The showgirl looked nervous fidgeting with her outfit. Why the auction had them dress as bunny beastkin I had no idea, but their uniforms left almost nothing to the imagination.

"I'm, um. My name is Lily. I'm from the Leylei family." Seeing that I had no idea who that was her ego deflated visibly. "We're not a very big family... but we're a mage family. Um, actually when I asked whether you were attending the academy, that is, I'm actually a student there."

Somehow I got the feeling like she wasn't doing this as part of her job, a personal request then?

"It seems unusual for a mage to be working as a showgirl Ms. Lily, is there a reason you're telling me this?"

She looked even more embarrassed than before, fidgeting in front of my eyes.

"Uh, Mr. Keaton, I'm not actually supposed to be saying this to a customer, but I was hoping you could give me some pointers. I heard you were a natural mage, and I know that's kind of amazing, but I was kind of hoping that you could give me some advice. To be honest I'm not doing so well, if I got kicked out I don't know what I'd do."

She leaned forward innocently, seeming to have forgotten how immodest her dress really was, her breasts drawing my attention briefly as I felt more insatiable lust swell up inside me. Increasing my constitution had already pushed me to the limit of my control, but I had somehow grown used to it and managed it through regular coitus with Tammy, Belle, and Marcella. But ever since Tia had run her magic it was like a beast within me had been unleashed. My eye's glinted cold as I steeled my resolve, snapping out of my daze, I decided to end things now before I made another mistake.

"I suppose that's a terrible thing, but I'm afraid I can't help you. Ms. Lily, you'd be better off not placing your hopes in me. Good night."

Abruptly closing the door in their face, Cal looked shocked that I would do so.

"Keaton my friend I can't believe you would turn them down." A know-it-all expression written across his face, "two girls coming up to our room asking for a private lesson, if that isn't an invitation for sex then I don't know what is."

"You should know full well that I can't help her. I know nothing about magic other than what I've heard second hand and I'd feel bad tricking a girl like that." Not to mention that I was on the verge of losing control.

"Suit yourself." He shrugged nonchalantly, turning his attention back to the auction as if nothing of value was lost.

I went to sit back in my chair, but Belle's obsessed staring from her spot in the corner was somewhat unnerving. Did she really want me to start claiming women left and right?

Settling in while I watched the rest of the auction play out. Distracted by my own thoughts, I would have to tussle with Belle later tonight to calm myself, but for now I tried to put my attention on other things.

The auction for now... but even that wasn't enough to occupy me. Magic, then. I should pay the academy a visit one of these days. Magic was always out of my grasp until it suddenly wasn't. I was more than curious about it ever since the day Marcella nearly blew me to pieces with it. Surely learning the secrets of the arcane world would be good for a distraction.

When the auction was finally over we proceeded down the hall, Belle and I locking fingers as I led her by the hand down the hall, I could only be thankful we didn't come across the two showgirls I turned down earlier. Whatever Tia did to me was slowly eating away my rationality, infecting me with a passion that made my intentions to leave to somewhere more private stronger than ever.

Unfortunately for me, a familiar face popped up at the door. Gamlin, the appraiser. The old man had a bittersweet expression on, looking at us like he was looking at a bag of gold; one that had grown legs and was walking out the door.

"Mr. Pel, Mr. Marcet, I have to congratulate you on your success. I've already received dozens of inquiries about purchasing more of those blood reagents, and even more on your identities. If you'd like I could introduce you, these are connections you may find quite valuable in your line of work. There's an afterparty for our members, buyers and sellers alike and I believe you both have more than the qualifications to enter."

Of course it would be like that, we just generated fifty thousand gold in revenue for them in a matter of days, but to be honest I didn't have time for any of that. Glancing at Belle with a fiery passion, her tail curled up along my waist to show that the interest was mutual.

Cal cleared his throat, before stepping up. "You go on ahead, Keaton. I'll take care of this." Seeming to sense that I had no patience left, he decided to be helpful. Saving face for the both of us by going to the party. He always had a better business sense, so why not leave it to him.

"I'll leave it up to you then," giving Belle's hand a squeeze, the two of us decided to return the same manner we had come. Disappearing into the night no sooner than we were out the door.

A night of passion had cleared my mind, but I could already feel it was a just a matter of time. Whatever curse had been laid on me was not easily broken. Pacing the chambers with determination in my step, I chewed the dried remnants of a clear-mind fern frond. We had a decent variety of herbs brought over from Tromwell, all of Cal's existing stock, and whether he assented to my casual raiding of his stores or not I needed whatever I could get to counteract the encroachment on my mind.

It didn't exactly eliminate my problem, but the fern seemed to offer a certain clarity which helped me identify and resist the urges this affliction sent me. Damn that Tia, if I knew how to find her I would make her undo this the moment we met, but ever since our night of passion she had been conspicuously avoiding me.

Coming across Marcella in my extended chamber, I noticed that she was alone this time, eating a much more modest breakfast with a wary expression on her face. Not having the gall to order the maids as I had caught her doing earlier.

My mind clicked in place, knowing there was a place we needed to visit.

"Come along Marcella, let's go for a walk."