Book 2: Chapter 124 (1/2)

“Eh? You don’t want me to feed you?” Minerva asked Tafel. She blinked as the demon shook her head. A snort escaped from the two holes in her beak. “C’mere, Vur. Aren’t you hungry?”

Vur felt his stomach. “A little,” he said with a nod. “Eating Auntie’s potato emptied my stomach instead of filling it.” He walked over to Minerva, not noticing Tafel and Emile’s concerned gazes. “I knew it wasn’t a potato.”

“Say, ‘ah,’” Minerva said, patting Vur’s head with her wing. She glared at Tafel and Emile as Vur opened his mouth. “This son-in-law of mine is more filial than my actual children. You two should be ashamed.” Before Tafel or Emile could respond, Minerva leaned forward and opened her beak over Vur’s mouth.

“I’m going to be sick,” Tafel said, her face turning green as brown liquid shot out of Minerva’s beak like water from a faucet. She hunched over and clutched her stomach.

Emile patted her head. “Why? It’s perfectly normal.”

“Really?” Tafel asked in a flat voice. “Then why did you beg me to save you?”

“I’m a minor! I can’t drink alcohol,” Emile said and rolled his eyes. “Duh.”

Grimmy and Lindyss watched Vur’s Adam’s apple bob up and down. “That’s a bit disturbing,” Grimmy said. “And I’ve seen a lot of things.” He blinked at Lindyss and poked her scowling face. “Are you jealous? That’s your jealous expression.”

“What the hell is a jealous expression?” Lindyss asked with a snort. “I’m not jealous at all. I’m offended. I had to coax and force him to eat a false god, but he willingly lets a phoenix puke in his mouth? Where’s the justice?”

Minerva pulled her head back and clacked her beak a few times. She sighed and patted Vur’s head. “If only all my children were as obedient as you,” she said, shooting another dirty look at Tafel and Emile.

Vur rubbed his nose and burped. He glanced at Tafel’s green face, Lindyss’ annoyed face, and Grimmy’s disturbed face before tugging on Minerva’s wing. He asked, “Can I have some more?”

Minerva tittered and hugged Vur with both her wings. “Of course! Open up!”

“Yup,” Tafel said, turning around. “I’m sick now.” She lifted Emile and pressed her forehead into his belly, causing him to yelp when her horns dug into him. “Can you tell if I have a fever or not?”

Emile squawked and kicked his legs while flapping his wings. “That tickles!”

Grimmy scratched his head and crawled onto his feet. “I’m gonna go, uh, terrorize those people by Leila,” he said, avoiding the sight of a phoenix feeding her young. His paw traveled over Lindyss’ head. “You have fun here now.”

“Hey,” Lindyss said as she ran forward and crawled up his leg. “That’s immoral. You can’t terrorize people without letting me come with.”

Minerva released Vur from her embrace and exhaled. She lifted a keg with her foot and poured it down her beak, emptying it all without pause. She shook the keg a few times to get the last few drops and hiccoughed as she tossed it away when she confirmed it was empty. “You can transform, right?” she asked Vur, nudging him with the tip of her wing. “How about turning into a phoenix? Let me see.”