[Rhett] I took the girl to my bedroom and laid her on the bed before I looked at her neck. It looked like the creature hadn’t actually bitten her. She probably fainted from the exertion of fighting for her life while being so malnourished.“Help me heal her wounds. I want you to monitor her and tell me when she wakes up.”She’s dirty. We should clean her, too.“There’s only primitive indoor plumbing in this cabin. I don’t even have a water heater. I have to heat all my water on the fuсking stove. Plus, I think it would be worse if she woke up with us cleaning her,” I told my darkness.Do it without water and soap. I can clean her.“Fine, do it.”My darkness poured out of me and covered the girl. It didn’t seem to be interested in hurting her, so I let it do what it wanted. After a few moments, it receded.She was clean and her hair wasn’t matted any longer. Even the clothing she wore was clean. I nodded as I examined her, then pulled an extra blanket out of the chest at the foot of the bed and covered her.I waved a hand over her. Some sleep would be nice, and I wanted to make sure she didn’t wander off and get lost in the woods. I grabbed a second blanket and went to sleep on the couch. I only needed a couple of hours, then I would be more than willing to wake up and make her something to eat.Taking off all the leather I was wearing, I stopped to look at the blood-infused drool from that creature on the shoulder of my jacket. With a sigh, I took it to the kitchen and used a clean cloth, soap, and water to get the stuff off of it. At least I had used the sleeker leather instead of a more porous leather.After setting my more restricting clothing to the side, I laid out on the couch and covered up with the blanket. At least I had the foresight to get a comfortable couch once they started making them. Though it appeared sleep would not happen for me.My darkness buzzed about while I rested. It was distracting, and I merely ended up laying down with my eyes closed for two hours. I frowned as I opened my eyes, feeling my darkness pulling back as the sun came up.“You are the most tedious and annoying body mate in the entire world,” I grumbled as I got up.And you’re the most ungrateful and irritating host in the universe. Why can’t you be like that vampire we fought last night and merely be my tool?“Because you wouldn’t have any fun if I did that. Time to go to the store. I’ll get dressed and we can head out.”It’d be a lot funnier if you went out only in your shorts and shirt.“If you do that, then I won’t take part in anything amusing for two weeks. I’ll just let you get bored. You can complain all you want. I’ve been listening to your bitсhing for centuries.”Fine. At least mess with things a little while you’re there.“Of course,” I replied as I started dressing in the clothing I’d worn last night. “Could you clean me up a bit? My clothes smell like that thing.”The darkness swirled around me and the scent gradually went away. I double checked that it didn’t take away any part of my clothing with the dirt and the stink. When I was ready, I used the shadows to travel to the grocery store.Normally, I went when they were closed to get the things I needed. It was simple enough to obscure myself from the cameras and take the foods and items I wanted. Being a warlock didn’t mean I made money like a vampire did, and I had very little to start out with.I had built my home using magic and the materials in the forest. If I ever left it for too long, it would collapse. Perhaps that wasn’t the best place to raise a child.Pondering that, I walked around the store with a small basket in hand and touched the items I wanted, sending them home. While I was there, I switched the insides of cantaloupes with the insides of honeydew melons. I was careful not to do anything that might harm a person, but a lot of things that would disappoint them or inconvenience them.The darkness got a kick out of minor acts of chaos as much as it did from major acts. I changed around the cereal inside boxes after picking a few for the girl. Turned all the canned green beans into creamed corn. I never liked green beans. Though I never liked creamed corn, either. So I turned those into carrots.After a fairly successful shopping trip, I picked up a couple of candy bars and went to the checkout with them. There was a cute girl working the register. When she looked up at me, I winked and gave her a smile.Her eyes widened as she took in my attire. “D-did you find everything okay?”“I found everything here to be quite… appetizing… but these little sweet things will have to sate my cravings,” I purred.She blushed and gave me my total. I handed her my money and my fingers brushed her palm. Ah, she was a witch. That was why she was reacting so amusingly.“Don’t worry, little witch. I won’t tell your coven leader about this if you don’t,” I whispered.“About what? I was doing my job. I didn’t do anything,” she hissed back.I looked into her eyes and smiled. “Oh, but you thought about it. And you’re still thinking about it. I can practically see it. You are a dirty little witch, aren’t you?” I chuckled intimately.Her eyes teared up slightly as she turned an even deeper shade of red. I loved when I was right. Of course, some young women were easier to read than more experienced women. They gave away whenever a person even got close to their thoughts.She was startled back to her job when the drawer to the cash register bumped her and she shook herself before getting my change. The girl was careful not to touch me as she handed my money to me. I put it into my pocket and picked up my candy before leaning in a little.“You know who and what I am. If you’re ever feeling lonely, just speak my name and I’ll come for you, then you can сum for me,” I told her before leaving the store.After weeks of Harmony rebuffing every attempt at flirting, it was nice to have a woman react properly. The witch probably wouldn’t call on me, but I knew I would occupy her mind for a while and she would whisper her secret to her friends.  Once I was out of the store, I walked over to the shady side of it. Traveling by shadows was bothersome in the light of day and the higher the sun was, the more difficult it was.Arriving home, I started putting the groceries away. I had an icebox that I had been keeping in fairly good condition since the late 1800s. It never needed ice. I just cast some cold magic inside, and it kept things cool and fresh. Each time I redid the spell, I would make sure one side was colder than the other, so I could enjoy frozen treats as well.I made some fruit, eggs, and toast for the girl in my bed, then realized I didn’t have a tray for carrying food. Quickly, I popped into Victor’s kitchen and took one. I’d return it once I didn’t need it anymore. I poured the girl some orange juice and milk.It wasn’t anything like what I used to eat for breakfast when I was young, but things had changed a lot since then. I’d seen pictures and such that described breakfasts now. They were no longer a simple piece of bread with butter and sage or jam or an overnight porridge and a small ale.Not that I had a problem with it. As time went on, people were making foods that were enjoyable to eat. There were a lot of things we did like to eat, but most of our meals would consist of things that were intended only to fill our stomachs and not lighten our hearts. Candy bars were one of my favorite new inventions when it came to food.I put a bar of chocolate on the tray and carried it into my room. I’d been notified of the girl waking by my magic, and her panicked gasp when she realized she couldn’t move her legs. Like I said, I didn’t want her getting lost.“Good morning. I’ve brought you breakfast,” I told her as I entered the room.She stared at me with wide eyes and started shaking. That was no way to treat someone who let you sleep in their bed and brought you food. Something wriggled in the back of my mind. Was there something strange about her?No, this was normal. She was afraid. Sometimes I forgot about things like how fear is in people who can’t protect themselves.“My name is Rhett. There was a monster attacking you. I saved you and brought you to my home. I won’t hurt you,” I told her as I moved closer with her food.The girl shook her head.“You don’t want to eat? You look like you haven’t eaten anything in a while. Are you worried because you can’t move your legs?” I asked.Her lips quivered, and she nodded. I frowned. She wasn’t going to talk to me. I picked up the candy bar from the tray and tossed it into her lap before turning and leaving the room. That, at least, she could trust. I’d returned when she was a little calmer.I needed help. Harmony and Echo were the best options, but they would try to get me to give up the girl and Echo could simply take her from me. That wouldn’t work. Everyone would try to take her from me if they found out she was here. There wasn’t a good option.Setting the tray down, I paced in the kitchen. I couldn’t affect people’s minds with my magic. I couldn’t make her like me.This was bothersome. I was better with women who were women, not children. How did someone earn the trust of a frightened child?Going back to the room, I saw the girl was still shaking, but had eaten the candy bar. I stepped inside and she looked up at me with tear-filled eyes. For a moment, I was certain I saw something in her eyes.“I can bring back the other food and you can eat. You hit the wall pretty hard when the monster tossed you. I think your nerves are just stunned after that. Can you tell me your name?” I asked.She shook her head, keeping her mouth closed. Was she mute? I didn’t think she would be so frightened she couldn’t speak.I retrieved the tray and brought it to her, setting it on her lap before stepping away and leaving the room. Now that she was awake, something was bothering me. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. You’re feeling what I do. She’s not right.“Yes, I feel it. She’s something else. Not something I remember ever encountering.”Shall I go see what I find inside her? Perhaps she is playing host like you are.“I think that might be a good idea,” I replied.Whatever she was, I’d made a mistake by bringing her into my home. I shrugged as I opened my candy bar and leaned against the counter to eat. At least she couldn’t just walk around.