Chapter 18: The Human Disease

It started like any other morning, except for one small detail: Briar felt… off. A strange, unfamiliar sensation stirred in her chest as she groggily opened her eyes to the blinding sunlight streaming through the window. The air felt too thick, the room seemed too warm, and her head—oh, her head was pounding like a drum.

Briar groaned, clutching her forehead. This wasn't a usual case of demon fatigue or magical energy running low. This was… different. Her throat burned, her body ached, and she felt like she was being weighed down by an invisible force. A sense of dread settled in her stomach.

"Oh no," she muttered, groaning again. "What is this feeling?"

Briar staggered out of bed, a bit wobbly on her feet, and made her way to the bathroom. Her reflection in the mirror confirmed what she was already fearing: her skin looked pale, her eyes slightly bloodshot. This couldn’t be good.

She tried to summon her usual, demonic powers, but they seemed… off. Sluggish. Like a slow drain of power, barely a trickle.

"Okay, this is... bad."

She had heard humans talk about this. They called it a “cold.” She didn’t quite understand the concept, but it sounded like something she needed to avoid. Unfortunately, she was now experiencing it, and it felt like a personal betrayal from the mortal realm.

Briar groaned again and shuffled back to the bedroom, hoping it would just pass. But as she laid back down on the bed, the sickness only seemed to intensify. Her demon resilience wasn’t enough to keep it at bay, and she was left feeling more miserable by the second.

Cassie was just finishing up her morning routine when she heard the unmistakable sound of Briar’s groaning from the bedroom. Frowning, she left the kitchen and knocked lightly on the door before stepping in.

"Briar? You okay in here?" Cassie’s voice was gentle, concerned.

Briar lay under the covers, her tail flicking weakly. "I don’t feel good. My head hurts, my throat’s on fire, and I feel like I’m dying…"

Cassie raised an eyebrow. “Dying? Really? That sounds dramatic, even for you.”

“No, seriously,” Briar croaked, struggling to sit up. “Something’s wrong. I think I caught… the human sickness.” She practically hissed the last words. The idea of being “sick” was humiliating for a demon like her. She was supposed to be powerful, indestructible, untouchable. Not stuck in bed with a cold.

Cassie’s eyes softened with understanding, and she sat down on the bed next to her. “Okay, no worries. I’ll take care of you. Just relax.”

Briar looked at Cassie with a mix of embarrassment and something softer that she didn’t want to admit was there. “I don’t need your help. I can—"

“You can’t even summon your powers right now,” Cassie interrupted with a smile, leaning over and ruffling Briar’s hair. “Let me help you.”

Briar huffed but couldn't deny the warmth she felt in her chest at Cassie’s kindness. Reluctantly, she let Cassie take charge, even though her pride screamed in protest.

Cassie wasted no time. She pulled out a thermos of hot tea from the kitchen, and with a mixture of concern and amusement, she helped Briar sit up and sip it. Briar, despite her earlier protests, took a tentative sip. The warmth of the tea was soothing, and it helped ease the pain in her throat, if only for a moment.

Briar couldn’t help but sigh in relief, her tail flicking in contentment. “This is... better than I expected.”

Cassie smiled and leaned back in the chair next to the bed, crossing her arms. “Told you. I’m great at this kind of thing.”

Briar gave her a skeptical look. “What, taking care of sick demons?”

“Yep. That’s my specialty.” Cassie’s grin widened.

Briar muttered something under her breath, but she didn’t have the energy to argue. Her body ached in ways she didn’t know were possible, and all she wanted to do was fall back asleep. “I just want this to go away.”

“Well, it might take a little while,” Cassie said with a small shrug. “But I’ll be right here. You’re not getting out of my sight. I’m going to make sure you’re okay.”

Despite Cassie’s insistence, Briar didn’t want to admit that she needed help. So, a few minutes later, she attempted to get out of bed on her own.

“Where are you going?” Cassie called, raising an eyebrow as she watched Briar weakly pull herself out of bed.

“I’m fine,” Briar insisted, stumbling slightly. “I just need to stretch my legs.”

Cassie followed her closely, making sure to catch Briar when she nearly tripped over her own tail. “Uh, no. I’m not letting you wander around like this. You’re obviously in no shape to go anywhere.”

“I’m not—” Briar started to protest, but the dizziness hit her again. She slumped back against Cassie, her body feeling like it was made of lead.

Cassie sighed. “You’re clearly not okay. Let’s get you back to bed.”

Briar allowed herself to be guided back to bed without further complaint. Her tail, which usually had a mind of its own, drooped limply against the sheets. “I hate this,” she muttered, pulling the blankets around her.

Cassie sat beside her, brushing a strand of hair from Briar’s forehead. “I know. But you’ve got me. So, you’re stuck with me.”

Briar groaned dramatically, flopping onto her back. “I’ll never live this down, will I?”

Cassie chuckled. “Nope. But I’ll make sure to keep it cute, so it’s not too embarrassing for you.” She leaned over and kissed Briar’s forehead lightly, just the way Briar liked, and winked. “You just rest. I’ll handle everything else.”

Briar, still too stubborn to admit it fully, found herself sinking into the bed with a soft sigh. Cassie was so good at this—so patient, so caring. Maybe, just maybe, it wasn’t so bad to let her take care of her.

As the hours passed, Cassie kept her promise. She made sure Briar had plenty of fluids, blankets, and rest. When Briar couldn’t sleep, Cassie read to her from a book, her voice soft and soothing.

Briar tried to stay strong, to push through, but she couldn’t stop the warmth that flooded her chest each time Cassie looked at her with that soft, concerned expression. For the first time since she’d arrived in the mortal realm, Briar wasn’t just a demon with a contract. She was something more.

And maybe—just maybe—this human sickness wasn’t the worst thing that had ever happened to her.

By the next day, Briar was feeling a little better, though still not completely recovered. She sat up in bed, her head resting against the headboard, still a bit groggy but not nearly as sick as before. Cassie was busy making breakfast in the kitchen, and Briar could smell the delicious scent of something cooking.

When Cassie returned to the room with a tray of food, Briar looked up at her. “I guess… thank you.”

Cassie smiled softly. “For what?”

“For taking care of me. I didn’t think I’d ever need someone to… you know… help me like that. But I’m kind of glad you did.”

Cassie set the tray down on Briar’s lap and gave her a playful wink. “You’re welcome, my chaotic demon. Now, eat your breakfast, and don’t try to get up again until you’re actually better.”

Briar chuckled and took a bite of the food, feeling more grateful than she ever could’ve expected.

Maybe, just maybe, being taken care of wasn’t as bad as she thought.