Free TheWardersDemon by Viola Grace Page A

and watched the humans around her twist and mill together.
    She had lived in the human world her entire life with only short forays to Realm for family functions.
    Her father and uncle worked for her grandfather designing and crafting custom jewellery. Both her father and uncle had engaged in humanizing alterations to make them look less like the goblins that they were, but her grandfather’s dwarf nature was socially acceptable in the human world. He just couldn’t run around lifting over five hundred pounds and everything was fine.
    The last time she had been to Realm, her grandmother had started muttering about finding a husband for her and it had only been when her cousin, Asha, reminded their single-minded grandmother that as Warders, they had to mix with a new race every generation and she quieted.
    As Elhara sipped her drink and was lost in thoughts of family, a shadow approached her from her right side.
    “Good evening, miss. What is a lovely and charming creature like you doing alone?”
    She turned to face her admirer from earlier. He was smiling, showing white, even teeth.
    “I am sitting here and thinking.”
    He raised a brow. “You can think in all this?”
    The noise pounded, people jostled tables and the occasional shouting fight broke out. Her personal wards kept it all out. She could hear it but only as background noise. “Of course. Can’t you?”
    Her lips quirked in a smile and he reached out to touch her hand.
    The moment he made contact, two things happened. The first was that he shifted from tanned to red with burning black eyes. The second was that her wards thickened into a physical presence instead of a static field.
    He immediately released her, looking at his tanned hand in shock as he resumed his previous appearance.
    Elhara grabbed her purse. “Please excuse me. I have to go.” She got to her feet and made a beeline for the door without looking back.
    A demon. She had run into a demon in her local bar. What were the odds that another paranormal would be hunting in this area?
    She walked quickly to her car and fumbled with the keys. In the window of her vehicle, she saw the male from the bar closing in on her. He was red with black eyes and hair in the reflection, but when she whirled to confront him, he was the human aspect.
    “Why are you following me?”
    He looked her up and down. “What are you?”
    She glared at him. “I believe that that is my question and I asked a question first.”
    The moonlight lit on his dark hair, coating it in silver. He cocked his head. “My name is Solar.”
    She gathered from his waiting posture that he wanted an answer to his question. “Elhara Warder.”
    Her name was explanation enough. Every paranormal creature in Realm knew what a Warder was and several considered them the lowest form of talent. With only one trick in their arsenal, it was up to the Warder to create barriers between or around anything. The form depended on their personal proclivities, but the result was the same. No one was getting to a Warder with her guard up.
    He inclined his head in acknowledgement. “Thank you, Madam Warder. It explains much about your effect on me.”
    “What are you, sir?”
    He smiled, “A mere demon. Your humble servant.”
    “You are not a normal demon. Most of them don’t go hunting in the human world.” She sorted her keys and got her car key ready again.
    “And most Warders are with family or friends at all times. Where did your companion go?” He leaned on her car and grinned becomingly.
    She crossed her arms and strengthened her personal ward to several inches thick. She ignored his question and lifted her jaw.
    “So, that line of questions is off the table. What are you doing tomorrow for lunch?”
    She swallowed. “Are you asking me for a date?”
    His grin was answer enough, but he filled in the blanks. “Yes. Yes, I am asking you on a date, Elhara. I thought lunch would be better than something at night.”
    She stared at him,