Chapter Forty-six: Tark's Guests

When Tark meant he wanted to go home, he really wanted to go back to the patio house in the wilderness of the north. I had to continue overseeing things with expansion and making the people more self-reliant before my energies were exhausted. I bid him farewell and good luck while Thorn and Chichi joined him. They used the trekkers to fly there.

I drummed my fingers on the steel table Fianna had brought from her shelter. She sat across from me with a determined and proud look on her face.

"Where's Tark?" she demanded.

"That's none of your business," I hissed. "He's taking some time off from the rest of us. That's all you need to know."

"I will bear his children," she declared. "I will not let anyone like you stop me!"

"You don't want to get on my bad side again," I warned. "No one's strong enough to protect you from me."

She glared at me while I sneered at her.

"What kind of person feeds their children to bears?! You've definitely lost your sanity."

Her confused face was enough for me to push her out my office and continue overseeing our neck of the woods near the coast.

I sighed as I wondered how Tark, Thorn, and Chichi were holding up.

"He's super duper sad, boss!" Chichi informed with a mind-tap. "When's his birthday? We can cheer him up with a big party."

"Chichi!" I almost shouted. "You're a goddamn genius!"

"I know that," Chichi quipped. "What should we give him? A spank on his butt for every year?"

"Oh, you're an idiot," I blurted. "What the hell was I thinking when I made you?"

"I made myself with your energy," she snarked. "That must mean you're a dummy, too."

I wanted to wring her neck. Would that be demonic of me? Damn right.

"Mayzel, when was Tark born? Month, day, year, go."

Mayzel walked into the living room from the kitchen and sighed. "I don't know the day, so I've told him on the 7th of January, because his family was attacked on the 8th."

I glared at Noforl as he strolled in after her with Rif beside him.

"I should apologize to him," Noforl started. "Do you think he'll let me live?"

"Give that apology another century for him to calm down," I urged. "Let's focus on celebrating his birthday with a cake and everyone else's company." I turned to the kitchen and sighed. "I can make stews, soups, and roasts, but cakes are a complete mystery."

"We'll need flour, sugar, eggs, and . . ."

We all turned to the small voice from the kitchen.

"Gabby?" I started. "Will you make Tark's birthday cake?" Tark felt bad about leaving her body in the shadow realm, so he made her a new body because that's what demons do. I was against it from the beginning, but everyone else was with Tark. Did Gabby deserve such a kind and unpredictable master? He gave her the body of a petite woman, and her youthful appearance seemed undeserving. Her violet hair and peridot eyes reminded others of her true witch nature.

"It's not even January," Gabby uttered with a frown.

"Well, we're the survivors, and I say January 7th starts tomorrow!"

"We don't have eggs," Gabby growled. "We don't have flour, and we don't have sugar!"

"Who the hell raided the pantry?!" I snarled, and we caught Fianna sneaking out of the front door.

"I was bringing this to you!" she blurted as she held it out. "I'll help cook this birthday cake, too! Tark will love me and we'll have a dozen children!"

"Shut the hell up," I muttered. I took the ingredients out of her grasp and handed them to Gabby. "We'll celebrate his birthday tonight. Get this cake ready and mind-tap us when you're done."

Gabby nodded in agreement before I pushed Fianna out the door.