Chapter Nine: Tark, What Did You Do?!

Tark stared into space, drool coming out the corner of his mouth.

"Tark! Your damn Penny Lee is the Devil!" I shouted. "What the hell, man?! You've been with her for twenty years and never noticed?!"

"You better shut that mouth before I rip off your jaw," Penny Lee warned.

Hekin grabbed me by the shoulders. "Calm down, all right? She's on our side."

I almost pulled out my hair. "Oh, hell no! I'm out, man! Damn she-devil in the damn backyard! That's too much for me!" She could hinder my plans of world domination with her powerful magic. To put it in perspective, I'm as strong as a mouse, and she could crush me with magic that rivaled the power of one hundred stars.

From the time I spent as her student, I learned her punishments were worse than one hundred floors of hell. I endured because I wanted that power. For thousands of years, my brothers and I followed her tutelage. Then, one day, she was gone.

I decided to explore the world that she deemed off limits. It was easy for me to blend into the shadows of forests across the globe. That's when I met Alaris hiking in these very woods. She was pregnant and wary of me at first. Her lover hadn't returned to their cottage, and she was devastated. She was searching for him to return home. The forest spirits I summoned spoke with us and notified about his untimely demise. They identified the culprits, three witches that worshiped a rotting goat on a bed of black roses. They had sacrificed Alaris' lover to gain favor and powers with the Prince of Darkness, Noforl. I was surprised when she told me the names of my brothers to help avenge her. How did she come across such information? Was that why Noforl wanted her dead?

I should've stayed that night and paid heed to the forest spirits that grew restless. They insisted that the witches were on the move with Noforl. I had offered to gather what was left of her lover, a spot deep in the woods. When I returned, Alaris had been slain, her body tortured, drained of blood, and her unborn child stabbed in the heart.

Who could do such a thing? What madness drove a coven of witches to follow Noforl's orders?

The bones of her lover slipped from my claws when I discovered her mutilated corpse. The thud echoed in the quiet cottage. I felt frozen in place as true anger gathered in my heart. It was then that her lover spoke to me.

"Bury us together, friend. I owe you my gratitude for helping her find a semblance of peace."

I wept as their spirits danced in each other's arms, beneath the crimson glow of the moon that cradled their graves. He didn't know that I grew to love her. I wanted to help raise her child and dance with her until the end of time. She was the last angel, and the final vestiges of my caring heart went with her.

"Yellow-bellied pussy!" Penny Lee hissed.

I froze at the patio steps and glared at her. "What did you just say?"

"I called you a yellow-bellied pussy!" she reiterated. "Get Tark killed and I'll ride your ass with pineapples til kingdom come!"

I growled at her before sitting on the steps. "What's the deal with you and Tark?"

"That's between him and me," she responded, flexing her claws. "Keep out of it, Aeklith."

That was a direct order. My spine straightened at the mention of my name.

"Aha!" Hekin blasted as he pointed at me. "I know your real name, now, bastard!"

"Welcome to the name club, dumbass! You're awfully late as hell!" I shot back.

Penny Lee growled her discontent, and Hekin and I stiffened at the sound of it.

"Bring Tark back inside," she demanded. "It's lunchtime."

The table was quiet as the clink of silverware echoed in the room.

Tark was eating venison, a rare treat. It made me wonder if Penny Lee was buttering him up for something.

Tark didn't take his eyes off her. "So, Jopp tells me you're the Master. The Devil. Is that true?"

Penny Lee gazed at him with innocent eyes. She purred as she softly headbutted him.

Hekin cleared his throat as I lost my will to live. "Master has spoken," he mumbled.

"You have got to be kidding me!" I started. An angry glance from Penny Lee changed my tune. "Oh, I was just pulling your true leg, Tark. It must've been my real, true, overactive imagination. Find it in your true heart to forgive . . . me."

Penny Lee seemed murderous, her eyes flashing violet.

"Don't kill me!" I squeaked.

Tark laughed as he scratched Penny Lee's chin. "She can be a Devil if she wants to; I'd still love her forever."

Hekin and I exchanged curious glances. "Is that so?"

Penny Lee puffed her chest with pride, emitting a conquering meow.

I was determined to find out their history. Lots of theories came to mind. Was he a relative? Son? Cousin?

"Let it go," Hekin muttered, staring at me. "Don't think about it. Just . . . be true with yourself."

"I won't be able to rest until I find out!" I whispered.

"You'll be dead in your sleep," he sighed. "I'll take care of him while you're gone."

I frowned, not expecting him to give up on me so easily.

The best way to uncover this would be while Tark was asleep and dreaming. I could certainly wait until nightfall to probe his memories.

Penny Lee glared at me. I could play innocent, too.

That night, as Tark slept, I entered his dreams with spiritual energy. I tried to have him remember the first time he met Penny Lee. Each time, she was there throughout his whole childhood. Why was she so interested in him?

The more I gazed at his hazel eyes, the more I realized how simple yet effective her spell was. Tark was her remaining descendant, and she had vowed to be with him until the end.

That morning, I couldn't help but feel regret in possessing Tark.

"He would be dead right now if it wasn't for you," Penny Lee admitted as she sat beside me on the patio steps. "So many things are against him, right now. His best chances are with you and Hekin."

"Will you ever tell him?" I asked, itching my arm.

"He doesn't need to know," she sighed. "Besides, more humans will appear once the demon waves have lessened. He'll forget me once he falls in love with one of them."

"I won't let him forget," I offered. "I'm only willing to let those two live."

"We have a deal, then," she smirked.

"It's a deal," I agreed.