Chapter 5
Five
SALEM
When Oriel arrived with KK, it felt like my entire being relaxed.
It’s been hard as fuck to give her the space she asked for, especially living in close proximity.
I miss being able to sidle up to her in the kitchen and breathe in her scent or even just kiss her temple when she’s curled in the chair studying.
Those were things I was able to do after the disaster-filled journey to the surface, and now I have to restrain myself to respect her boundaries.
I’m not mad that she has them, or even that she’s still got them up; I just miss the intimacy we were slowly building.
I wonder if she does, too, or did Jasper’s bullshit wreck everything?
Gritting my teeth in annoyance, I go back to beating the batter harder than necessary.
I was making a cake for when she got back from her session with the Keeper and, damned if I will not finish it.
Life this year has been one shitstorm after another, so it doesn’t hurt to find joy in whatever we can.
I know Kat will love this—I’m putting all her favorite treats in it.
Obviously, I’m being careful to use the silly berries in moderation lest she think I’m trying to get her high and pliable.
That’s definitely not my aim, and I refuse to have her think anyone is pushing those lines before she’s ready.
But I do want to see her smile, even briefly, and this shit with visitors has the potential to be really good or really bad.
Having some treats ready for both possibilities is the best I can do to help right now.
Sighing, I ignore the others’ grumpy-ass auras as they settle into their normal places and wait for KK to come back from her room where she’s doing—something.
Prepping to deal with us? I have no idea, but she beelined for the door the second she got in here without a word, and I didn’t even attempt to stop her.
Like I said, I’ve been careful not to assume closeness while she’s figuring shit out, even if it’s killing me.
Oriel comes up to me, startling me out of my mental meanderings by murmuring, “This sucks.”
I snort, nodding as I continue working the batter. “Big, hairy hellhound balls.”
He makes a face, but laughs anyway as he leans against the counter. “Probably harder for you. Close, not enough, right?”
“I’m not sure I should talk about it, but sort of.” I stop for a minute, looking at him seriously. “She’s going to talk to us; Zav promised that’s what she said. She wouldn’t lie about that.”
A sudden snort from the main seating area tells me Jasper is listening in, and it takes everything in me not to go beat his ass.
The fucking fool is digging his hole deeper instead of working to get out, and I have no idea how poor Zavida is dealing with him when they’re alone.
I’m certain it’s ridiculously petulant and over-the-top bullshit spewing from the butt-hurt royal, yet the Kitsune can still keep a hopeful slant to his behavior.
The dude deserves a fucking award for taking this one for the team in ways I don’t want to fathom right now.
Oriel glares at the back of the prince’s head with me for a moment and then turns back to me.
“Making treats? I’d say it’s cheating, but honestly?
I’ve spent the past seven days soothing the crow by stealing so much shit that I’m actually worried it’s going to get noticed soon.
He’s demanding I work out the frustration with the only thing that makes him really happy. ”
My chuckle is soft. “Yeah, I’ve done a lot of cooking, dude. I had to move some of it to the freezer in the school kitchen. We don’t have enough room for it all.”
“Has she noticed?”
That comes from Anton, and I blink at my quiet brother in surprise as he joins us. “Um, maybe? I make the meals so she doesn’t have to… and she eats them. Says ‘thank you’ a lot, which annoys the fuck out of my demon because that’s unnecessary.”
“And because he… she… isn’t eating enough, right?” The inquisitive tilt of his head is distinctly avian, and I realize he must be struggling with his animal as well. I’m not sure how the bird is feeling, but it’s definitely making his life difficult.
“Yep.” I go back to beating the mixture, adding in a few more ingredients as I think about it. “Maybe about a third to half of it most of the time? It’s not purposeful, I don’t think. She’s just struggling, and Zav said his research told him that humans eat little when they’re depressed.”
“She is not human,” Slash says from his chair. “We are different, and that is a very bad plan. With the current shifts, three times as much energy is required, if not more. It is dangerous.”
Suddenly, the door opens and Kat comes out, clad in her usual sweats and bare feet.
This time, however, she’s wearing a normal-sized T-shirt.
I assume X must have left some new clothes for her during the previous weekend.
The spot in front of the closed door was filled with packages every day when I put the food there, and I didn’t bother them, but they never stayed in place.
I guess she took them in when I wasn’t looking, just like the food.
Her voice is soft when she says, “I eat what I can manage, and that’s no one’s job to monitor. Stop talking about me like I can’t hear now when I leave the room.”
Slash rises to his feet, walking over to her to look down into her eyes. “You are allowed to request space and time to process your emotions, little demon. However, you cannot demand that we stop our emotions for you as well.”
They stare at one another for a few moments, and I hold my breath. I’m not sure this standoff is going to go well, and it’s making me itch to prevent the schism between us all from getting worse. But I don’t have to when Kat sighs and nods at the big demon, and then looks at her feet guiltily.
“You’re right. I have no right to demand that people change their feelings anymore than someone would of me. I can ask you not to talk about me like I’m not here or can’t overhear you anymore. It makes me feel like my opinions or feelings are no longer considered valid.”
I frown. “But what if we’re actually not talking to you because we’re respecting your boundaries?”
Oriel nods, watching her with glittering eyes. “It’s hard for us to both not bother you and also not discuss our things with one another.”
“Fuck,” she says as she scuffs her foot on the floor and moves back from Slash. Her arms wrap around herself, and Dottie scampers out of her bedroom to quickly climb up to her shoulder. “You’re right.”
Biting my lip as I put the mixing bowl down, I walk over to her, keeping the distance even with what she just gave my brother.
“KK, you have changed. Not in the ‘no more pretending to be something you aren’t’ way, but in physicality, physiology, magic, and even mentally.
It will take time for you to learn all the skills you need not to eavesdrop constantly or use your powers or control your shift.
But you can’t just pretend you are the old Kat who didn’t have to worry about such things, simply because you’re hurting. ”
“He is correct. If you are reluctant to listen to us on this subject, more discussions with the doctor are required, little demon. You have been to his office several times; has he not been educating you?”
I would not want to be Dank if the answer is ‘no’, though I don’t think Slash would actually win.
“I mean, yes. We’re talking about… things.” Kat shrugs uncomfortably as she walks around us quickly to go to the fridge. Pulling out a water bottle, she carefully adds drops of some potion to it and then heads for her seat in the living room.
“What is that?” Oriel asks as he, too, leaves the kitchen. “What are you adding to your drink?”
Kat takes a big sip, swallowing it quickly before she answers. “I suppose I should be honest.”
“For a change? I may drop dead on the spot.”
“Shut. It. Jasper.”
We all swing our gaze to Xerxes, who has slitted eyes as they glare at the prince.
It’s not normal for them to have such a quick temper, nor to directly challenge our leader like that.
Anton hurries over, sitting down with his mate as if the proximity will calm X down, but it doesn’t.
Jasper turns a furious, equally animalistic stare on the cobra demon, but it also cannot get them to back down.
“I’m ssssseriousssss,” X hisses darkly. “Keep your bullsssshit to yoursssself or get out.”
“You can’t throw me out of someone else’s room.” He crosses his arms over his chest, smirking.
I shoot a look at Slash and Oriel, who nod, and then move to my seat.
Dropping into it with a lazy grin, I smirk back at the pouting prick.
“I can, and I will. No one will argue with me either, Jas. Like Kat, you cannot impose your will on us simply because you’re fucked up at the moment.
While she was being nice, you’re being petty and snide.
Neither behavior is going to resolve this mess, and we have more important shit to deal with.
Are you here, or does Slash have to remove you so we can discuss the visitor issue? ”
“Slash won’t dare—”
“Jasper.”
Our prince’s head whips around at the simple, quiet name uttered from his best friend’s lips.
He looks at the huge demon as Slash makes his way to his chair, and when the big guy sits, he stares right back.
It’s clear as day that Jasper will either start a fight that might bring the entire dorm down or his ass will get thrown out of this room by our very own bouncer.
“Traitor,” Jasper spits as his tail whispers back and forth near Zav’s legs. “I’ll remember your disloyalty.”
Before he gets an answer from any of us, Dottie leaps into the middle of the space, shaking her fist and chittering at him angrily.
We’re all stunned to see her suddenly get just a tiny bit bigger until she’s the size of a small dog, then runs over to kick Jasper in the shin.
He blinks and flinches—something that shouldn’t be possible in the fucking slightest. Looking smug, the formerly tiny kinkajou struts back to her mistress and hops into her lap.
“What the fuck?!” Kat whisper-shouts as she looks down at the familiar. “You didn’t do that at Arces’ house! You just… took my damn bishop, and I thought that was bad. Where did that come from?”
Dottie doesn’t answer, just stays curled in her lap in the larger form with one eye closed and the other staring at Jasper intently.
“She really didn’t change at the Keeper’s?” Oriel asks in surprise. “Not even a little?”
“No,” Kat replies as her hand strokes over the soft fur. “I told you what he said, and I wasn’t lying. Just because I kept my gender a secret in this stupid, archaic all-boys fuck-boy land does not mean I’ve lied about anything else. I will not keep repeating that.”
X looks at her, the fond expression weird on their reptilian features.
“You don’t have to tell me. I know how hard it is to be who you are in a place like this or at my previous schools.
You’ll never get a judgment from me, KK, and you shouldn’t from anyone else who supported me as I figured my shit out. ”
Ouch. That blow was low and vicious, just like Dottie’s kinkajou kung-fu; hopefully, our dipshit leader felt it.