The yak gulped. He was embarrassed by the turn of events. The fact that the girl yak had tricked him, his friends, and the Lubriem back at the bookstore. He had also fallen in love with her. He dreamt about the two of them going out. Knowing each other better. Getting married.

All of that did not matter now. Kai knew the truth. Kaila worked for Zorac.

The Beast of Vengeance put a hoof over his chest. He could feel his heart beating. It was beating at a normal pace. It seemed okay, but he knew better.

His heart ached. If it could, it would be broken into pieces by now. The pieces would flow down to his stomach. He was hurt that he was betrayed. The only person whom he ever loved. Turned her back on him. Spat in front of him.

And she thought that it would be the perfect opportunity to gloat? He was already hurt. Hurt on the inside. Why did she have to pick on him even more?

"Maybe that is what it feels like when you are not the villain," Kai said under his breath.

Kaila glanced at the guards. "I will give the newcomer a good talk," she told them.

"Of course," the guard with the whip said. "As you wish."

"You tell him," the other guard added. "Show him who is boss around here."

The girl yak smirked. "Oh, I will." She looked at the hooded figure. "You need to work. Gather some coal."

The hooded figure understood and walked away.

The Maker of Widows snorted. "You already broke me," he shot at her. "I had feelings for you. I loved you."

"Ha! You never loved me," she shot back. "That moment when you were in your own world was a fad. A hoax."

"What do you mean? My love for you was real!"

"No, it was not. It was fake. You thought that it was true love. But no. You were lying to yourself. Just like every male villain, you liked me for my looks. And you were going to...hmm. What would a villain do? Oh, yeah! Kidnap me and force me to marry you! And I would have to hope that a plumber would save me."

"I would have never done that! Honest!" He clenched his hands into tight fists. "Ugh! I have changed!"

"Really?" She squinted. "Then how? How did you change?"

He thought for a minute, trying to think of the right words to say. "I was a villain...and am pretty much the villain that I was...but...I feel different. It...it is hard to explain. I feel...weird. Like the inside of me has changed. M-my soul...my soul has been...cleansed." He was going to say more, but Kaila interrupted him.

"I do not care about your stupid speech. Blah, blah, blah. You claim that you love me. Well, guess what? You had better push those feelings aside." She leaned towards him. "I do not love you."

Kai sighed and looked down. "That figures."

"Hmm? Why do you say that?"

"Is it not obvious? You betrayed me and my friends. You played with my emotions." He let out a growl. "You betrayed my trust."

"And...how did that feel?"

"Horrible. Just horrible."

"Then I guess that I am a horrible person. That is why I am Lord Zorac's right-hand woman. You...you are nothing. Just a waste of space. Dust that needs to be blown far away."

Without realizing it, Kai began tearing up. Every word that came out of Kaila's mouth struck him. He felt even worse. He thought that he was going to be sick.

Kaila swiped the whip from the guard and grabbed one's of Kai's horns. She giggled darkly.

"Time to inflict the pain that you have inflicted on me," she said. She raised the whip...

...and whacked both of the guards with it.

And it was no mistake.