Demons
Oriel
I can’t believe that actually worked. Salem and I applying just a small bit of logic to the situation got KitKat to agree to see our demons. Both parts of me are more excited than I’d prefer anyone to know lest it make me less threatening to the masses.
But they’re pretty fucking giddy.
Salem is damn near vibrating as we get out of the elevator, and he bounces to their door, swiping his card to get the door open so we can enter. His grin is wicked as he waits for Kit and I to get inside, then punches a code on the door to keep anyone else from interrupting. He’s definitely as enthusiastic as me, and it’s fucking weird because it’s not like we’re getting laid. This is just a ‘show-and-tell’ of the so-called monsters inside our humanoid bodies, but knowing that Kit considers it important makes it feel serious.
“Locking the door?” Kit asks, looking confused. “Why? Are you afraid someone will know I saw?”
“Fuck no,” I reply as I drop my bag on the floor by my usual seat. “But Salem knows that they’ll sense we’re changing and come barging in to interrupt because they’re tools.”
Kit looks at Salem for confirmation, and he nods. The panda hybrid looks a bit shy as he adds, “I don’t want you to be overwhelmed since you let us talk you into it, and we know that Jasper especially won’t make you feel comfortable.”
“I know. He’s not doing it to be mean, I don’t think, but his bullshit is so damn distracting.” KK lets Dottie scramble down to perch on the chair arm, then puts his bag next to it. He’s serious as fuck about catching up and he never goes a night without doing homework or studying before and after dinner. It’s mind-blowing, especially since he probably doesn’t need to worry about his scholarship now.
Our caliphate doesn’t pay for this shit and adopting him cleared that obligation, though I doubt anyone actually told the poor guy.
“Do you care if I go change first? I have an easier time feeling comfy if I’m in my ‘home’ clothes.”
Salem and I shake our heads. I strip my jacket off and hang it over one of the stools at the island. “Absolutely not. You should do whatever makes you feel safe because… demons are a little less cuddly than animals?”
“Speak for yourself,” Salem says, winking at the guy.
“Good. Okay. Then I’m going to change and when I get back you can… do it.”
Watching as he heads for his room, I turn to Salem. He’s coming back from the fridge with a small snack for the kinkajou, and once he gives it to her, he joins me. The jacket is tossed and his bag is plopped by Kit’s chair quickly so he can run his hands through his hair. He’s more energetic than usual, especially at this time of day, and I get why.
He’s really falling for his roommate and I’m not sure if he totally understands that.
Of course, I’m not sure I understand what’s happening, either, but I’m at least aware enough to know there’s something going on. The path to figuring this out starts with moments like these, though, because it helps Kit integrate more fully into this world and our lives. If he can accept the animals and the demons, then perhaps in time, he can accept the men beneath all the forms.
“Fucking shit, O, what is with the poetry shit?” I mutter to myself as I grab a drink from the fridge.
Salem stops his nervous tics and looks at me. “You talking to yourself now, dude?”
I roll my eyes at him. “Everyone talks to themselves, and if they say they don’t, they’re lying. But yeah, I was trying to tell myself that this is a good thing. I mean, I believe that, but none of us has it… easy? You know?”
“Money-wise, maybe, but not anything else,” Salem agrees. “The families suck, everyone around us is either looking to use or top us, and we’ve only had each other since we were kids. I get it.”
Arching a brow at him, I tilt my head. “Do you? Because this feels like a ‘crossing the Styx’ moment. Are you ready to become important to someone other than us?”
“Dude, I hate to break it to you, but we’re already important to someone besides each other. Kit Kat is ours—Jas did the ceremony and it’s done. But if you mean more than that, yeah. I’m not nearly as clueless as people think I am.” He smirks as he rakes his hands through his hair again, making it wild and spiky. “Just because I sleep a lot doesn’t mean I miss shit.”
Fair enough, I suppose.
“Okay. Just making sure. Cause I—well, you know.”
“You what?”
We turn to see Kit coming out of his room in the black Discordia sweats he likes to lounge around in. It occurs to me that he was moved here with very little luggage and he was very concerned about the outfit for the ball. Holy shit, he probably doesn’t have much outside of the uniform stuff. That makes my eyes widen, but I don’t say anything. I’m not going to make the kid embarrassed by asking. No, I’ll just… figure out how to resolve the problem quietly and without a fuss.
“He was saying he was excited about this. It’s like a… rite of passage,” Salem says lamely and I have to cover my mouth to avoid a snicker.
He’s really bad at improvisation; I should remember that.
“Oh, well, I’m kind of excited, too.” Kit heads for his chair, flopping into it and sighing happily. “I mean, I don’t know if it’ll be scary or just freaky, but I want to know. You guys are like… the closest people to me here and… I like the thought of knowing all the parts of you.”
Maybe not all of them, but eventually, Kit Kat. Eventually, you’ll see everything.
“Thanks for saying that,” I say softly, hoping he can see how much I mean it in my eyes. I’m a means to an end to my parents —the thief to take their place in line with the crown—and besides the guys, the rest of our line could give a shit less. They’re all just waiting for me to screw up to vie for my spot. But Kit doesn’t give a flying fuck about our lineage or our money or any of that shit. He just likes us even though most people shy away from Salem for being weird and snoozy and me because I’m a spy.
“Who’s first?” he asks, looking at us curiously. “And should I… like, expect anything big like flames or sulfur or something?”
I snort. “Not unless we’re doing magic. I’ll go first this time. Sound good, Salem?”
The panda shifter nods, standing a bit away from me to give me room. I take up more space horizontally in demon form than him, so it makes sense. Taking a deep breath, I let the blackness slip through me, making my eyes glitter with dark starlight and the wings unfurl from my back as the black color and feathers cover my form. In demon form, I have wings that spread out like an enormous dark angel and feathers in specific places. The deep pitch color of my skin makes me look evil, I know, but the real attention grabber is the long devilish tail with feathered adornments at the pointed tip.
“Oh, wow ,” our new member breathes as he sits up in his chair. His eyes roam over me, moving from foot to the top of my head where the u-shaped horns sit. They’re black, sharp, and have feathers at the base. “That’s pretty fucking cool. Can you fly or…?”
I nod, smiling in relief when he doesn’t wig out. “I can. It’s a lot like you’d imagine from some paranormal sexy book, I suppose. Big wings, taking to the sky like a superhero, but cooler.”
My words make him blink, then he suddenly smacks himself in the forehead. I have no idea why but he looks like he’s pissed at himself as he rubs his palm down his face. “Damnit. Why didn’t I think of that?”
“Think of what, KK?” Salem looks confused, unsure if he’s going to make it through both of us.
His face turns bright red and he shakes his head. “Nothing. I, uh, have been noodling on something for a couple days and I might have just solved my problem. It’s nothing you need to worry about.”
“You sure?” I ask, studying him carefully as I fold my wings in. “If this is too much, we can?—”
“Nope. No, I’m good.” He waves his hand dismissively and I arch a brow when Dottie crawls up to sit on his shoulder. “Salem, you go.”
The big guy looks at me and I shrug. “He says it’s cool, dude.”
That makes him grin happily and he steps up, rubbing his palms together. “Okay, Kit Kat, here it comes.”
Kit leans forward, watching closely as Salem transitions smoothly to his demon form. He’s tall, muscled and his skin is black and white from head to toe. The crazy, spiky two-toned hair gets puffier, and his eyes turn completely white right before two rounded, knobby horns emerge from his head. They’re demonic versions of his panda ears, we’ve always said, and his long, shaved poodle-like tail whips back and forth as he continues to grin at his roommate.
“Why is your tail… like that?”
I blink, then burst into laughter as Salem makes a fish-face. He’s trying to figure out what to tell KK, but he can’t give him the truth without freaking him out. His demon is way too excited about being out in front of Kit and that only happens when he’s feeling frisky. I haven’t seen it hardly at all, but teenage boys, even demons, are idiots—which is how we all know what little secrets we’re all hiding about sex. “Yeah, Salem, why is your tail like that?”
His narrow glare slices into me as he rumbles in a dark voice, “Why does yours have feathers, Oriel?”
Shit. He’s got me there.
“I have a feeling there’s something I don’t know and I’m pretty sure I can stay in the dark about it for now,” Kit mutters as he frowns at us. “You’re being way too cagey for me to take this at face value.”
That’s fine with me—I’m not eager to discuss demon sexual practices with him quite yet, anyway. It might be a discussion that’s necessary later on, but I’d bet on the humanoid side being important sooner. Fuck knows we have to be careful how much we say before it seems important; I don’t want to traumatize him more than he already is.
“Wanna see anything else?” Salem says as he moves closer.
I can tell he’s damn near desperate to get KK to touch him like he did with the bear. My own demon wants it, too, but again, this is so much different than him petting two animals he recognizes. “Salem…”
“No, it’s okay. I sort of… it’s like I feel I need to?” The guy looks confused for a moment, his brows furrowed. “Something inside of me is pushing at me since he said it. Like I’m supposed to make it even?”
Whoa. Even I don’t know what to make of that.
Salem is undaunted, though, and moves in a blur to kneel by KK’s chair so he’s not so tall and intimidating. The shy smile that comes over the dude’s face is enchanting, and he reaches out tentatively to brush his fingers over the black and white skin on my brother’s shoulders. A low rumble echoes out of his chest, and I watch as his eyes close to enjoy the sensation.
“So soft and smooth. Can I touch the poofy?” Kit grins and I almost choke on my tongue.
“Um, no. Tails are… very personal. Not… now.” I say quickly, moving closer to distract the kid when Salem pouts. “But some day, I’m sure he’d love it.”
“No shit,” the panda mutters as he makes an annoyed face when Kit lifts his hand to turn to me. “Poof Blocker.”
“Don’t be gross,” I shoot back as I mimic him, kneeling on the other side of the chair. Dottie peeks out from behind Kit’s face, shaking a small fist at my friend and I grin. The kinkajou knows what he just tried to pull. “Okay, Kit. You’re good.”
He licks his lips, his hand coming out to touch the feathers at the base of my neck. “You know, I really like how shiny these are. Your demons suit you guys as much as the animals do, I think.”
“Well, uh…” I’m having trouble with words, but when his fingers move to the horns, I lose all ability to form coherent thoughts.
We may have made a tactical error doing this alone with the door locked.