Chapter 29

Staring at the floor, Penelope suddenly realizes that she is not on the steps of the tower, but rather on the floor inside it. How she got here, she has no idea, but it saves her the trouble of having to find her find in. She looks up to see the familiar face of Arseus. At his feet sits Hazel and a women that she can only assume is her mother. She doesn’t say a word, inside fixating her eyes on the demon.

“I am glad that you have come,” the demon says; his voice gravelly. “And I have seen that you have unlocked your full potential.”

The girl climbs to her feet, glaring at the monster before her. “Let’s cut to the chase,” she growls. “What will it take for you to release my mother and my friend?”

“In a word?” Arseus says. “You.”

Nina Starkey looks at her daughter and shakes her head. “No, Penelope. Just leave now while you have the chance.”

The witch drops her gaze down to her mother and then over at Hazel. She frowns. “I didn’t come this far to leave either of you in the hands of this demon.”

“Of course you didn’t,” Arseus agrees. “You came here because you didn’t have a choice.”

“I had a choice,” she argues. “I could have stayed in a variety of places along the way.”

“But you didn’t.”

She shakes her head. “No, I didn’t.”

“And why not?”

“Because I had to save my family,” she quickly replies.

“No, it is because I have been calling you to me,” the demon corrects.

“If by kidnapping my friend and mother is your way of calling, then I guess so,” she says defiantly.

Arseus chuckles, his voice booming around the girl like explosions. “Your mother is her of her own free will,” he eventually says. “She gave herself to me, to serve me. Your familiar therefore is mine too.”

“She is my familiar,” Penelope argues. “My mother may have signed herself to you, but Hazel did not.”

“She was your mother’s before she was yours,” the demon corrects again. “Therefore she is mine.”

Penelope looks to her mother and then Hazel once again. Hazel’s eyes drop to the floor. For the witch it is a strange thing to see and comprehend. She has never seen the cat in such a defeated way. She has never known the cat to not have defiance burning in those eyes. But now her familiar seems to be broken, a former shell of who she once was. Yet, despite their predicament, Penelope is not beaten. The fire burns with intensity behind her eyes. “I have come to stop you,” she growls. “I have come for my mother and my friend.”

This results in inducing another chuckle from Arseus. “You are certainly funny,” he says, shifting in his seat. “You come here believing that you can stop me? I wish to have you at my side like your mother once was, but have I been mistaken? Will I have to break your will too? Will I have to chain you as I have her?”

“I am powerful,” Penelope answers, her eyes burning hard at him. “I will defeat you.”

“Will you?”

“I would not have come here if I didn’t believe I could,” she confirms. For the first time the girl doe believe she could pull off a defeat. This isn’t a bluff like Hazel had taught her to do. This is real.

“Very well...” with a smirk spread out across his face, the demon lifts his hand and snaps his fingers. Instantly, Penelope drops to her knees and then to her hands. “Hmm ... it seems that you are quite weak after all.”

The witch looks up at him with glowering eyes. The fire is still there, burning with intensity and hatred. “You will not have me,” she says contumaciously.

“Well, if you insist I will just have to destroy one of my pets,” Arseus says calmly. “Which would you have me destroy first, your mother or your companion?”

“Neither,” she snarls. “I am taking both with me when I leave here.”

The demon sniggers. “I’m afraid it doesn’t work that way. You are certainly stronger than your mother, with just as much fight, but you are not stronger than me.”

“I will give my life to save them then,” she quickly counters.

“You may certainly do so,” he admits the truth. “However, it will do you no good. In the end you will perish and I will still have my pets.”

“But you won’t get what you want,” she says, grinning with satisfaction.

“I think I will, even if it takes another millennium of wait,” the demon smiles right back. “You see, I have waited for many millennia already. I thought your mother would be the one that would help me escape this realm. Sadly she turned against me. But when I saw your potential, I knew my time had come.”

“So you thought,” the witch reminds him.

“Yes, so I thought,” he repeats. “But what you do not understand is that I have time. I have all the time I will ever need. Another will come along. In the meantime, you will ultimately serve me, like your mother and her pet. You will spend eternity doing so, because you will not die until I make it so.”

“I already said, I will die first,” she reiterates.

“Don’t be foolish,” Nina says, speaking up again. “Leave us and go now while you still can.”

Arseus snarls, gripping the chain within his reach. He yanks it, tugging harshly at the collar around the woman’s neck. “You will speak when I tell you to,” he reprimands. His eyes come back up to settle on the witch. “You will do as I command or you will suffer that same fate.” His tone changes, taking on a more gentle sound. “I offer you the world, to serve at my side as an equal. You can have it all, anyone, anyplace, anytime. We can rule like the gods. In fact, the gods themselves will serve us.”

“That’s a bold claim,” Penelope utters.

This brings a smile to Arseus’ face. “It is, but one that will happen, provided you serve me.”

The witch looks at the two that she came to rescue. Neither of them looks back at her. She cannot believe that either of them could have been broken. She knows Hazel and has heard the stories of her mother, but it doesn’t make sense that either would have given up so easily. It is now that she realizes what fate has in store for her. No matter what it is she wants, she is not going to get. But there is still some hope, a chance to still take control of this situation. She looks at the demon, her eyes locking with his. The fire that had been stoked and burning like a wild fire out of control have now settled and petered out. “I will give you my loyalty if you promise to free them.”

“You want to try and negotiate with me?” he answers angrily.

“Unless you want to spend the next millennia waiting,” Penelope answers. “The art of sexual magic is a fading art, held in regard only by the elves.”

Arseus knows this already. He has yet to find a corruptible elf, and he knows that chances of doing so are in the realm of impossible. “Very well,” he says gruffly. “I will as you request when you give yourself to me as a token of your loyalty.”

“What do I have to do?” she asks.

“Simple,” he says, flicking his wrists at her. Instantly, the witch feels that she has control over her body once more. “Kneel before me.”

Penelope does as she is told. She crawls over to him, looking at Nina and Hazel briefly before crawling up onto her knees in a kneeling position.

“Now, open your mouth,” he says, dragging her attention to him with a touch of his hand. He cups her jaw, ensuring that she is looking right at him. Arseus enjoys nothing more than to see a servant n her knees looking up at him with the expectation of serving. He places his thumb in her mouth so that he can press down on her warm tongue. He stands, towering over her lithe form. His smile is sharp now, full lips curving wickedly around knife edged fangs as his eye glow down at her. “I know that you know how perform, so I’ll not have to instruct you.” The witch’s eyes brighten. A slight ripple of sexuality drips down her body like the hot wax of a candle. It doesn’t go unnoticed. “So eager now,” he traces his thumb over her bottom lip. “It is simple to appeal to your sexual nature.”

The girl cannot think of anything smart to say. She just merely giggles and reaches out to what lay between his legs. She has been here before when her mother was fused with the body of a minotaur. Arseus is no different, merely a repeat of before. She squeezes the quickly hardening appendage. A hand comes to rest in her hair and she looks up, the demon’s face intensely set on hers as he feels the softness of blonde hair. At her core, Penelope feels the stirring of excitement in response to his gaze. Her eyes flash a dazzling color to showcase her excitement to him. She looks back his crotch, bringing up her free hand to touch the angry, pinkish, tip now that stands fully erect. It twitches, jumping slightly with her attentions. Heat fills her cheeks as Arseus throws back his head with laughter.

“Do not overwhelm yourself with fear,” he assures her. “They will be freed and safe, and you will help me rule over the dregs of your world. Then together, world by world, realm by realm, we will rule them all.”

She giggles to herself, adjusting her position on her knees with a wiggle. “To serve at your side will be an honor.”

The demon grins. “Open,” he presses her bottom lip until her jaw slowly falls for him. “Stick out your tongue.” She follows his orders, her cunt throbbing as she waits for him with anticipation. He pushes the tip of his prick into her mouth and she closes her lips without hesitation. His shaft is hot and smooth to the touch, like polished stone left in the sun. He tastes warm as if he had been sitting by a warm fire. That heat seems to spread to her core as her eyes slowly drift closed in delight. The girl hums, and places a hand on the demon’s hip as he rocks them deeply into her mouth.

“That’s good,” he hisses. “Take your place as your mother did, and rule it all with me.”

Penelope hollows her cheeks as she drags her lips toward the tip of his length and back down again, bobbing her head a bit faster. She looks up at him, her eyes are as black as pitch now and half lidded. This serve to cause a groan to part from the demon’s lips. He knows that she is truly giving herself over to him and his will, just as Nina had those many, many years ago.

The witch sloppily rolls her tongue over the sensitive head while still keeping suction and movement. She moves to kissing the tip and teasing his length. She nips the sensitive flesh of his thighs while stroking him. She kisses and drags her tongue along the underside to the soft sack of flesh beneath the daunting shaft. She strokes him distractedly, head dipping lower to pull the dangling delight into her mouth and drawing out another response from him.

Maybe it is just her eagerness to please or the promise of such power, Penelope uses all her skill. She wants to hear him moan and she is determined to hear it. Her tongue prods and sends shivers up his legs every time. Her thumb finds an especially nice spot between the tip and base of her thick shaft which twitches periodically in response as he bucks into her hand.

The young witch looks up at him around his erection, peeking up at his face to see how she is doing only to find it out of view, tilted back as he looks toward the ceiling rather than at her. When he feels her head turn in his hands, he finds his belly coil with heat and her gaze steadily on him. He sees the impish smirk finding its way onto her otherwise occupied lips when he hisses in satisfaction.