Jahree hadn’t seen Lanni at dinner. His appetite vanished the moment he sat down. The few bites he forced himself to eat felt like rocks in his gut. All through his shift, his mind spun with dread, waiting for Trema to come stomping in, accusing him of going too far. He imagined the grim look on the captain’s face, the cold, clipped words: She's pressing charges. His hands clenched and unclenched as he walked his rounds. How could he have been so stupid? Lanni had been part of the honor guard. They were noble, upright, untouchable. They didn’t sleep with someone they barely knew—especially not after just a few weeks. His mind kept replaying the night, searching for clues. He tried to convince himself that everything was fine, but guilt gnawed at him. He’d blown it, his one chance to prove he wasn’t the kind of man everyone said he was. The rumors, the whispers—he’d done exactly what they claimed he would do. It was a sickening thought. At least he was stationed far up north, far away from Papa Tey. He wouldn't have to see the disappointment in the old dragon’s eyes. But distance wouldn’t save him. Papa Tey could transport in a heartbeat if he wanted to. There was nowhere he could hide. The dragon had warned him about this, over and over, and now there would be no forgiveness. Jahan showed up to relieve him in the morning, looking unusually tight-lipped. “Trema had something come up,” he said, keeping his tone casual. “He’ll relieve me later.” The words rang ominous in Jahree’s ears. Something come up? Jahree’s heart sank further. Lanni must have gone straight to Trema after all. He didn’t want to think about the report she’d given—whatever she said, it couldn’t be good. Maybe she hadn’t wanted to make a scene last night, but she’d surely spoken to him by now. He could turn himself in. Make it easier. He was tempted to head straight for the brig—after all, it was only a matter of time. Jahree chose to go to breakfast, one last meal. The food was already laid out on the table, so he sat and began eating. The absence of Tellic and Lanni wasn’t unusual—they had their own schedules. He savored the warmth of the food, hoping it might settle his restless thoughts. Moments later, Lanni emerged, her presence drawing light into the room. “Morning,” she greeted him with a smile, her voice as bright as the sunlight streaming through the windows. As she passed him, her fingers playfully brushed through his hair. Jahree stiffened, a reflexive reaction he couldn’t quite suppress. Lanni’s smile faltered, replaced by a look of concern. “Are you okay?” she asked, her voice softer now. “I didn’t hurt you last night, did I?” “No,” he replied curtly, though the word carried the weight of unspoken thoughts. Her eyes narrowed, not in anger but in worry. “Good. Are you mad at me?” Jahree blinked, caught off guard. “Me? Mad at you? No. Why?” His confusion was genuine, his tone matching it. She opened her mouth to reply, then hesitated. Whatever she had been about to say was swallowed as Tellic walked into the room. With his usual composed demeanor, Tellic slid into a seat at the table, breaking the moment. “We’ll talk later,” Lanni murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. Tellic, ever the gentleman, made no comment about the undercurrent of the previous night but instead launched into a light discussion about the upcoming party. Jahree listened, though his mind drifted back to Lanni’s earlier question. At one point, Lanni took his hand under the table. Jahree froze, startled by the gesture. Her touch was warm, grounding. He glanced at her, searching her face for some hint of what she was thinking. Was she not upset? Before he could make sense of it, a woman approached their table. Her presence was striking—not in the way she carried herself, but in the subtle authority that seemed to radiate from her. “May I sit here?” she asked, her tone polite but firm. Lanni’s face lit up in recognition. “Morina!” she exclaimed, leaping to her feet and embracing the newcomer. Morina returned the hug with a stiff, almost reluctant grace, as if indulging Lanni’s enthusiasm despite finding it unnecessary. “Let me get you some breakfast,” Lanni offered, already moving toward the serving area. Morina waved her off. “Don’t bother. We ate before we came.” Lanni hesitated, then perked up again. “We?” “Kritalla and I.” Lanni’s smile widened. “Kritalla’s here too?” Morina nodded, her expression softening just slightly. “Captain Trema asked me to fill in while Chapado works with some of his men. Chapado thought Kritalla might be helpful as well. I suggested you could lend a hand too.” Lanni tilted her head, her curiosity piqued. “Me? Kritalla’s an augmenter.” “Ah, that explains the request,” Morina said, as though some puzzle had just clicked into place. Gesturing toward the table, Lanni introduced her companions. “These are my friends, Jahree and Tellic.” Tellic inclined his head politely. “Ma’am.” “Captain,” Jahree said, offering a formal nod. “This is Morina,” Lanni explained with a grin. “She’s my great-great-great-great—” “Knock it off,” Morina interrupted, rolling her eyes. Lanni laughed. “A few hundred greats-grandmother from my adopted family. Kritalla’s her husband. And no, I wasn’t raised by immortals,” she added with a teasing glance at Jahree. “She’s the only one in the family.” Returning to her seat, Lanni reached for Jahree’s hand again. He noticed Morina’s sharp gaze flicker to the gesture, her eyes glinting with something unreadable—amusement, perhaps? Morina said something in a language Jahree didn’t fully understand. The words had the melodic cadence of Tamareen, though he could only pick out fragments— “chose,” or perhaps “choice.” Lanni responded briefly in the same tongue, her tone casual, but her expression unreadable. Switching back to Menthan, Lanni asked, “So where is Kritalla?” “With Trema and Chapado,” Morina replied. “They’re discussing security for tonight’s party. Kritalla and I will be helping guard it. They’re debating whether Chapado should assist as well.” Three immortals guarding a single event? Jahree’s brow furrowed. Something about this felt… larger than a simple gathering. He kept his thoughts to himself, but the seed of unease had been planted. “And what are your intentions with my granddaughter?” A deep, resonant voice boomed from behind Jahree, accompanied by the weight of a heavy hand gripping his shoulder. Jahree froze, his fork suspended halfway to his mouth. Granddaughter? He slowly turned his head, dread pooling in his stomach. Towering over him was a hulking man with deep red hair and a jagged scar cutting across one sharp eye. The man’s amused grin did little to soften the intensity of his gaze. “I… uh… I…” Jahree stammered, his thoughts tripping over themselves. If he hadn’t already been drowning in guilt from the previous night, he might have managed a clever response. Instead, his mind was a blank slate of panic. “Grandpa, go away,” Lanni interjected, her tone laced with exasperation. “Not until I get a hug,” the man insisted, releasing Jahree’s shoulder to pull Lanni into a bear hug. Relieved to no longer be the center of the man’s attention, Jahree exhaled quietly, though his pulse still thundered in his ears. After releasing Lanni, the man turned back to the table. “Kritalla,” Lanni said, gesturing, “this is Jahree and Tellic.” Kritalla’s piercing eyes landed on Jahree. “Jahree, huh? You’re one of the ones Chapado and I are testing later?” He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, the motion doing little to hide the glint of mischief in his eyes. “Be nice,” Lanni scolded, narrowing her eyes at him. “Someone’s got to watch out for you,” Kritalla replied without missing a beat. “I have Uncle Ter for that,” Lanni retorted, crossing her arms. “Kritalla looked out for me back when I was just a runaway. I didn’t even know we were family then.” She shot a teasing glance at him. “He used to try to scare off all my suitors.” “Try?” Kritalla raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. “You never scared off Kith,” Lanni countered, leaning forward with a sly grin. “I didn’t want to. He treated you right,” Kritalla said with a shrug. Lanni chuckled. “No, he didn’t.” “What?” Kritalla frowned, his voice dropping into a serious tone. She nodded, smirking. “Uh-huh. He never pushed me to do anything I didn’t want to do.” The implication hung in the air, and while Lanni clearly found the banter amusing, Jahree’s discomfort grew with each passing second. He glanced at Tellic, hoping for an ally, but the troll was busy picking at his food, seemingly oblivious. Lanni finally rose, breaking the tension. “I’ve got a lot to do before tonight,” she said, her voice light again. She leaned down and kissed Jahree’s cheek. “We’ll talk soon,” she promised before heading off. Jahree could feel both Morina and Kritalla’s eyes boring into him. His cheeks burned with embarrassment. “Jahree,” Tellic said, mercifully cutting in, “we should get some sleep. Come on.” Grateful for the escape, Jahree scrambled to his feet and followed Tellic out. Back in their shared quarters, Tellic wasted no time. As soon as Jahree sat on the bed, the troll scooped him up and dropped him onto the mattress like he weighed nothing. Before Jahree could protest, Tellic began wrapping him snugly in his blanket, cocooning him like a caterpillar. “Can I at least take off my armor first?” Jahree complained, squirming. Tellic sighed dramatically. “Fine. Hurry up.” Jahree shed his gear, muttering, “I don’t need to be wrapped up. I’m fine.” “No, you’re not,” Tellic shot back. “I don’t know what happened last night, but you’ve been moody ever since. And I’m not waking up to you screaming again.” Jahree scowled as he lay down. “Why Sai thought it was a good idea to swaddle me when I was three, I’ll never understand.” “It helped you feel safe,” Tellic replied matter-of-factly, tucking the blanket around him with the precision of an expert. Jahree wrinkled his nose. “I think my diaper needs changing.” “I think you need a paddle,” Tellic retorted, pulling the last edge of the blanket tight. “Now go to sleep.” “Read me a bedtime story,” Jahree quipped, smirking despite himself. Tellic rolled his eyes but humored him. “Once upon a time, a troll hung a human by his toes because he wouldn’t sleep. The end.” Satisfied with his own tale, Tellic climbed into his own bed and promptly fell silent, leaving Jahree staring at the ceiling, swaddled but oddly comforted. #fantasy, #magic, #dragons, #hiddenlands