Chapter 199 Chapter 199
“I’m not nervous,” she breathed unconvincingly.
“Who are you trying to fool?” he chuckled.
“Maxwell. I was just… asking if you want to accompany me, nothing more,” she said and bit her lip.
“Is it a date?”
Her eyes went wide in a second, and she stared right into his sky-blue ones, speechless.
“Okay, it’s a date,” he decided and nodded to himself, quickly grabbing his leather jacket so they could leave. Valerie, on the other hand, stood frozen to the ground and didn’t move an inch until he impatiently tugged at her hand.
“Come on, I want to leave,” he complained, and that finally freed her from her bewildered state. She followed him out the door and to her car, keeping her eyes locked on his white hair and the braids that dangled over his back.
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When Maxwell had decided to accompany her into town, he certainly hadn’t expected to be dragged into one clothing store after another, through various sections, and from one story to the next. He ended up carrying two full shopping bags for her while she browsed the makeup section of yet another shop. The demon didn’t remember how many they had entered until now, and it irked him that she was busier looking at random items than at him.
That wasn’t how he had imagined their date going. She could have at least warned him about her intentions, but no, she hadn’t said anything about an hour-long shopping spree.
Then again, it didn’t matter what she had planned. He wouldn’t have let her leave the house on her own anyway… he would have accompanied her since he wasn’t about to get careless. The invisible danger looming over them couldn’t be underestimated. Maxwell stayed vigilant, and his dark glower might have scared some humans off; not that he would care about them. Whenever he sensed a demon nearby, he got suspicious, and his cautious behavior didn’t stay hidden from Valerie. She noticed his tension and decided that she had shopped for long enough.
“We should bring the shopping bags to the car,” she suggested. “And then we could head to the nearby park? I heard they put up Christmas decorations and pretty lights.”
She interlaced her fingers with his and lightly squeezed his hand, smiling warmly.
“Alright,” he answered, thinking that this sounded more like the date he had imagined. They walked towards the exit of the mall, and when they stepped through the doors, a surprise awaited them. Countless snowflakes floated from the sky, transforming the city into a winter wonderland. It must have been snowing for a while already, since the boardwalk was covered in white. Valerie beamed, excitedly holding out her hand to catch a few snowflakes.
“So pretty,” she breathed, enthralled by the sight.
Maxwell, on the other hand, was less impressed by the cold snow, scrunching his nose. “What is this crap?” he grumbled.
“Uh… have you never seen snow before?” she gaped at him.
He cringed. “Of course I have! What the hell, Valerie? I just… find it annoying,” he said as they walked towards the parking lot.
“Annoying?” she echoed, gazing at him. “I love snow. It makes everything look soft… and you can build snowmen and have snowball fights.”
He cracked a smirk, sensing her giddy happiness within his chest. “If it makes you happy, that’s all I care about.”
She blushed and cast her gaze on the snowy pavement. It was riddled with shoeprints, but new snowflakes soon formed another layer of thin snow on top of them. The couple reached the car and dumped the shopping bags in the trunk. Valerie’s excitement grew as more and more snowflakes fell from the sky. She wore a permanent smile on her lips. Maxwell kept holding her hand and let her lead him to her destination, the park area that was nearby.
It wasn’t as crowded since most people had sought shelter from the snow, and Valerie liked it this way. The trees and plants were already white, looking like someone had put powdered sugar on them. They passed a playground where a few children played in the snow, their cheerful laughter making the smile on her lips brighten.
“Maxwell, look,” she said and pointed ahead to a small square in the middle of the park. It was decorated with star-shaped lights hanging in the trees and red Christmas ornaments. More people were around in this area, mingling close to a small bakery that sold snacks and hot chocolate.
“Let’s get hot chocolate,” she gushed, making him chuckle.
“Yeah, yeah. Calm down, sugar,” he grinned.
She smiled, and they approached the square, but when Maxwell stopped abruptly, so did she. Confused, she looked at him. He was staring at the trees next to them, and she followed his gaze, but she didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. However, when she heard a soft cry, she stiffened. It had sounded like a child, and it worried her.
“What was that?” she asked, furrowing her brows.
“Some low-class demons are lurking over there,” he replied as his eyeshade became red. “I think they’re… after a human.”
“We have to help,” she decided, and to her surprise, he obliged immediately. They left the path and walked on, passing trees and small bushes.
“Stay behind me,” he ordered, walking ahead to take a closer look at what was happening. They spotted a young boy cowering in the snow. He couldn’t have been older than five and was surrounded by bloodthirsty demons that growled at him and nipped at his winter jacket. Valerie assumed that the boy was unable to see the demons but still felt them and heard their scary snarls.
“How dare they attack a child?” Valerie hissed.
Maxwell waved his hand and shot a hot light at the demons. They screeched angrily, leaving the boy alone for just a moment, directing their attention at Maxwell. Valerie used the opportunity and ran up to the boy, kneeling next to him to comfort him. She gently patted his back and hugged him.
“It’s okay, you’re safe,” she whispered. “You don’t need to cry, I promise you will be fine.”
Surprised, the boy looked up at her with large, glossy eyes, only now realizing that she was speaking to him. “Who are you?” he asked quietly.