(Nathan)

  Hearing Dyhat wain—died—had a s effe Nathan. He ched his jaw, hating himself for the lie he was about to tell, especially to someone as i as Dyn. But he had to protect himself.

  “Almost died,” Nathan corrected, his voice more trolled. “I arrived in time to heal you.”

  Dyement faded, his head tilting slightly as his brow furrowed. “Why do you keep doing that?” There was no accusation in his voice, only a soft, curious patiehat caught Nathan off guard. The maturity in Dyn’s words surprised him.

  Natha his guard up, though he hesitated. “Doing what?” He didn’t know Dyn that well, but a part of him wao trust him. Maybe then, he wouldn’t have to carry the burden alone. But sharing was dangerous. Dangerous for both of them. He couldn’t do that to someone else—could he?

  Dyn’s expression softened. “Trying to gaslight me into believing that I didn’t die?”

  Nathan blinked, unfamiliar with the term. “Gaslight?”

  “Where I e from, it’s a form of mental abuse,” Dyly expined. “Trying to vineohat their memory or perception of the past is wrong or happened differently. You seem like a nice guy—like you care. So I don’t get why you’re doing that.”

  Dyn triggered aential crisis in Nathan, his words like arrows, stripping away Nathan’s defenses and self-justifications, burying themselves deep into his heart. Stunned, Nathan didn’t know how to respond.

  ‘Am I abusive?’ he asked himself. His instincts screamed at him to keep lying or, at the very least, ge the subject. ‘Is my mental health more important than his?’ The part of him that wao tell Dyhing twitched. Nathan’s breath quied, his pulse rag. He didn’t know what to do. ‘Lie? Omit? Or—?’

  Nathan sat at the foot of the bed. “You’re right,” he muttered, l his head. ‘You’re right? You idiot!’ The words were already out, and no matter how badly he wao take them back, he couldn’t.

  Dyn joined him at the foot of the bed—wide enough for both of them. “Thanks.”

  A sudden wave of nausea hit Nathan as his carefully staged world crumbled around him. His eyes darted to the bucket uhe sink. ‘He’s going to ask questions.’ Nathan’s mind spiraled, tangled in intrusive thoughts.

  Then Dyn asked a question Nathan didn’t expect. “Is it important that no one finds out I died?”

  ‘He’ll find out, and then everyone will know.’ Nathan gave a small nod, fighting the urge to get sick all over the floor. His palms grew cmmy as he wiped his brow with the sleeve of his tunic.

  “Then we won’t tell them. If anyone asks, I didn’t die today.”

  Nathan looked up, tears welling in his eyes. His voice wavered as he asked, “Why?” His thoughts raced, filling the silence. ‘Why do this for me? What do you want?’ He desperately o know.

  Dyn shrugged, gng away as if it were the simplest answer in the world. “I don’t know. It’s obviously important to you, and it doesn’t e anything to leave the whole dying bit out.” He gave Nathan a kind smile. “Plus, you’ve been really o me—even after I defecated in your office.” He chuckled. “I think you’re a good person, Nathan.”

  Natha a strange mix of gratitude and guilt. ‘You’ll ge your mind if you ever find out the truth.’ His chest tightened as he wondered what it was about Dyn that made him want to risk exposing his darkest secrets. Marlin was right—Dyn was trouble. But Nathan had a job to do, and the ask was getting Dyn some clothes.

  Dyn broke the sileh a soft question. “ I ask you something personal?”

  Nathan tensed. ‘Don’t ask about the ability. Anything but that.’ He forced a weak smile. “That depends.”

  Dyn leaned in, squinting as he stared into Nathan’s eyes. “I thought your eyes were blue?”

  A genuine smile tugged at Nathan’s lips as he blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Oh, that…”

  Realizing how close he was, Dyn straightened. “Yeah, I thought they were blue whe. You’ve got kind eyes, by the way.”

  “Thanks,” Nathan replied, resting his hands on his p.

  “But after you…” Dyn paused, remembering his promise. “Healed me.”

  Nathan gave a small nod of appreciation.

  “They were yellow, and since we arrived at the hospital, they’ve been blue—except just now, wheurned yellow again.” Dyn waited expetly, looking to Nathan for an expnation.

  [Moonstone Gaze] was the passive ability from his Prismatic framework. It shifted his eye color when he experienced powerful emotions.

  Nathaated, then said, “That’s one of my passive abilities.”

  Dyn sighed in relief. “So I wasn’t just imagining it. Thank Mother.”

  Nathan gave a small smile, but his gaze dropped. “My eye color ges when I get… emotional.‘What’s the matter with me?’ Nathan wondered. ‘We o go before I tell him too much…’ Dyn was too easy to talk to, and that was dangerous. There were things Nathan hadn’t even shared with his best friend, Meekan.

  Nathan cpped his thighs and stood, hopping off the bed. “Well, I ’t take you to dionight half-naked.”

  Dyn hopped down after him, a grin spreading across his face. “Only if we get them from Charles,” he insisted.

  “You want to go find your injured friend, whose home and shop you burned down?” Nathan asked, raising an eyebrow. “I’m not sure if he has any wares left, but we o reimburse him for his losses anyway.” He shrugged and headed toward the door. “Okay, let’s go.”

  fshed across Dyn’s face. “Oh no.” He froze for a moment, realization dawning. “I fot about the treehouse! Wait!”

  Nathan and Dyn made their way from the hospital to Merts’ Circle without i. When they arrived, Charles’ lot was still empty, and none of the other merts had seen him sihe fire.

  Nathan frowned, gng around. “Charles hasn’t returned, and I don’t have anything that’ll fit you. Would it be okay if we got you a shirt from another vendor?” He noticed the growing attention Dyn was attrag.

  People stared openly at Dyn as they walked. Natha was a bination of his robust frame and blunted ears—her of which were covered.

  ‘He o feel safe,’ Nathan thought, his deepening. ‘All this attention is making him feel even more alienated.’ This would only make it harder for Dyn to ie into society.

  Dyn huffed, clearly unhappy. “Yeah… Okay.”

  Nathan’s brow furrowed. ‘He’s probably still worried about his friend.’ He recalled a shop just down the road that might have something to fit Dyn.

  A bell chimed as they stepped into Big, Tall, and Small.

  “Watch your step in here,” Nathan warned, gng at the floor.

  A moment ter: “Excrement!” Dyn yelped, actally punting a short wooden stool across the shop. “That’s gonna leave a mark,” he groaned, bending to rub his bruised shin.

  “There are a lot of tripping hazards in here,” Nathan added, this time more specific.

  “Okay,” Dyn mumbled, straightening. He turned and nearly ran into someone half his height. “Ah!” he yelped, stumbling back as he found himself belly-to-face with a female gnome.

  “Dy Lady Buttercup Belltower Bitterbunch of the Waxford glomerate,” Nathan said, gesturing toward the proprietor.

  Buttercup gave a slight nod. “Thank you, dear Nathan.” She tilted her head, her gaze lifting to Dyn. “But you, tall, wide, and handsome, may call me Buttercup.”

  Transfixed, Dyn stared down at the gnomish woman, his gaze flig between Nathan and Buttercup. “She’s so small,” he muttered.

  Buttercup grinned up at him, her smile curling wider. “pliments will get you everywhere in this shop. What I do for you?”

  “I was hoping you might have a shirt that fits him?” Nathan asked.

  “Nope, all out of shirts.” Buttercup smirked, her eyes trailing over Dyn. “And jackets, vests, capes, cloaks, tunics—whatever you might be thinking of to cover up this hunky man.”

  Nathan blinked, stunned by Buttercup’s sudden ge in demeanor. She was usually far more formal. ‘Is she hitting on him?’ Nathan wondered.

  Buttercup’s gaze drifted to his pants, noting the stains. “Oh my,” she said with mock . “Those pants are filthy.” She g Nathan. “He should probably take those off too—I could wash them for him.”

  ‘She’s definitely hitting on him.’ Nathan gave a slow nod.

  Dyn raised his hands, taking a step back. “No, no, that’s okay.”

  Buttercup sighed and shrugged, barely cealing her disappoi. “I suppose he does look a bit cold.” She pursed her lips, squinting at Dyn. “I might have something in his size.”

  Dyn gnced down, hastily c his chest with his arms.

  Buttercup retrieved the stool Dyn had sent sailing across her shop, along with a couple of tunics. Climbing onto the stool, she held the first tunic against his self-covered chest, her expression ptive, then sed it for the sed to pare.

  “What do you think?” Buttercup asked Nathan. “Olive inger?”

  Nathan scrutihe tunics as she sed between them every few seds. The sileretched until Buttercup broke it.

  “I like them both,” she said to Nathan. “They plement his short brown hair.”

  She turo Dyn. “Is it dye el? How do you get such a rich, loamy toug both tunider her arm, she ran her hand through his hair, lifting it to ihe roots.

  Dyn shifted unfortably, and Buttercup, realizing this, quickly stopped running her hand through his hair. “Sorry,” she said early. “I’ve just never seen hair like yours—I couldn’t resist.”

  “They both look good,” Nathan agreed with a nod. He turo Dyn. “Do you have a preference? I know you only wanted one, but we could get both if you’d like.”

  Dyn stood with his arms still crossed and gave a simple nod.

  “Will you need anything else today?” Buttercup asked Nathan.

  “No, just a shirt for dionight,” Nathan replied.

  Buttercup’s gaze flicked between them, her brow lifting. “Dinner? Are you two…?” She gestured between Nathan and Dyn.

  Nathan waved his hands, shaking his head quickly. “Oh, no. Nothing like that.” A blush crept across his cheeks at the thought.

  Dyn shivered, hugging himself tighter. “It is cold in here, isn’t it?”

  Buttercup stepped over and handed Dyn the olive tunic. “Here, dear.”

  “Mind if I warm up outside?” Dyn asked, pointing toward the door.

  “Of course. I’ll be right out,” Nathan replied.

  The bell chimed again as Dyn stepped out of the shop.

  Buttercup folded the other tunic. “Does Dyn have any family nearby?”

  “I highly doubt it. Why?” Nathan asked as he pulled out his gem pouch.

  “Well…” Buttercup hesitated, looking away briefly. “Let’s just say I’m a city girl, but that’s a mountain I’d love to climb.” She peeked at Dyn through the gss door. “If you catch my meaning.”

  ‘Oh, my.’ Nathan chuckled. “I think everyone caught it.”

  “I’m familiar with elven courtship—kinship, I think you call it?” Buttercup asked, cheg she had it right.

  Nathan gave a slight nod.

  “And I was w if he had any family nearby who could introduce us.” She stepped behind the ter, climbed onto a stool, and pced the folded tuni top.

  Elves had exceptionally close family bonds, looking after and g for one another. It was ary for a close retive to make formal introdus to initiate courtship. Part of the vetting process involved ensuring the suitor had a loving, g heart and would take good care of their family.

  “Dyn isn’t an elf.”

  “Oh? I should’ve guessed. None of you are so well-proportioned, and those ears are far too adorable. And that hair? Mother,”—she bit her lip—“his hair is simply irresistible.” She paused, p. “Was I too forward?”

  ‘Definitely,’ Nathan thought. Blunting the blow, he said, “A little. How much for the tunics?”

  Buttercup fshed him a sly grin, leaning casually against the ter. “Invite me to dionight, and they’re on the house.”

  Nathan blinked, caught off guard by her request. “I’m sorry,” he said, shaking his head. “I ’t do that.”

  Buttercup raised an eyebrow. “’t do what? Invite me to dinner or accept the dist?”

  Nathan scratched the back of his head, uneasy with the versation. “her,” he said, stumbling. “Either?” He winced inwardly. “Both,” he finally settled, knowing haggling with a gnome never ended well.

  Buttercup chuckled. “Listen, dear Nathan, I was going to give you the tunics for free anyeople pay good gems to watch well-endowed, shirtless men wander around. And to think, it only e a couple of tunics—I made out on this deal.”

  ‘No charge?’ Nathaated, unsure how to hahe situation. “I’m sorry, Lady Buttercup, but Dyn is a refugee, and I’ve taken a tract to help him.”

  Buttercup tilted her head, her expression softening slightly. “Ah. And you don’t want to take advantage of him.”

  “Correct,” Nathan said with a small nod.

  Buttercup’s pyful smile returned. “Well, that makes one of us. But the price remains—no charge.”

  ‘There’s a first time for everything, I guess.’ Nathan decided not tue further about the dist. “Thank you, Lady Buttercup.”

  “You’re wele, dear,” Buttercup replied. She sighed wistfully, her eyes gzing over. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I o daydream about that short, brown hair a little longer.”