Chapter Sixteen: At Last, Brother

I crossed my arms as my minions pulled themselves onto the shore. It was humiliating to have them so inept.

"Get up!" I ordered. "I have a mind to leave you all here to rot like sacks of crap!"

"Don't say that, Master!" the first minion quivered. "We have followed you loyally and obeyed your commands!"

I took his jaws and squeezed his flowery head. "You think you can boss me around, huh?"

He shook his head and whimpered.

"You'll stay here until we come back," I told him with a frown.

"Yes, Master," he mumbled until I released his jaws. He rubbed his flowery head as the rest of the minions and I continued exploring the chain of islands. The five islands seemed to create a ring that surrounded the cave the giant eels had entered. There were remnants of campsites but no humans.

On the fifth and largest island, I studied the spears left behind. One had a golden feather tied to it. I closed my eyes as I listened to the cursed wood.

A woman had begged for her children to stay hidden and stay alive.

The trees rustled as a strong gust moved through. The pitter patter of feet hurried down one of the trails that led to the center of the island.

Human survivors?

I followed the trail and stopped when a shadow moved to my right.

My minions crept through the dense brush, their vines flexing them between the trees.

"Gotcha!" a minion laughed.

The shrill scream pierced the quiet forest.

The minion brought the human child by the legs, dangling him in the air.

"Let him go!" an older child hollered as he punched my minion's backside.

I snarled at them, garnering their attention. "Tell me what happened here." Their frightened faces shifted to curious ones as they glanced at each other.

"Put my brother down, and we'll talk," the older child demanded.

I growled at him, not liking how he said it. "He'll stay like that until you're finished."

The older child crossed his arms and huffed. "I'm not telling you anything until you let him go!"

I glared at the pompous brat. It should've been an easy possession, but a fierce spirit guarded him. I sighed when I realized the last angel herself wished for the boys to live.

How did she know them? She revealed she had healed their mother when they lived on the mainland.

"Fine, Alaris," I muttered. "They had better be worth the trouble."

Her spirit was elated, and she kissed my cheek.

It felt . . . wonderful. Not that I'll ever admit it! I hid the smile that erupted on my face.

"Master, are you all right?" one of the minions asked. "You look sick!"

"Shut up!" I blasted. "Grab the other kid. We're getting out of here."

The older child shouted some demonic choice words that boiled my blood. I slapped a silence spell on him before my claws could rip him in half.

The younger kid didn't fight or holler as we approached the shore, but he seemed to be running things quick in the head. Damn human calculator.

"What could she have possibly seen in you two scrawny kumquats?" I growled as I crushed a sea turtle's shell for the meat. I tore the flesh with my sharp teeth and glared at them.

They didn't talk much after that.

When we returned to the first island I left the stupid minion at, he was nowhere in sight. In his place was an emerald egg. The younger child picked it up and smiled. It reminded me of Tark's dumb look of ecstasy. That reminded me of Alaris' kiss. I sighed as I figured it would haunt me for the rest of my days. I rubbed my tingling cheek as I gazed at the mainland. A strange sound, like gurgling water, reached my ears. I glanced around and noticed it was coming from the boys and minions.

"Master! When are we going to eat?!" one of the minions cried. "My stomach hurts!"

"Mine, too!" the others added.

"Us, too!" the kids blurted, but one of them was muffled.

I scoffed. "We'll have to reach the mainland, first." I blinked when something dark green slithered near the surface of the water. There were ten giant eels, and they emitted hisses as they opened their large maws. The biggest eel among them could rival the size of ten cruise ships, and its body seemed never-ending.

"We have to swim past those death eels?" the younger child squeaked.

"I believe in you, Aeklith," Alaris whispered in her spirit form.

"You really know how to hype up a demon, don't you?" I muttered with a smirk.

The younger child took one of my claws and held it tight as he gazed at me. "I believe in you, too, Aeklith."

My heart pulsed with a newfound energy, and I couldn't help but feel that I had to protect these kids as if they were my own.

The emerald egg pulsed with energy as well, and a strange creature hatched. It seemed as if Alaris herself had been born into the world. Her crimson hair flowed with a sudden gust, golden feathers hiding her naked form. I summoned vines to cover her with flexible leaves, and they wrapped around her curves in ways I wanted to touch.

The lingering thought of how the kid knew my name faded as I summoned more vines to form a net. Death eels were on the menu.