and to make amends to you both.” He says coldly. The weight in his words makes me shiver. He isn’t being dramatic. In the fae world, this would actually be a fairly merciful punishment. I bite my lip again, hesitant, then ask the question that’s been gnawing at me since Raylah blurted out her feelings. 

“Do you… Actually like her? Or not?” I ask. Tarish exhales slowly, folding his hands in front of him. 

“I don’t dislike her. Or at least I didn’t until today.” He says at last, careful and measured. 

“But I found her a little… Dull. Pleasant, but unremarkable.” His pale eyes flicker, and for the first time he looks almost… Unsettled. 

“Although now, I wonder. Perhaps she was not truly being herself around me. Perhaps she never showed me her true self at all. It is… Confusing.” He confesses. It’s strange seeing him admit that. This man who seems so composed, so certain, suddenly admitting doubt about what was real and what wasn’t. 

“Well, I hope that everything works out okay.” I sigh. Then Tarish clears his throat.

“If you aren’t busy… Would now be a good time to tell you a little more about your magic?”