(Dyn)

  Uo watch Dyn suffer another moment, Nathan stepped in with the introdu. “Dyn, this is Meekan.” He gave Dyn a quick, encing smile.

  Dyn refused to look up. His gaze remained glued to the floor, as if looking at her would make things worse. “Hi, Meekan.”

  She crouched to Dyn’s level. Her voice softened with an apologetic lilt. “Sorry about knog you over. I hope I didn’t hurt you. It’s just…” The shift ione was impossible to miss as she smiled. “I’ve been really excited to finally meet you.”

  Dyed at the kindness in her voice. ‘Oh no. She’s hot and she’s kind,’ he thought. Kindness—his personal kryptonite—left him hopelessly infatuated too often. It was a lessohought he’d learned, but clearly, his heart missed the memo.

  Meekan reached down, slipping her hand into his. Dyire body te her touch.

  ‘She’s holding my hand!’ he thought.

  Meekan stood, pulling him effortlessly to his feet. The fox-woman was surprisingly strong for someoh such a slender, light frame. “It’s not everyday I meet my best friend for the first time.” Meekan smiled at him, revealing a pair of sharp es.

  Dyn bli her, half-startled, dazzled by her smile. fused, he poi his ow. “I’m… your best friend?”

  Nathan gave Meekan a wounded look, his eyes fshing bck for an instant before shifting back to blue.

  “He’s”—Nathan poio Dyn—“your best friend?” Meekan nodded. Nathan’s finger shifted toward her, his jaw tightening. “You knew…” He narrowed his eyes. “You knew about the tract.”

  Without missing a beat, Meekan deflected. “Your friend Charles is here.” She tilted her head, gesturing with her oward the opposite side of the dining room.

  Dy a wave of relief wash over him. He’d been worried when they couldn’t find Charles at Mert’s Circle, but some things still weren’t adding up. “Charles…?” he asked.

  Meekan gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. “Yep.”

  “Having dinner…?” Dyn’s lips twisted in doubt.

  Her ears twitched slightly as she nodded. “Uh-huh.”

  “With… people?” Dyn squiilting his head, still unsure.

  “Yes,” Meekan said. She tugged his hand, and he followed without protest. This time, she took the long way around, skirting the edges of the room, no longer in a rush. Several people shot Meekan disapproving looks from her earlier stunt as they passed.

  At the first er of the room, Dyn leaned in and asked, “Have we met before?”

  Her pace didn’t falter. “Nope,” she said, tinuing to walk.

  “But you… I’m…?” Dyn halted, struggling to make sense of everything. “How do you know me?”

  Meekan turo face him, her expression pensive. She bit her lip and pondered briefly, then asked, “What… do you know about time magic?”

  Dyn gasped, eyes wide, sing the room for eavesdroppers. Was she trying to get them killed? He reacted before he could think, or she could say another word, and found himself pressed up against her with a hand c her mouth.

  Meekan giggled behind his hand, and his tension dissolved. Her brown eyes locked onto his, and, slowly, she reached up to pull his hand down. Leaning in, Meekan’s lips barely moved as she whispered, “It’s okay.” She poio herself. “I have—” She paused. “I… am time magic.”

  They stood so close, Dy her breath ced with citrus as she spoke. Blushing at his own forcefulness, he took a clumsy step back to give her space. His eyes darted around the room, but only Nathan, waiting patiently a doze behind, paid them any mind.

  Meekan followed him, closing the gap between them again. tinuing to whisper, she said, “Everyone here—except your friend Charles—knows my secret. And I’m choosing to trust you with it, too.” Her eyes remained locked on his. “You asked how I know you. It’s impossible to expin, maddening to experience, but that’s how I know what I know—Time.”

  Somehow, her hand was in his again before he realized it. She gently pulled him along as they slipped through the crowd and found their seats at the table.

  “Hello, handsome,” a pyful voice purred from a red drai. Her golden eyes glittered, pupils narrowing like a cat’s, and locked on him with a huhat dinner wouldn’t sate. “I couldn’t help but notice you entering the dorms with Nathan earlier today. Are you one of the new initiates?

  Nathan and Charles answered in perfeison: “No.”

  “Hmm, that’s a shame. I’m Ni’ot, by the way.” She smiled at Dyn, fshing an impressive row of fangs.

  Distracted by the food—dishes piled high with blue, green, and purple meats, all smelling richly of roasted spices—Auto-maook over before he could stop it. He gave the hungry red dragon a big smile and held out his hand for a shake. “Hello Ni’ot. I’m Dyn. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  Taken aback by his sudden boldness, everyoched as the se pyed out. Ni’ot raised an eyebrow, gng from Dyn’s hand to his face before taking the offer. While Y’rell’s touch had been warm and silky, Ni’ot’s grip was firm, calloused, and hot.

  “A pleasure indeed,” Ni’ot said.

  Ni’ot bit her lip, fighting a grin, then mouthed “So hot” at Meekan. Meekan tried to hide her amusement, watg Dyn be himself.

  Dyn closed his eyes, swallowing hard. ‘Goddamnit Dyn, you did it again,’ he thought. Quickly pulling his hand back, he sed the room for something—anything—to ge the versation. He didn’t want to repeat the Y’rell i. Especially not in front of the pretty fox-woman.

  Too hungry to think of anything clever, Dy with the obvious. “This all smells and looks amazing.”

  “It does, doesn’t it,” Ni’ot agreed, with a lingering g Dyn. “I have the hardest time resisting things that look so delicious.”

  Dyn sighed. ‘That’s it. Everyone’s going to horny jail,’ he thought, deg to just focus on the wonderful food in front of him. His stomach rumbled, mouth watering at the st of proper food—something he hadn’t had since arriving on Mother ons.

  A fresh cut split open along Charles’s neck, and Dyn frowhe rugged elf was good at taking care of others, but Dyn wondered who took care of him. The tailor’s needle pricked his finger, and the wound vanished. Dyn blinked, unsure what to make of the strange healing ability.

  “You should probably get that looked at,” Dyn said, trying to sound casual, but his slipped through. If Charles wouldn’t look after himself, someone should

  “I did. There’s nothing they do. It just has to run its course. I’ll be fine.” Charles rubbed at the spot absentmindedly, Dyn a stiff, forced smile.

  Across the table, Meekan pulled a vial of purple liquid out of her pocket. Dyn’s curiosity grew as he watched her.

  “Are you sneaking booze at dinner?” Dyn whispered, leaning over the table. He gnced around to see who else noticed.

  Meekan’s ears twitched, and she g the vial, then back at him. “Oh, this?” she asked, smiling as she shook her head. “It’s just Prune Juice.” She took a sip, downing about a third of it. “Actually…” She stared at the bottle, her smile repced with . “You might want some of your own.”

  ‘How old does she think I am? I’m middle-aged at most. Wait—how old is she?’ Dyn wondered, shaking his head, trying to dislodge the spiraling thoughts of how out of his league the stunning fox-woman was. That, and the fact she just ily called him old. He fshed his best polite smile and shook his head. “I don’t think I need any prune juice.”

  Her frown deepened. “Are you sure?”

  “Yep,” he said with a nod. “Absolutely sure I don’t need prune juice.” He shifted awkwardly in his seat, averting his gaze from Nathan. “I’m pretty regur as it is.”

  Overhearing their versation, Ni’ot said, “We’ve got alcohol, you know. I’d be happy to share a drink—after dinner, maybe?”

  Meekan hid behind her mug, snickering as she took another sip of tea. The tea’s warmth spread through her hands, but it was the se in front of her that really warmed her heart. Watg Ni’ot chase after Dyn brought her great amusement, especially seeing his adorably awkward reas.

  Charles leaned in toward Dyn. “How do you do it? This is the sed time in as many days I’ve seen you draw the attention of a drai.”

  Natha down his utensils. “Okay, so it’s not just me.”

  Dyn’s gaze bounced between Charles and Nathan. “What exactly are you two talking about?”

  Nathan adjusted his seat on the bench, leaning back slightly as if trying to distance himself from the statement. “The fact you’re a walking aphrodisiac—”

  Tea sprayed bat. “Sorry,” Meekan said, dabbing at her mouth with a napkin. “Please, tinue.” Her enjoyment of the versation was obvious.

  Nathan paused for effect, then added, “And it’s not just drai. There’s a gnomish woman asking after him too.”

  “I’ve only met one gnomish woman…” Dyn muttered, half to himself.

  “Yes, I’d like to know how it works.” Charles interlocked his fingers aed them oable, waiting expetly for the chubby man to expin.

  “How what works?” Dyn asked, still unsure what they were talking about.

  “How do you attract drai?” Charles asked.

  Dyn blinked slowly, his gaze flig between an expet Charles, an embarrassed Nathan, and a very amused Meekan.

  Ni’ot had finished fillie and was already tearing into her meal. She chewed thoughtfully, speaking aloud to herself. “He has a perfectly approachable height,” she said, pinnieak down with a fork.

  ‘Approachable? Was that a pliment?’ Dyn wondered; unsure.

  “And that geous hair, aic, deep chestnut brown. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that shade before.” Her knife sliced into the dripping sb of meat. “A deliciously plump figure—bet he’s soft as a pillow.” Ni’ot put the strip of tender meat into her mouth, making no effort to hide her thoughts as she tio talk through her chewing.

  ‘She’s n,’ Dyn had to admit—he was very soft.

  “And those irresistible button-sized ears?” She paused, taking a gulp from her mug. “Sexual energy overflowing from the moment you meet. I mean, he greets you with a soul-seeking stare, a disarming smile fshing an aggressive dispy of teeth, followed by an immediate offer of physical tact.” She tapped the table lightly with her utensils, as if hammering the point home.

  “If that doesn’t start your furnace, I don’t know what will.” Ni’ot shook her head and took another bite of her steak.

  The table fell silent. Ni’ot blinked, finally notig the stares. “What? I see the appeal,” she said with a mouthful of food.

  Meekan spped the table, ughter spilling out untrolbly.

  Charles tio stare at Dyn, squinting. “I just don’t see it.”

  Nathan sat sck-jawed, uo find words to express himself.

  Dyn’s stomach rumbled, and the aroma wafting from the dishes was heavenly—a perfect blend of sweet and tangy. Without missing a beat, he piled his pte with colored meats aables, pretending the st two minutes hadn’t happened.

  He savored each bite; the fvors bursting beyond expectation. He spoke between mouthfuls, filling iable on his past couple of days. He carefully skipped over the Time orb and his many resurres, starting his tale with the explosion and ending with his arrival in Dartmouth.

  A long, ominous growl from the depths of his bowels made him freeze. “That’s weird.” Dyn interrupted his owelling of the beatiook from the okamijin, who ‘almost’ killed him.

  Meekan tilted her head. “What’s weird?”

  “My fingers are numb.” Dyn gave the table a few experimental taps, frowning. “I think I ate too fast.” He set down his utensils, pushed his pte away, and tinued his tale.

  Nathan and Meekan exged worried gheir deepening as Dyn’s plexion paled.

  ‘Why’s he looking at me like that? I left the dying bits out…’ Dyn thought. Beads of sweat dotted his brow. The dining hall was getting unfortably warm.

  Dyn took a long pull from his mug. A queasy stirred in his stomach, but there was no way he’d waste the delieal he’d just devoured.

  Nathan’s eyes shifted to yellow as he leaned forward, his gaze sharp. “Dyn, you don’t look so well.”

  Dyn blinked hard, shook his head, then blinked again, raising a hand to shield his eyes. “When did the lights get sht?”

  The urge hit him like a spell gone wrong—sudden and unstoppable. Dyn’s hand moved to cover his mouth. His chair barked against the floor as he shot to his feet. Nathan and Charles’ chairs cried out in unison as both elves sprang up to follow.

  “I need a bucket,” Dyn mumbled, voice muffled by his hand. All three of them frantically sed the room for anything resembling a bucket.