(From Demetrius's Perspective)

I was amused by the girl's embarrassment at uttering a lot of things all at once. I was quite taken aback by the way she spoke. She had read a lot of books and learned a lot, and she wanted to share that with others, but she was not sure if others would like to hear that.

She was afraid of me; I could sense that. I could not do anything about it, at least not yet. But I was determined to make her feel better. Her tiny hand shook slightly in mine. She was looking away, possibly because she thought I had become angry because of...