“Why not? I am a demonic practitioner. I lost control over one of those creatures. I could have killed you.” She tipped her head, narrowing her eyes as she searched his face. “But you didn’t,” she said. Her fingers still pressed against his face between the fabric of her páo, and he held very still, afraid one move would drive away her touch. “You’re Zen. You saved my life, many times over. You taught me practitioning, you gave me the chance to fight back. I was afraid of your demon but never of you.”
