Page 59 of Quiet Burn

The air in the room feels very tight for a moment as he nods, and I lick my lips while he walks from corner to corner muttering. When he’s done, the elder demon stands in front of me again. “My bubble will keepmostbeings from being able to spy on our conversation, Master Kit. There is a small possibility of eavesdropping, but without preparation, this is the best we can do.”

It will have to do; I’m not coming back with an entire cadre of assholes following next time.

“Thanks,” I mumble as I clasp my hands together, hoping to quell both my discomfort and my anxiety. “So, I need to ask questions and since you’re the only person who knows me…”

Dank chuckles, the sound a rough, rusty sound. “Yes, I believe I know what you mean.”

My cheeks go from hot to burning at his amusement and I fight curling into myself. I know the old demon isn’t being mean; this is just a very touchy subject for me based on my past. “Yes, well, because of my… past… I have a lot of problems emotionally around this topic. But… I may need to know and I can’t ask anyone else without poking that bear.”

“I vow to be as accurate as possible without judgment, Master Kit. That is my job and I have been doing it longer than your former country has even existed.”

Another factoid I’ll deal with later, it seems.

“Okay. I don’t know… how demons work.” Before he can respond, I hold my hand up. “I’m learning about magic and types and stuff in class. What I mean is… I don’t know about their… parts.”

The room is silent as a tomb for a moment, then Dank clears his throat. “I assume you mean anatomy and the process of reproduction, yes?”

“Unfortunately.” I look away, knowing I have to resemble a tomato by now and my pulse is racing like the blood is going to jump out of my veins. “We don’t have time foreverything, but a little crash course would be very helpful.”

“Yes, I understand, Master Kit.” He shuffles to the cabinet, leaving it open as he rifles through things in it. He comes back with a flyer sized illustration that makes my eyes bug out. “Many single bloodline demons will resemble this, but it varies greatly. They will come into maturity by the time they are old enough to attend university. Maturity does mean the ability to procreate, and there are specific things that indicate potential mates.”

Oh, this is… a lot.

Burying my hands in my short locks, I tug on my hair a bit to reboot my system as I stare at the diagram. “Ummm. So, what are those steps? And are hybrids different?”

The rusty laugh escapes him again, and he nods. “Indeed! Good questions, my young friend. You have not fully emerged yet, butas you do, you will rocket into maturity quickly due to age. That phase is marked by increased demon pheromone production and bodily changes that will point you in the direction of potential partners, or if you are very lucky, mates.”

“Plural?” I squeak. “That’s… normal?”

Dank nods. “Very, Master Kit, especially in powerful demons.”

“How is that… demons haven’t… ‘scented’ me yet? I mean, I’m around ones with animal shifter sides, too. Doesn’t that make it easier to give me away?”

“It does, but not at this time.” The doctor pauses, thinking for a moment before he glides over to the cabinet again as he continues. “I can assist you with that when the time comes. Being the royal physician means I can keep magical things others cannot. But as for right now, neither the full blooded demons nor the hybrids are used to human scents. They know that’s what you register as currently, but very few spend enough time on the surface to recognize the different variants.”

Thank fuck for that.

“What about demons who are in the sex business, like Cubi?” I ask, thinking about my least favorite professor and my genderfluid friend’s line. “Would they know?”

“Their magic will sense arousal, yes. Until you fully emerge, it won’t tell them much more since the Cubi are pansexually oriented by design.” The flaming headed demon returns with a large bottle with an eyedropper stopper on top. A label with that damn language I can’t fully understand yet looks ominous on it, but I know that Dank wouldn’t hurt me. Whatever this is, he’s trying to help me.

“What’s that?”

“Ah, yes. This is very special, extremely hard to make, and banned from use by those who are not sanctioned by the royal houses.” I blink as he opens the bottle, showing me the sparkly purple-black liquid inside. “It tastes awful, but two drops daily before bed will assist you in keeping your pheromones from drawing those around you when your maturity begins.”

“It also renders reproduction impossible, no matter what hybrid or full blooded demon is involved.” I open my mouth to ask, and this time the avian skull looks as if it’s grinning. “And many demon species can also reproduce with both female demons and males, so that is important, Master Kit.”

Holy motherforking shirtballs, I have no idea how to respond to that.

The demon continues as I go through about fifty emotions at once. “Hybrids will have special anatomy that corresponds with either their demonic nature or their animal nature. I will endeavor to look for information on the ones I believe might be of interest to you, but it will take some time. Will you be able to return occasionally?”

Licking my lips again, I feel the dryness in my throat as panic grips me. Oddly, I don’t feel anxious about theactof sex like normal as much as my ignorance of their kind and inexperience. This is so fucking strange that it’s like a fever dream. “Um, yes. I’ll… figure out some excuse. Besides, it’s likely someone will take a chunk out of me in some class eventually.”

“I’d prefer the former, but I will send a missive when I have more for you. For now, take my bottle and I will start the process of making enough to last throughout the year.”

This demon is definitely my favorite in the entire realm of Hell, and I have to stifle the urge to hug him. “Thank you, Dank. I really appreciate how kind you’ve been to me.”

“I don’t often get the chance to assist with something this important, Master Kit, nor do I encounter beings who do not immediately fear and revile me based on my appearance. You are quite special in my opinion.”

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