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Kill the Demon King – the centre of power for all the Demons – in the hopes that it could put an end to the worst of their chaos? She wondered if it would be the equivalent of killing a bee queen and watching her workers buzz around without rhyme or reason. Or would the Demons quickly establish a new leader before they perished?

Regardless of her musings, it was a thread of hope for her people, for herself.

Lifting her face towards the rising sun, she closed her eyes as she basked in its light and heat.I know I’m doing the right thing, even if no one else will see it.

“Emerie,”he called, breaking her from her musing as the dark, bass rumble of his voice reverberated through her. The tiny hairs on her body stood on end as it tingled her brain in the most disconcerting way.

She couldn’t even remember telling him her name. She guessed he must have overheard it within Zagros Fortress.

“Yes?” she croaked out, unable to look at him due to her weird reaction. Even her cheeks had heated a little in embarrassment, likely making her facial scarring more noticeable – and she hated it when that happened.

Smoothness rubbed down the back of her forearm until it slid into her relaxed palm. The movement in her peripheral told her it was his beak.

“Will you do what you did to me before?”He seemed to almost groan out his question, each word slow and hoarse.

Her eyelids snapped open, and she jerked away. She crossed her arms as she faced him, shaking her head since she knewexactlywhat he was talking about.

His purple orbs appeared a little darker than the orchid hue she’d seen them turn, but she put it down to a trick of the sunlight hitting them for the first time.

“N-no,” she squeaked. “That... uh, was only one time.”

He stepped closer to crowd her.“Why? Your touch felt good.”

Emerie put a hand out to ward him back.

“B-because I only did that to calm you and because you said you were in pain. That’s, um, that’s something you’re only supposed to do with someone special.”

The Duskwalker confidently placed the curve of his beak right against her outward reaching hand. It tilted to the right under her fingertips and palm.

“I can be special.”That’s not what she meant! She retracted her hand from the air.“What was it? I have never seen it come from me before, but you touched it so... willingly.”

Emerie wanted to squirm in embarrassment, her cheeks heating with it to the point even her chest flushed.

Touched it so willingly?! He was making her feel like a sexual deviant!

“You don’t know what came out of you?” she squeaked out, her voice so high pitched it threatened to give out.

When he shook his head, Emerie wanted to expire.

Oh gods. I feel like I took advantage of him.

She’d just wanted to help him! He’d suffered enough pain that she didn’t want him to experience another second more of it, even if it meant she had to give him a quick hand job and forget it ever happened.

But she should have known he wouldn’t make it a one-time thing. She’d given him release. She’d had an inclination he would try to seek more from her, but she’d also just been hoping he... wouldn’t.

Do... Do I tell him what it was?

Part of her wanted to change the subject, and another part told her the right thing to do was to explain it to him. It wasn’t fair to withhold knowledge from him just because she wanted to die of shame and embarrassment.

Pull up a chair, class. It’s time to learn sex education.She groaned in dismay before her shoulders slumped.

She’d been retreating from him as he stalked her, but her feet eventually settled. Emerie let out a haunted sigh.

“A cock, or dick. That’s what came out of you.” Then Emerie’s brows drew together. “Wait. How have you not seen it before? Wouldn’t you have needed to... you know?” When he tilted his head like he obviously had no idea about what she was talking about, something dawned on her. “Oh shit! You don’t pee!”

She’d never had to clean that up in the dungeon, thank goodness.

His orbs morphed to dark yellow, and he sat back on his haunches.“Pee? What is pee?”