Page 102 of Quiet Burn

X grins, clapping me on the shoulder. “I don’t blame you, but he means it might help us reveal your entire lineage, which will tell us what kind of supe you are. Obviously, demon is in there, but there’s more.” They pause for a moment, chewing their lip before adding, “I suspect you’re rare in multiple ways other than what we’ve discussed.”

Slash narrows his eyes at us, but he doesn’t ask what Xerxes means. Instead, he turns to look at the students on the stairs around us and then opens the door to the building. “We will suspend this discussion until we are in the doctor’s office.”

I nod, following X inside and heading for the elevator. The main entrance is busy, students are heading for their classes or lounging on the furniture until their next class. There’s too many of them around to feel safe, but as soon as the thought occurs to me, Slash steps closer. His big arm takes mine, tucking it into his chest as we wait for the elevator to open.

“Thanks,” I murmur softly. “I didn’t realize there’d be so many people in here at this time of the morning.”

While I’ve slowly gotten used to the guys being around me en masse and even some touching, I am definitelynotgood with the rest of the student body in my space. That’s probably not a bad thing, so I haven’t tried to acclimate myself better. Having an automatic alarm system in place makes it harder for shitheads like Roquefort to get near me without permission.

The door opens and Slash blocks the entrance to any other students waiting, so we’re alone. I open my mouth to ask X about their statement, but the big guy shakes his head. It confuses me, but he looks serious. The bell dings and we exit, heading down the hallway until we get to Dank’s office. Slash lets go of me to bang his fist on it, resulting in a masked Dank opening the door carefully.

“Ah, Master Kit and Master Xerxes. Right on time.”

I frown as I follow the others into his space. “We didn’t have an appointment.”

Removing the plague mask and setting it aside, the elder demon gives me what appears to be a smile. “That does not mean I was unaware you’d come. Please have a seat on a table—both of you. Master Slash, you will have to step out when I examine your newest inductee as before.”

“Fine,” he grumbles as he takes a place between two tables and crosses his arms over his chest stubbornly. “But I will remain here until it is time.”

I’d swear he’s pouting, but how the hell does one identify that on a shark shifter?

Xerxes moves slower than me, but they get up on the table to Slash’s left and I head for the one on the right. Once we’re settled, Dank gives me a weird skull-faced smile again.“Excellent. We are all in agreement, then. I will mix the things I need and return shortly.”

“Thank you, Dank,” I murmur gratefully.

The demon’s fire flares a bit, then he dips his head and shuffles toward the back of his office. After he shuts the door to the room, I turn to my companions with an expectant expression. “Well, spill it before he comes back. I’m nervous enough after X’s pleas for secrecy; I don’t need to get too close to the edge.”

“Breathe, little demon.”

“Iambreathing, but I want them to tell me what the hell they were talking about back in the quad.” I cross my arms this time, making a stubborn face as the shark smiles.

“Okay, okay,” X says as they run their hand through their hair. “You know that supes can have two-sides like us, right? The truth is that, while extremely rare, there are a few supernaturals in various realms born with three. The folks above call ittripleskiabecause the divine folks named it first. It’s unheard of in Hell, but for some ancient texts.”

“What the hell does that have to do with me?”

Slash grunts, rolling his eyes at me and before I can stop it, I smack his big arm. Despite the fact that I hit him, he looks pleased as shit. “Xerxes is trying to say that being here means you have some form of demon blood. Having an affinity for animals and for some of our animals leans toward shifter as your second half. But… the time thing might suggest you are the firsttripleskiain the demon world for a very long time.”

My eyes widen and I throw my hands up in frustration. “Well, that’s just dandy. I mean, what better way to put an evenbiggertarget on my goddamn back than being a super secret special supernatural? Fucking hell, Jasper’s going to have afielddaybossing me around if he hears this shit.”

“Kit Kat, being… that… would mean you’re going to be immensely powerful. It’s a gift most demons would commit mass murder for,” Xerxes says carefully. “Why are you so upset? Jasper won’t, like, disavow you or anything.”

Groaning as I lean back until I’m reclining on the table, I look up at the ceiling blankly. “X, there’s so much wrong with that question that I can’t even get my hands around it all.”

“Start piece by piece,” Slash rumbles.

I lick my lips and close my eyes so I don’t have to look at either of them as I lay out my worries. “In no particular order, this worries me because of the enemies I already have—both seen and unseen. I’m just getting one set of powers and no one knows what it is or how to control it.

I possibly have a power that will definitely get me killed. I could be a rare supe, which will attract fuck knows what else and we can’t seem to keep me safe already. I’m a raging mess of mental health issues without all of the aforementioned stuff, and I have to deal with constant upheaval as I learn how everything and everyone here works.

This last mess got several people injured, including me, and it’s a goddamn puzzle as to how or what I did. The asshole in charge seems to be directly targeting me personally and through proxies while maybe whipping up a war. Oh, and we have to compete in public to the death trials they say they are preparing us for, but are not.”

They’re both staring at me; I can feel it. Sucking in a deep breath, I blow it out and continue. “Also, I just want a damn education. Jasper said we’re going to surface at some point and that makes me want to hide. I’m getting used to it here and don’t want to go back there. I suck at change.

And for fuck’s sakes, every one of my uniforms, athletic gear, and…. special undergarments have been destroyed except what I’m wearing now. I sure asfuckcan’t run around naked or in the Games shit. It’s too damn much to ask me to also be some kind of freak show, too.”

“Whoaaaaaaa…” X’s voice is soft, and it immediately helps me calm a little after being so wound up. “That was a lot of shit at once, KK. Did it feel good to get it out?”

Man, this dude is good.

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