My Demon, My Love...

They lived together in married bliss for several months without an issue. However, rumors slowly began to leak to the areas of the village surrounding their estate and it did not take long for those rumors to reach the city. It is suspected that another human servant became resentful of the fact that she was expected to serve a human mistress. So, she leaked the information in an effort to get her revenge.

The family began to receive some minor threats. Nothing ever came out of these, so they tried not to let it affect their daily lives too much. The only rule that they made in the situation was that Penelope was not allowed to leave the house without a demon escort, for her protection. This seemed to work for a time with only the occasional irate demon hassling them.

Nevertheless, after it is discovered that Penelope was pregnant; Bakhtiar immediately banned her from leaving the estate altogether. Bakhtiar and Mythri became greatly concerned about Penelope’s safety. As far as anyone knew, a hybrid demon-human child had never been allowed to survive past birth. They were considered abominations that needed to be, immediately, destroyed.

At first, this was not an issue for Penelope. She would gladly stay put on the estate grounds, if it meant the safety of her child. Although, after five months, essentially, under house arrest she was beginning to grow a little restless. She desperately wanted to see something other than the estate grounds, even if it was just for a few minutes.

“You seem a little down the past couple of days. Is everything alright?” Umay asked Penelope when she found her staring into space.

“Yeah. I am fine. The baby is fine.” Penelope sighed.

“Hey, come on. You can tell me if something is bothering you. Is Dalair not being accommodating enough?” Umay persisted.

“No, no, that is not it. Dalair is as wonderful as ever.” Penelope answered.

“Good. I did not want to have to put him in his place.” Umay joked.

Penelope let out a small chuckle.

“Seriously. What is going on? Maybe I can help.” Umay insisted.

“It’s nothing, really. I am just feeling a little trapped here. I know that I am just being stupid. I just wish that I could get out of this house for a while.” Penelope admitted.

Umay grew silent for a moment as she contemplated what Penelope had just said.

“So, why don’t you come out with me today? I have a quick errand to run. We won’t be out very long, but I could take you with as my personal servant.” Umay suggested.

“Oh, Umay, I don’t know. I really would like to. But, your father said that I was not to leave the estate while pregnant.” Penelope hesitated.

“I know that. We will take precautions, of course. You can wear a large hooded cape to cover your hair and stomach. We will take a guard with us as well for extra safety.” Umay recommended.

Penelope considered this for a moment. As much as she wanted to respect her new father-in-law’s rules, as well as, keep her unborn child safe; she was stir crazy. Not to mention, things seemed to have calmed down when it came to their family. She desperately needed a change of scenery.

“Alright. Let’s do it.” Penelope finally decided.

“Excellent. I will arrange for a car and a guard. You will need to find some servants clothes to wear. It’ll be easier to disguise you as a servant than to convince them that you are a lady, should we be questioned in public.” Umay instructed.

“Alright. I will speak with Truda and see what I can find.”

With that, Penelope ran off to find Truda.

Thirty minutes later, Umay and Penelope met in the entrance hall of the manor. They quickly skirted out the front door and into the waiting car. They climbed into the back as a guard, by the name of Barin, jumped into the front passenger’s seat. Umay instructed the driver to take them downtown to the seamstresses’ shop.

Penelope thoroughly enjoyed the ride; happy to see something outside of the estate walls. However, when they arrived downtown, Penelope’s elation was quickly deflated when she realized how busy the downtown sector was today. As she looked out the window at the crowd of demons, she placed a shaky hand over her belly.

“Are you feeling alright?” Umay asked, concerned.

“I just…did not think…about how busy it would be…um…here.” Penelope responded with a trembling voice.

“Do you want to turn around and go back home instead?” Umay asked.

“No, don’t be silly. We came here for a reason. You had something that you need to do.” Penelope replied, nonchalantly.

“It really is not a problem if you would rather go home. I could come back at another time.” Umay assured her.

Penelope thought about this for a moment.

“No, I am just being ridiculous. Go ahead and run your errand. If you don’t mind, I will just wait in the car. I really should not push my luck.” Penelope insisted.

“I understand. I promise that I will be as quick as possible.” Umay swore.

Umay quickly darted from the car and ran towards the seamstress shop. Penelope watched her through the closed window, attempting to control her nerves. She rubbed her belly and began taking slow, deep breaths.

After just a few short minutes, she could see Umay coming towards them. She sighed a breath of relief. As badly as she had wanted to get out of the house for a few minutes. The stress that it had put her under had not been worth it. She wished that she had never made the decision to leave the estate and she was thankful that they would soon be returning home.

The driver popped open the trunk and hopped out of the car to assist Umay with placing her new dress in the vehicle. Suddenly, Penelope felt a jolt as if something had hit against the back end of the car. Penelope turned to look out the rear window and could tell that their driver, Hoat, had been pushed into the back of the car by another demon.

“You and your family are a disgrace! I cannot believe that the king has not banned you from court! Your family does not deserve to be known as demonkind at all, much less to hold the prestigious title of nobles! Disgracing our realm with your ideas of mixed relations and human rights!” An unknown demon could be heard ranting.

“Sir, I have to ask you again. Please step away from Lady Umay and the vehicle.” Hoat demanded.

“You are just as bad as they are by agreeing to work for them! Chauffeuring them around! Are you a human lover too?” The unknown demon accused.

“Stay here, Lady Penelope.” Barin instructed before he, too, exited the vehicle.

Penelope pulled the cape closed around her front side. A group was beginning to form around the car and she had been left all alone inside. She was feeling very exposed and vulnerable. She wished, desperately, that Dalair was there with her. She began to worry that something might happen, and she would never get the chance to see him again.

“Sir, I do not know what is going on here, however, your behavior is inappropriate and unacceptable. I ask that you leave us alone before I am forced to do something about your conduct.” Barin asserted, calmly.

“What do you plan to do about it, human lover?” The unknown demon goaded as he poked Barin in the center of his chest.

“Lady Umay, please get back in the car.” Barin requested.

Umay was beginning to panic. She knew that they were in a lot of trouble. She began to walk backwards along the side of the car, making her way for the nearest car door.

“Ah, I don’t think so, Lady Umay.” Another unknown demon hissed as he grabbed Umay from behind.

“Get your hands off me!” Umay commanded.

As Umay cried out, Barin turned to protect her. As he did this, the unknown demon with whom he had been arguing threw a punch into the side of Barin’s face. Several other demons joined in to assist in pinning the rather large and intimidating Barin down. While two others grabbed onto Hoat, incapacitating him. A demoness, who was accompanying the group, swung the empty glass liquor bottle that she was carrying into Umay’s head.

Umay fell to the ground and her head, immediately, began to bleed. The crowd of demons who had gathered began to sneer and chuckle. Penelope could not take anymore; Umay was hurt and she could not just sit there and do nothing about it.

Penelope threw open the door of the car, rushing to Umay’s aid. She fell to her knees and began to check Umay’s head wound. She grabbed her sleeve and ripped it from the dress, so that she could attempt to stop the bleeding.

In all the excitement, Penelope had neglected to ensure that her hood remained over her head. As soon as someone in the crowd recognized her hair color, things began to escalate quickly. The unknown demon who had started the conflict walked over to Penelope and grabbed her by her hair. He pulled her away from Umay; ensuring to put plenty of space between them.

“Umay!” Penelope cried out.

“Let her go! Your quarrel is with us, my servant has nothing to do with this!” Umay demanded.

“You see. I would agree with you, miss. However, I happen to know for a fact that this human is no ordinary slave. I would recognize her face anywhere. This is the slave who fancies herself a noble!” The demon announced.

Penelope struggled and managed to wriggle herself free of his grasp. She jumped up and tried to run back to Umay. However, the demon moved much to quickly for her and he grasped the hood of her cape; pulling her backwards and ripping the cape off of Penelope. The crowd gasped as they noticed Penelope’s pregnancy bump.

“The human carries an abomination!” A demoness jeered from the sidelines.

“This is worse than any of us feared! The next in a line of noble blood will be mixed with foul scourge of human filth, contaminating our once evil and unpolluted nobility!” One demon cried.

“Is this what our realm is coming to? Slaves elevated above demons?! Their atrocious and filthy offspring assisting in ruling over our lands?!” The demon, who originally started the mess, addressed the crowd as he spoke. “I say that we put an end to this monstrosity! Who is with me?!”

“Yeah!” Many demons and demonesses in the crowd called out.

“Kill her!” One demoness cried out.

“Rip her head off!” Another of the crowd shouted.

“No! Please! Don’t hurt her! Please!” Umay pled.

Unfortunately, Umay’s pleas had fallen on deaf ears. The demon holding Penelope’s hair reared back his fist and began landing blows on Penelope’s face. After several punches, he threw Penelope to the ground. Penelope trembled as she spat blood onto the concrete beneath her. He drew back his foot and kicked Penelope hard in rib cage, causing her to cry out. Umay screamed and began to revolt against the demon holding her. Another demon, quickly, came to his aid, landing his own blows against Umay’s face.

Barin became filled with a rage unlike any that he had ever known. These two ladies were there under his protection and he was not doing his job. He began to writhe against his captors using every ounce of strength that he had. They had him under a good hold; that was until he saw something that he could not ever abide. The demon attacking Penelope raised his boot and lined it up to aim for a hard kick into her stomach. Barin would not allow this demon to harm the child, not as long as he could do something about it.

Penelope cringed knowing what the attacking demon was planning. She could not allow him to harm her child. She began trying to fold herself around her stomach; she hoped that if she could take most of the blows to her own body then maybe there would be a chance that her baby could be saved. Her body already ached from the hits she had already endured, but she was determined to do the best that she could to protect her child.

However, before Penelope really had a chance to prepare for the blow to come; the demon attacking her was suddenly rushed by another. She scanned the commotion and realized that Barin was on top of her attacker subjecting him to a relentless barrage of strikes.

“Barin, no!” Umay called out attempting to stop him.

Barin could not hear Umay’s call; he was seeing red now, he had no control over his actions. His only focus was to protect Penelope and Umay; until that was done, he could not be stopped. Before Barin had even realized what happened, he was holding the lifeless head of the demon in his hands while he looked down at the bloodied and headless corpse.

“That demon…he killed a demon of a higher rank!” A member of the crowd called out.

Barin knew that this was not good; his fate was sealed. He had killed a demon of a higher rank in defense of a human who carried a forbidden child. The crowd around him reared up and set in on him. He knew that he would have to die for his actions, but he hoped that the others could escape in the commotion.

“Hoat! Get them out of here! Save them!” Were the last words that anyone would ever hear Barin say.

Hoat did his best to respect Barin’s last wishes. He knew that nothing could be done for Barin now, but he hoped that he could get the two ladies safely away. He struggled against the demons who held him, however, his efforts were too little avail. Hoat was not a very powerful demon which is why he could never attain the rank of guard.

One demon approached, punching Hoat in the gut several times until Hoat dropped to his knees. He could only watch helplessly as the crowd began to descend on Penelope as well. He knew they would never kill Umay as she was of noble blood. Penelope and her unborn child would not be so fortunate.

Penelope curled herself into a tight ball doing the best she could to protect her stomach. Demons and demonesses surrounded her; they began to kick her, spit on her, and stomp down on her. Some would punch or slap; one demoness grabbed a chunk of Penelope’s hair, ripping it from her scalp. She could feel as her bones began to snap, and the blood began to pour from every orifice. Penelope cried out, but she knew that no one would help her.

Penelope could feel herself beginning to fade in and out of consciousness. She knew that she needed to stay awake, so that she could remain as a shield for her child. This proved difficult as the continuous blows to the head were making it almost impossible to do so. She faded into darkness but forced herself back awake. She faded out again, this time for longer. She forced her eyes to open just as another foot came into contact with the side of her face. Just before she blacked out for good, she could have sworn she heard Umay cry out with relief…

“Dalair!”

Dalair had sensed Penelope’s distress and pain while out on business with his father. He had first returned to the estate, expecting that she had followed his father’s orders and remained where it was safe. When he realized that she was not on the estate grounds, he was informed by the other drivers that his sister had left for downtown with a hooded servant girl.

Once Dalair had arrived downtown he had transformed completely into his primal-self. Even Umay had never seen him like this before. His horns had extended so long that they had begun to curl back up on the sides of his face. His clothes were torn and tattered by the sudden engorging of his muscles. His sharp teeth were bared and his eyes glowed red. His dark flesh had hardened, and his brow had extended. Umay had barely recognized him when he had first arrived.

Dalair began ripping through the demons of the crowd. Treating full grown demons as twigs; snapping them in half as they attempted to attack him. He grabbed the demon holding onto Umay by either end, ripping his legs from his torso. The demons attacking Penelope suffered a much worse fate; as their limbs were torn from their abdomens and shoved back inside holes that they did not originate from. It was a ghastly, though well-deserved, death.

Dalair became extremely gentle as he reached down to pick up his wife. He lifted her delicately from her pool of blood and brought her close to him. He held onto her tightly as he let out a deafening, yet emotional, howl. Many of the demons in the crowd quickly began to disperse. They knew they would not be left alive much longer if they attempted to hang around.

Umay slowly approached her brother. Placing her hand gently on Dalair’s shoulder. Dalair quickly moved, nudging her hand away. He did not wish to be touched by anyone. Especially, not by someone who had put his wife in this position.

“Hoat are you well enough to drive?” Dalair asked, coldly.

“Yes, sir. Of course.” Hoat responded.

“Good. We need to get Penelope to the house immediately.” Dalair commanded. “Umay go to the hospital and fetch any doctors who are willing to come to the estate. We will need all the help that we can get.”

Without responding, Umay ran off in the direction of the hospital. She would do as Dalair had demanded of her. She felt responsible for what had happened, and she could never forgive herself if Penelope or the baby did not recover.

Dalair climbed into the back of the car with Penelope in his arms. Hoat rushed them back to the estate as quickly as he could. Once they arrived, Dalair called for his mother. Mythri immediately began attending to Penelope’s wounds while they waited for the medical staff to arrive.

Penelope fought long into the night, but early the next morning, she succumbed to her injuries. Dalair was completely beside himself at her passing. He sat with her corpse for hours the next day, refusing to accept that she was gone. That night he screamed and cried, breaking the furniture in his bedroom in his grief.

When Dalair did finally accept that Penelope was gone; he could not cope. He refused to see anyone and became completely devoid of any emotion. He had gotten it into his head that he would be better off without anyone, even his family. Attachments left you open to heartbreak and he was certain that he could not handle any more of that.

One night, Dalair shed his noble clothing and donned the clothes of a lower station. He loaded up everything that he required for survival into a large hiking backpack. Left a note for his parents explaining his actions and another for Umay assuring her that he did not blame her for Penelope’s death. Then headed out into the forest, never to be heard from again.