Willow's Point of View

  The Demon Lord had been gone for days, and Dain hadn't come back yet either, so it was just me and Inkheart brainstorming nonstop. I glanced at the pen, who was scribbling away about a plan for how the Demon Lord could seduce the hero as the final big plot twist. Inkheart was wonderful to talk to, but not really that helpful when it came to outlining a reasonable ending to this story. I mean, that would be a mind-blowing plot twist, but it hadn't been foreshadowed at all throughout the rest of the series, so there was no way I could win the competition with it.

  Readers were expecting the hero to kill the Demon Lord, not romance him. Whatever ending I chose had to honor that, either by fulfilling it or circumventing it somehow. I just couldn't see how though. I wanted to save the Demon Lord, but the more I brainstormed, the less I thought it was possible. Sure, there might be another villain of the story, but none of our suspects had any more or less reason than any of the others. Nobody stood out.

  Except the Demon Lord. He was the obvious choice.

  So why did I so badly want to change that?

  I sprawled out on the floor in front of the fireplace and closed my burning eyes. We'd been at this for hours, going in circles trying to find a way to end this story that readers would love as much as the Demon Lord, but it just wasn't possible. Either I was missing something big, or this story really was supposed to end with him losing. It might be the classic tale of a hero defeating the Demon Lord and saving the world. Maybe it was time to accept that and move on.

  If I didn't do something soon, I'd have nothing to submit when the deadline came. Gran would stubbornly use it as a reason not to retire, saying I hadn't really made a good attempt, and the Demon Lord would be disappointed too. I had to submit something. Anything. I just had to put words on the page!

  I groaned, curling up in a ball and hugging my knees to my chest. Why was writing so hard? No matter what I did, somebody was going to hate it. What was the point then? I wished I could just go back to our apothecary shop and forget about all of this. I was an apothecary, not a writer. Maybe that note from the story gods had been a warning that writing just wasn't for me.

  Something fuzzy brushed against my arms as Cinder nosed me, trying to hop up. I opened my arms enough for the bunny to fit and we sat there together, snuggled up by the fire, trying not to wallow in my misery. Cinder's ears flopped around as she tried to find a comfortable position to sit. I smiled for the first time in what felt like a while and pet her silky fur.

  "It'll be okay," I whispered to the bunny as I closed my eyes again to get some rest.

  "Sleeping on the job, huh?"

  I peeked over at the door to find the Demon Lord standing there, smirking at me. Of course he'd come back now, when I was in the middle of a depressing spiral of emotions and just wanting to sleep it off. I rolled back over. Maybe he'd go away if I ignored him.

  The sound of footsteps moving into the room shattered that hope. I sighed and turned towards him. "You're back, huh? What did you find out?"

  His forehead creased. "How did you go from happy as can be in a bunny cafe to a depressing puddle of goo on the floor?"

  "A depressing puddle of goo, really?" I sat up just enough to throw my pillow at him. He sidestepped it elegantly, which frustrated me even more. He was the reason I was in this mess. If he wasn't so damned nice, then I could kill him off at the end of the book and be done with it. "Just tell me what Nyssa said. Am I getting out of here or what?"

  He slowly picked up the pillow I'd thrown, handing it to me with his own depressed look that told me everything I needed to know. Nyssa still had no idea how to get me out of this book.

  "Okay, so how's Gran then?" I sat up, repositioning Cinder in my lap. "Did she hire somebody to help her?"

  "Sort of? I offered to help whenever she needed."

  "Wait, what?" My mouth dropped open, trying to picture the Demon Lord mixing potions and remedies, but it just wasn't clicking in my mind. "Why would you do that?"

  "Because she's a nice woman and it'll let you focus on writing without worrying about her." The Demon Lord glanced around the room, probably taking in how much of a disaster it was from the books thrown all over to the many, many sheets of paper that had somehow ended up everywhere. He stopped at the murder board of suspects. "Hmmm....what's this for?"

  "Dain was trying to convince me that you're actually the hero of the story, so I tried to find somebody else to be the villain. It didn't really work out though." I sighed, petting Cinder. "I'll keep thinking on it. I want you to have the good ending you deserve."

  His eyes widened as he turned to me. "Is that why you look so miserable? You've been trying to think of a good ending for me?"

  I bit my lip, nodding. "It was worth a try at least."

  "Oh Willow." He walked over and offered me his hand. "Let's get out of here and take your mind off this for a while. You don't need to worry so much about me. Just make sure my ending is glorious, that's all I ask. I know I'm the villain and I know I'm probably going to get killed off. I'm fine with that. Just write what you need to write."

  I stared at his outstretched hand. He was giving me an out here, letting me write what the readers expected, but was that really the best ending? It still felt like there was something missing...

  The Demon Lord lowered his hand a bit more, reaching out to me. I sighed and took it. No matter how I ended this story, it wasn't going to get worked out tonight, so taking a break did sound nice. I'd never actually spent so much time just thinking about a story before. I was always working on something for the shop and letting my mind puzzle out my story problems in the background. Maybe that's what I needed. Something to keep my hands busy.

  "Where are we going?" I asked.

  "Anywhere you want." He smiled softly, his hand still wrapped around mine. "You don't belong locked up in this castle. What would make you happiest right now?"

  Butterflies danced in my stomach as his thumb brushed against my wrist. Something had changed with him while he was gone. He was getting close to my Gran and now holding my hand. It was all so...unlike him.

  I tugged my hand away, smiling awkwardly. "Ummm, somewhere I can pick herbs and get my hands dirty?"

  His slow grin made my stomach flip. "I know just the place. There's a giant garden that the apothecaries of this world use that's overflowing with magic. Apparently, the plants glow with demonic energy and it's a beautiful sight. I bet we can even find a small section where you can garden to your heart's content while you're here."

  Inkheart flew into my line of sight, distracting me from the sudden warmth spreading through me.

  A garden full of glowing plants and a section just for you? Tell me again how you don't think the Demon Lord could seduce anyone...

  "Oh, shut up." I waved the pen away, my face feeling like it was on fire. "Let's get going then."

  I stormed out of the room, having no idea how to get to this garden, but needing a moment to cool off. Was the Demon Lord always that smooth or had I just missed him the past few days? Whatever it was, this warm feeling in my chest had to go. I was not interested in romance, especially not with the Demon Lord. This was work, nothing more.

  "How'd you find out about this garden anyway?" I asked, moving quickly through the halls of his castle. More lights were burning than usual and the temperature was a little warmer too, like the chill had gone from the place. "Did somebody in town tell you about it?"

  "Yes, I asked around before coming to find you." His voice was muffled behind me. "The cracks are gone..."

  "What?" I turned around as he ran a hand along the walls that used to be full of cracks and fuzzy spots. Now they were solid and smooth, with bright sconces and tapestries lining the walls. "More of Misty's magic?"

  "I don't know." We stood there for a while in silence until he seemed to snap out of it and smiled at me. "Let's get going."

  "Are you sure?"

  He nodded, nudging me forward. "I want you to see the gardens before it's dark out. No point wasting time staring at a wall."

  Except it was a wall that had changed completely since the first time I saw it. Whether it was Misty's magic or something else, this castle was definitely changing for the better. It felt warmer, more like a home than a prison. I followed the Demon Lord, smiling. Hopefully his home would keep getting nicer so it wouldn't be so sad picturing him here all alone once I went back to the real world. He deserved a cozy place to call his own, just like everyone else.

  The air was cool as we stepped outside, and the sun was already on its way back to the horizon. We'd only have a few hours before it was dark, so I quickened my pace. If these gardens were as cool as he'd described, I definitely wanted to see them. Gran would want to know every single detail.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  The Demon Lord led me away from the city to the edge of the forest behind his castle where a sprawling garden laid before us. Magic hung in the air like moisture on a humid day, clinging to my skin and tingling down my throat as I breathed it in. It was a rush, my head spinning from the amount of magic pulsing in the air.

  "Whoa." I reached my hand out to steady myself against a tree. "That's some intense magic." Before the Demon Lord could fret too much, I waved my hand at him. "I'm fine. Just needed a moment to adjust. Let's head inside."

  His gaze roved over me, as if trying to decide if I was telling the truth or not. I gnawed my lip and pushed past him as the magic settled against my skin, invigorating me. If just being in the garden felt this powerful, I could only imagine what making medications with these plants would do. The Demon Lord hadn't been kidding, they were literally steeped in magic, glowing with a faint purple light that I'd come to identify with demon magic. It was beautiful. So many plants filled to the brim with magic and I didn't even recognize half of them.

  Excitement rushed through me. This was like when I'd first started helping Gran and everything was a new and wonderful discovery. From giant flowers that towered over me to delicate herbs swaying in the wind, it was all so bright and full of life. I wanted to learn every plant in this garden and figure out how they could help people and how to tend to them properly. That was my job as an apothecary, keeping the plants and people around me healthy.

  The sweet scent of the flowers mixed with the brightness of the herbs and the earthy scent of fresh soil being tilled. I closed my eyes, breathing it in. Even though we were inside a book, literally standing in a demon's garden, I felt so very much at home.

  This was something I was actually good at! Unlike the agonizing days I'd spent trying to write, the moment I stepped in a garden, my entire body relaxed. I wouldn't be surprised if Gran called out asking if I wanted some tea or if the bell above our shop door chimed, welcoming in a new customer. This was where I belonged, with my feet in the dirt and my hands full of plants.

  "I missed that look." The Demon Lord's voice was low and closer than I'd expected.

  I opened my eyes to find him smiling at me as if he was watching a flower bloom or a mossmew play in the lavender pots. Heat rose to my cheeks as I turned away from him. Honestly, what happened while he was outside of the book? He seemed more intense somehow, or maybe more open or comfortable. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but something was definitely different.

  "Tell me more about the library and Gran." I stared up at the sky as a bird with a long tail of fire flew overhead, its wings bright in the darkening sky. I'd never seen a phoenix before, but it was a sight to behold! I'd heard their tears could heal most wounds and a single feather could warm a family's house all winter. "It's beautiful."

  The Demon Lord laughed. "You look like a kid in a candy store. This was definitely the right place to visit."

  I put my hand over my chest, my heart beating so fast as the magic of this garden overtook me again. It wasn't just the physical magic in the air, but the magic of all the creatures and plants thriving here when the rest of the world in this book was trying to keep them down. It was almost too much to take in and made me even more sure that this final book had to end in a surprising way. There were just too many beautiful and miraculous things in this village to have it end in bloodshed.

  As we walked, the Demon Lord filled me in on his trip to the normal world. "Something's going on with the library, it's growing bigger every day with new rooms and strange things. Not that you'd know based on how those knights and dragons were acting. They were literally flying on books, chasing each other around the library." He scoffed, but his lips betrayed him with a hint of a smile. "The purple dragon won, of course. He always does."

  "That's the one who follows you around, right?" And perched on his horns, which he pretended to hate. I was starting to see through that grumpy exterior though, because he looked pretty proud as he nodded. "Well, I'm glad you got to visit them for a bit. What about Gran?"

  "Well, I know where you got your stubborn intensity from now. She had me working before I even knew what was going on. Planted me in a chair and told me to assemble hand warmers." His laugh was warm as he leaned against a tree to give me time as I paused to examine another plant. "Sounds like she chased off the apprentice you had in mind for her, but she's doing okay. She just seemed worried about you."

  I winced. "You told her I was stuck in a book?"

  "Well, yeah, but she was fine with that part. Happy actually." He crossed his arms, watching me closely. "She said it would be good for you to be stuck in one place for a while, so you'd have no choice but to follow your dreams."

  "Sounds like her." I shook my head, standing up and brushing the dirt off my hands. "Only she'd be happy her granddaughter was stuck in a book."

  And maybe she'd even believe that I'd done my best, whether I won this competition or not. I let out a breath. No, she'd probably say I got distracted by all the cool things inside the book. She'd only be convinced if I succeeded and still chose the apothecary shop. That was my best shot at making her understand, but I was running out of time. Writing a book didn't just happen overnight like magic. It took time and a lot of effort.

  "What's bothering you?" The Demon Lord asked. "People will call you grumpy if you keep looking like that."

  "I guess you'd know." When he smiled, I sat down on the ground, inhaling the wonderfully earthy scents filling the air. "I just want Gran to take care of herself and the only way I can do that is to finish this book. We made a deal that she'd retire if I gave it my all and still wanted to be an apothecary, but I'm worried I won't have anything to turn in by the deadline. I can't seem to figure out where the author wanted this series to go or how to end it in a way everyone enjoys."

  I traced my finger along the ground, drawing faint lines in the dirt. It was damp as if somebody had watered the herbs recently, but I didn't see any other apothecaries around. Ever since we entered, it had just been the Demon Lord and me. He was hoping I'd finish this book even more than Gran because this wasn't just a story to him, it was his life. The longer I took figuring this out, the more risky his ending became.

  "Do you ever think about finding another writer?" I asked softly. "You know, somebody with more experience who can finish your last book in record time. I'm just not sure I can handle it. I'm an apothecary, not a writer."

  After a few very quiet moments where I stayed extremely focused on the circles I was drawing in the dirt, the Demon Lord sat down next to me as if we were around a campfire, cross-legged and in the dirt. His billowy robes were getting muddy, but he just put his hand over mine to still my fingers.

  "Why do you think you can't be both?" His gaze was soft and kind, full of genuine curiosity. "Your Gran mentioned that too, that you thought you had to be one or the other, but I just don't get it. You could work as an apothecary during the day and write at night."

  "But there's so much work to get done." I shook my head, enjoying the feel of his hand on mine a little too much. All these casual touches were getting too familiar, too nice. "The shop doesn't stop running when we close. We need to water the garden, go out and pick herbs on the mountain, prepare ingredients for the next morning, and so much more. It's already a full day's work, so I can't even imagine writing on top of it. Not after Gran retires."

  "Why not hire somebody?" He tilted his head, his hair falling softly over his shoulder. "Isn't that what you wanted your Gran to do? If it would work for her, why not you?"

  "It's not that simple."

  "Why not?"

  I glared at him. "Did Gran ask you to interrogate me or what? It's not that simple because hiring somebody means trusting them with my family's business and not just in a temporary way while Gran's busy. They'd represent our shop, so if they screwed up that would reflect badly on my family's reputation. On Gran." Which had already happened once, when my grandparents were desperate for help after my parents had passed away, and I wouldn't let it happen again. I stood up, brushing my pants off. "I'm the only one I trust running that place besides her. What if somebody burned the shop down while I went out on a break?"

  The Demon Lord winced. "I did set something on fire today..."

  "See!" I blinked. "Wait, you did what?"

  "It was just a tiny flame." He stood up, shaking his robes out. "No need to worry."

  "That makes me worry even more." I pinned him with a stern look. "How did you almost set my shop on fire on your first day? And why did Gran agree to let you come back?"

  He shrugged. "I think she likes me. Or more accurately, she likes me around you."

  My mouth dropped open. "She said that?"

  "Sort of. She thinks I'm a good influence." The Demon Lord grinned.

  The back of my neck burned with embarrassment over the conversation they must have had without me. Honestly, Gran was not to be trusted around guests. Especially not attractive guests she thought she could set me up with. Was this some kind of payback for me trying to make her retire?

  "Fine," I ground out. "What would you do if you weren't the Demon Lord?"

  "That's different. I don't have a choice, but you do." He stepped closer, the warmth of his body filling the air between us. "You can be anything you want and yet you're determined to limit yourself. If I had your freedom, I'd shoot for the moon and try to get everything I ever wanted."

  "Everything you want, huh?" I felt myself leaning closer as his magic sparked against my skin. Or maybe that was the garden's magic, pulling me toward the demon towering over me. "And what is it that you really want? You say you want a good ending, but a glorious death definitely isn't it. You deserve to be happy."

  "See? That's why it has to be you, no other writer will work for me." His eyes sparkled as his shadows curled around me. "You're the only one I trust to write my ending."

  The magic in the air thickened, taking my breath away as I stared up at the gorgeous demon standing mere inches away from me. He not only believed I could write well, but he believed I could give him everything he ever wanted: a happy ending. That sincerity and intense belief was a little overwhelming. The sky darkened as he leaned down, his shadows blotting out the setting sun. His hair fell forward, brushing against my shoulders as he pressed his lips against mine so softly that I almost thought I was imagining it. A whisper of a kiss before he pulled away.

  My lips tingled as heat rose through me. I reached for him, but right before I wrapped my arms around his neck to pull him closer and show him what a real kiss felt like, I froze, arms awkwardly hanging in the air as he stared at me. All the heat I'd been feeling flooded my cheeks as I stumbled back, staring at the herbs instead of his face. His oh so dark and handsome face.

  "What was that?" I asked. "Did you just..." I tried to shake the memory of his lips on mine out of my head, but it was no use. It had felt too good, unlocking something inside me that I'd been trying so hard to ignore. I was too busy for romance and the inevitable pain that followed when it didn’t work out. I had to take a step back and focus on what was important right now. "I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong idea. With us writing the book together and me taking over the apothecary shop soon, I just don't have time for romance right now. I'm sorry."

  "Romance?" His eyes widened. "What? No. That was a friendly kiss, one of trust and companionship. Nothing weird or romantic about that at all." He scratched the back of his horns, glancing away just as pointedly as I was. "Don't humans do something similar?"

  "Uhhh, no." I laughed awkwardly, going along with whatever he was talking about so we could get back to a normal conversation. "But thanks! I'm glad you trust me to write your story. I'll keep working hard for sure. Now can you tell me more about these gardens?"

  He blinked, his shoulders tight as I rambled, but he just took off toward the sound of people talking. I followed behind him, my fingers drifting to my lips more than once. The Demon Lord had kissed me and no matter how much he said it was a friendly kiss, it felt like more. Or maybe I wanted it to be more.

  One kiss and I was suddenly completely distracted. Imagine what would happen if I let myself do more than that. No. I barely had any time to finish this book and I couldn't waste a moment of it on these feelings, not when I wasn't even sure what would happen to him when his book series ended. We needed more time and more information. I had to stay strong here and focus on work.

  Even if my heart was still beating faster and my palms were sweaty. I did not have time for it.