“She was training. And she changed your diet.”
“Yes.” Aradella ate one of the grilled breads he put on her plate. “These are delicious.”
“My grandpapá learned how to make them while he was on Earth.”
When she told him how she and Hale often sneaked out at night to train, she didn’t look at him. There were some secrets she wasn’t ready to reveal. But when she looked up, Mekos was staring at her hard, as though he was figuring out something.
“Did you—” he began.
Suddenly, Arit appeared, her light shining.
Aradella’s face lit up as bright as the light. “You have a new dress. It’s beautiful!”
Arit was pleased by the compliment. “Kaley drew it and Daln’s daughter made it.”
“Hard to believe that Kaley had time for anything besides—”
Aradella cut him off by loudly clearing her throat. “I’m rather good with a needle. I’ll make a dress for you.”
“And I’ll have Grandpapá send me the best swan cloth,” Mekos said.
“How kind.” Arit sat down on a little pot that Mekos overturned for her. She looked Aradella up and down. “And you look very good. Doesn’t she, Son of Tanek?”
“Now I’m merely a son?” he asked.
The two females stared at him, waiting for his reply.
Mekos smiled. “Yes, she looks good.Verygood!”
“I have news. Ian said—” Arit twirled around but saw no one. “Ian!” she said loudly. It was an order.
One of the things Nevers didn’t tell was how they appeared and disappeared so suddenly. Nor did they tell where they were when they weren’t with humans.
As he was told to, Ian appeared. The light that surrounded him was blue and dull compared to Arit’s. He had on the same clothes he’d been wearing, but below his left knee, there was nothing. They could see fresh spider’s web glistening, and there were dark stains on his clothing.
“Are you all right?” Aradella asked.
“I’m fine as long as I don’t try to walk.”
He was obviously trying to make a joke but his pale complexion told another story.
“Maybe you should lie down,” Aradella said. “You—”
Mekos cut her off. “I didn’t know Nevers could walk. Arit rides around on my father’s shoulder or hides in his beard.”
Arit said, “Ian can ride onyourshoulder. Too bad you don’t have a beard.”
“Yes!” Aradella said. “That’s an excellent idea. Mekos’s shoulders are very wide so you’ll have lots of room. And his hair will cover you as it’s quite thick. You can’t even see sunlight through it. He has—”
The three of them looked at her in a way that made Aradella’s face turn red. “Just an idea,” she murmured.
Mekos put his shoulder forward and Ian flew to sit on it. It had only been a few hours since the lizard had bitten off part of his leg. That he was there with them showed how important his mission was.
Arit waited until the two men were settled then said, “Ian knows the truth about the Lair, about Valona. She plans to kill Aradella tomorrow, and she’ll make it look like—”
Aradella interrupted. “We know this. Everything Valona does is backed by my aunt-queen. She wants me dead, and Tanek and Mekos are to be blamed. Her purpose is to stop the men from coming to Pithan.”
“Does she think the men will start a war?” Arit asked.
