Dick burst through the Viper Room door and sat on the sofa across from Ted, who was reading a Playboy magazine. “Ted, I’m so sorry I didn’t kill anything, but I found one,” he said. “A hellhound. He’s even taller than Spence and he was hanging out with Cynthia and Tabitha.”

Ted’s tail flicked as he gave Dick a gentle smile. “Oh, I know. You did the right thing, dear. Don’t worry about the girls--I’ll take care of them,” he said. 

“How do you even kill a demon?” Dick asked. “Obviously you can’t stab or shoot them.”

Ted chuckled, softly shutting the magazine and setting it on the coffee table. “It’s quite a riddle,” he said. “I apologize for not telling you sooner. But you’d need decent knowledge of demon anatomy. Franky, would you like to take a crack at it?”

Franky, who was quietly waiting in the doorway, perked up when his name was mentioned. “Me?” he muttered, his face turning pink. “Well, since demons can shapeshift and heal themselves from the outside, it would be almost impossible to kill one via impalement or bludgeoning of any kind…You would have to hurt it from the inside…via poisoning or something of the sort, since their internal organs are almost identical to humans but can shift at will…”

“Right you are, dear--how did you know that?”

Franky fiddled with his cufflinks as his face got redder. “Just a lucky guess.”

“My best suggestion is strangulation. Poison also works well if you’re feeling jazzy,” Ted said, turning his attention back to Dick. “If you know a young demon who can’t shapeshift well yet, then the more conventional ways will work on them.”

“They can’t shapeshift right away?”

“No. It takes a lot of practice. Just like how humans can’t immediately walk and talk when they’re born.”

“Oh. That makes sense.”

Franky furiously scribbled notes into a small notepad. 

“Well, I’ll be sure to get him next week,” Dick said, standing up. 

“Take your time, dear. Rest well. Bloodshot’s still out there hunting.”

Ted waved his magazine at them as they left the Viper Room. He stretched his wings and yawned as the door closed, wishing revenge on the girls and their little dog too, right then and there. But he’d have to wait until they returned to the Valian’s House, next week, or maybe never.