She had to lie about what she was capable of. After all, why would a lazy mistress genuinely know what a demon's powers are?
"I will sense if you break your promises, and if that happens, I will be at your door to take your life", Lilynn stated. She hoped this worked. Why would any person deny a demon's wishes when they are at the sharp end of their shadow blade?
Lady Urla was pale as the wall behind her. She nodded slowly. Lilynn assumed she finally realized how much money she had to give away in order to satisfy the needs of the demoness. Seeing that unpleasant expression on her face felt like victory for Lilynn.
It was the first time she ever felt a sense of power over wealthy aristocrats. After all those years, the Demoness' gifts made this revenge possible.
Behind her was a loud knock on the door.
"What is going on in there? Open the door!", a male voice demanded. Another knock followed.
Without any further words, he shut the door open. A guard in chainmail armor stood in front of Lilynn, with a sword unsheathed in his hand.
"We were alerted that many young women were heard screaming in this building. Do not move!"
Oh, great. At least five guards were standing outside, blocking the entrance entirely. Lilynn was trapped.
However, Lady Urla saw this as a perfect opportunity. Before Lilynn could react, she let out a painful scream. It worked, as the guards who were only sceptical until this point, were now getting offensive.
"Please, this demon monster trapped us! Help us before she kills us all!" she screamed.
Lilynn let another shadow blade grow out of her left hand, which she aimed at the guards. Their faces faded into horror upon seeing the dark blade appear at the end of Lilynn's hand, but they did not back up nor let their weapons down. They were waiting for their leader's call.
It all had to come down to bloodshed.
Lilynn tried to calculate her odds. The guard on the far right looked the least powerful. Attacking him first seemed to be the best option. If she is lucky, she will be able to get through him without a fatal blow and leave the others behind.
Someone else suddenly appeared behind the guards. Someone with a cloak on his back and a hood covering his head. But Lilynn recognized the leather belt that had a long sword and ball-shaped potion container attached to it. Erwand!
He threw a small object at the guards. A second later it exploded, and everything was covered in smoke. The guards were coughing and trying to get out of it while shouting to each other. This was Lilynn's moment to escape.
She swiftly went past them in the smoke without stumbling into them.
"Thanks for the save", she said quickly to Erwand while running through the crowd of people. A great number of them gathered around Urla's house – apparently, the noises inside caught the attention of the market visitors outside.
"You know how to cause trouble", Erwand said while running along with her through the market booths and people. He was pushing people away with his huge body to make an escape route. Lilynn could hear the guards behind, shouting to each other. They were still looking for them.
They quickly left the market. The main street was still busy enough to let them blend in with the crowd. They slowed down to walking speed. Erwand took a turn at a corner, which led into a narrow street with tall, multiple-storey houses.
Not many people were around.
Erwand quickly turned again, and both of them were in an alleyway between two buildings. Finally, they could rest here.
"So… I assume you did not get to buy clothes," he said between two big breaths.
"Not exactly."
"What happened, then? What made you show your scary demon powers to all those people inside?"
"I… I decided to serve justice."
Erwand looked confused, but then let out a small laugh.
"Of course. Your job is to do justice, isn't it?
"I'm serious."
Lilynn explained what happened in there. She told him how those terrible circumstances reminded her of her own painful past, and how she just couldn't bear seeing all of it without doing anything. Even if it meant exposing her identity.
She was ready to hear Erwand call her a stupid, reckless monster.
But he did not call her anything. In fact, he was listening to the story with attention.
When Lilynn finished, he said:
"You did what's good."
"Well… only for a few minutes. I doubt that mistress will do anything according to my terms."
"You can never know. The people of this kingdom are frightened even by the mention of the word 'demon'. What you did definitely left a deep impact on her and the girls."
These words filled Lilynn with great joy. The sight of Erwand looking at her with a warm expression made the world seem less horrible.
"So, you are not even angry at me?"
"Not really. Nobody saw my face, and I don't think anyone will recognize one person with a hood on among hundreds of others. Not even you," he looked deep into Lilynn's eyes. His irises had a dark, greyish color that Lilynn could not compare to any she had seen before. They resembled the color of a sea ravaged by a great storm. They were beautiful. "And even if they would've seen me, I never intended to just leave you there."
He risked becoming a wanted criminal to save Lilynn. She had no idea how to thank him.
"Thank you for saving me. Really," she said, trying to imitate Erwand's smile.
"I somehow could tell the chaos at one of the vendors was connected to you. What can I say, I've become a demon expert."
They were both laughing, like two friends who have been through a lot of trouble. Or even more than just friends.
"Do not move."
Lilynn could hear a female voice behind herself. They both turned their heads to the direction of the sound.
"I told you not to."
There was a lady standing behind them in a cloak and hood of the color of sand. She whispered something that Lilynn didn't understand, and suddenly, her body froze completely. She could not move an inch, not even talk. The same happened to Erwand, who pulled out his blade way too late to attack. He was now frozen with his sword in his hand.
She chanted something again, and both of their bodies started to move on their own, following the hooded lady to the other end of the alleyway.