Slash tilts his head, then nods. “Yes. You were very focused, and I believed it to be a good thing that you were not worrying about the whispers and looks. Was I incorrect?”
“Fuck, no,” I mutter as I flush bright red. “I didn’t need to see all the people staring at me; I’m self-conscious enough as it is. And… because I hear more now…”
“That was my opinion as well, little demon.” He grins briefly and lets go of my arm to push the doors open. “You did not require all that pressure their stupid gossip would have put on you. It is a sensitive time when you first shift; hearing people make stupid commentary on it is not useful to your progress.”
I walk in behind him, looking around the room to make certain we’re alone. “I’d argue that petty gossip isneveruseful andalwayssomething that should wave a red flag about the person spreading it. Someone who talks nastily about otherstoyou will absolutely talk to peopleaboutyou in the same manner when given the chance. It’s why bullying victims are often quiet, while the abusers are waving their ass at everyone who will listen.”
This time, his smile is feral and filled with teeth. “We have ways of dealing with people like you describe, little demon. Trust me when I assure you that karma is coming for them soon enough.”
Slash’s ominous threats are growing on me—they’re making me feel safe. How very odd.
Chuckling as he guides me over to a door at the back of the wooden floor, I reply, “I’ve always sort of subscribed to karma coming for the bad guys, even when the legal shit failed up there. It might take a while, and it might not bemewho serves the dish, but it will get served cold to those who earn it. You sort of have to believe that a little bit when you live on the surface because somanythings are fucking broken and unfair; otherwise, you’d go mental.”
The smell of sulfur hits my nose, and I frown as he takes me through a locker room I haven’t been in yet to a door with a small window in it. When I push up on my toes to look through it, I see a huge swimming pool sparkling in the afternoon light from the ceiling-high windows. Making a face as the smell increases, I turn to him. “What the hell is that scent, man? It’s awful.”
“Give it a few moments, and you’ll adjust. This is common of springs in Hell—sulfur is part of the makeup. You don’t realize it, and I doubt anyone mentioned it to you, but there aremanyHell-specific smells that you have already adjusted to. Your body was doing it from the moment Dr. D let you out of the car and took you to Darkstar. This one is just considered bad on the surface, and so your body and mind are at war in classifying it.”
I give him a disbelieving look, but move back so Slash can open the door to the swimming… spring, I suppose. “You’re supposed to teach me about shifting. This is so you can hit two imps with one stone, right?”
The sheepish look on his face is adorable, and I have to restrain myself from hugging him. “Well… I… Yes, I wanted to… Fuck, little demon, I just wanted to do this. Is that okay?”
It’s very okay that he looks so ruffled and squeezable as he tries to stutter his way through the explanation.
My body warms from head to toe, and I nod, looking up through my lashes shyly. “Of course, Slash. I said I wanted to see your animal, and I meant it. And I definitely need to learn how to work with mine before I do something stupid again. I was only teasing.”
His face lights up, and he coughs as he gestures at the water. “That is a Hell-spring, and it is very good for demons to soak in. It is for recreation, healing, power-gathering, and more. They are usually good, but being able to identify ones that have been tampered with is also a skill you may need in the Games. Ones that are not are also good for drinking, though your nose is probably saying they are not.”
“No shit,” I say as I wave my hand in front of my face. “This adjustment thing needs to kick in soon. It went from sulfur to sewer a minute ago.”
Slash chuckles as he watches me shudder. “Give it time, Kit. Patience is a virtue—that’s what your people say, right?”
I snort. “They maysayit, but they sure as fuck don’t believe it at any stage. But I get what you mean; let it happen naturally and just calm down. Right?”
“Yes,” he replies with a grin. “I am going to remove my shirt and sweats now so I can dive in. Is that okay with you?”
My heart squeezes as he asks permission, when he damn well knows I’vebeen in the bathroom and locker rooms with them half-naked before. Slash is kinder than he gets credit for and more emotionally intelligent than his brothers are aware of. “Yes, big guy. You can strip to get in the pool. I think I can handle it.”
He dips his chin, and I swear to fuck, I see a slight tint of redness on his cheeks. Making a dude this enormous and lethal blush has my entire body responding in girlish glee, and I step back. If he’s shifting, his senses will sharpen, and despite my Dank potion, I remember his warning to be cautious around their demons and animals. As Slash tugs his shirt over his head with one hand, I swallow hard from the spot I backed into, and curse the dryness in my mouth when words get stuck.
Being in this pool area alone with him differs greatly from the other two situations. He’s tattooed all over under his clothes, and though I noticed it before, I wasn’t reallylooking. In fact, I was so busy tryingnotto look or look like I was looking… that I missed how fucking cut he is. Okay, I know they’re super muscle-y and hotter than shit, but this is… different? Seeing Slash’s intricate and likely painful tattoos that dip down his abs to the deep ‘V’ at the low waistband of his shorts is making me feel lots of things, and I’m having a lot of trouble parsing it all.
“Okay, little demon. I am ready to dive in.” He looks at me for a moment, and I worry that he’s figured out I’m ogling him. But then he just says, “You will need to come back where you can see and hear better. That is too far. Have I scared you? If so, I will?—”
“No!” I blurt out as my body rushes forward without consulting my brain. “No, I’m sorry. It was knee-jerk, not about you. Tell me about what you’re going to do. Talk me through it, step by step.”
He blinks, his brow furrowing. “That will be very difficult. I have not had tothinkabout shifting for so long that your country wasn’t even founded yet.”
There’s the confirmation that these guys are really fucking old in human years and still not old in demon lifespan in a way that I cannot ignore.
Thanks for making it weird, big guy.
“Never say that again,” I grumble as I rub my palms on my arms. “I know it’s true logically, but my brain still isn’t ready to wrap around the fact that demons are like centuries old when they graduate college because that’s how damn long you live without dying in suspicious circumstances.”
Slash winks at me, tilting his head as his eyes sparkle. “We are all certainly old enough to be so far back in your family tree that it was a seedling—and by you, I mean humans, not whomever your biological relations are.”
“Stop that,” I hiss as I stomp closer and smack him on the chest. “It’s so fucking weird.”
“But I enjoy your outrage, little demon. It tickles my funny bone for you to be so incensed about our age. I am not sure if it’s because of human teachings or something else, but it’s amusing.”
