The fireplace had done it's job and Tanith's tent was feeling warm as night closed in.

She'd taken the time to change her legs back, as her paws had the tendency to run hot in higher temperatures.

The male demon awoke from his darkness again. "How long was I out?"

"Several hours." she replied absent mindedly as she opened the clasp on her vest. "It's almost night."

Fatigue had taken over him again, and he'd fallen into a deep slumber before the huntress had had time to ask him anything.

But now she was certain that he really did not have the strength to oppose her.
"There's something I need to know."

"Yes?" red eyes examined her exposed shoulders and slender arms of milky skin. It was all he could do: watch.

The huntress slid her hand up her thigh as she closed in.

And the next thing Llyr knew was a sharp blade against his neck.

"Why can't I sense you? How are you doing it?" she demanded, weighing her dagger against his skin. "Tell me, or I'll cut open your throat."

"No need to force it out of me... It's not exactly a secret."
" ..."
"So, would you mind taking this thing off my neck?"

Surprised by his compliance, she straightened herself and pulled away the blade.

Feeling dumbfoulded she got off him and re-sheathed her weapon.

"Am I imagining things, or did you have paws earlier?" the male demon spoke, gazing at her slender legs.

"Of course, I did." she answered him as though there was nothing odd about it.

"You're a shapeshifter, then? I haven't met one in a while... rare you are."

Most were recruited by the clan. Taken as infants and trained, although only best were allowed to join their ranks. It was most uncommon to see one not part of their clan.

"Shouldn't you know. It's not like you're always like... this" she looked at his horns.
"

I've long forgotten those spells." The truth was, they were too different from the cloaking types he used now, and it was hard to combine them with transformations. "I was born this way and this way I'll stay."

There was a silence where Tanith felt uneasy.

"But you wanted to know about my spell."
"Spell?"

More spells?

The demon rolled up his sleeve, "This is part of what cloaks me. Very complicated magics, not very many know how to work them the correct way."

He couldn't tell her everything, so he took the liberty of taking himself out of the equation: "There's an expert that does this for others."

Tanith touched his arm curiously, "This is all?"
"No. This is just the surface, the rest is hidden under the skin."

"It courses througout my body and my veins, making me invisible to most everything but the eye."

The huntress wondered if this was really what her target had done, "And someone does this for other demons?"
"Yes."


****

The night progressed on and there was not much to do but to rest and talk. He certainly wasn't going anywhere with all his power still drained.

"Tanith, tell me... why do you not stay this way always?" His eyes observed her perfect human form.
"It's not who I am."

It was a fake form that wasn't strong enough for her to even do her job correctly. As every part she grew out and changed, strengthened her differently. It was how shapeshifters were.

Collecting what little energy he had, he turned to face her up close.
"I'd give anything to not be who I am."

The endless running and hiding was tiring to say the least.

Tanith protested; "Don't make me--"
"I assure you, I have no strength to make you do anything you won't let me." he interrupted.