“I heard that you were kissing Nathaniel Alder,” Beatrice said, “so I don’t think I’m as far off as you wish I was.”
“It may be about Nat,” Thea admitted, “but I don’t think you could guess it even if you tried.”
“Well, don’t keep me in suspense,” Beatrice said, propping her elbows up on the counter and looking at Thea expectantly.
“You...”Thea sighed, glancing around the room at all her other patrons.“I can trust you to keep this quiet, I hope?”
Beatrice let out a small noise in the back of her throat.
“Of course,” she said, shaking her head.“You know I’d never tell a soul.”
“I heard a rumor,” Thea began, “that your marriage had some strange things happen in the beginning.Did it?”
Beatrice showed no sign of acknowledging that anything strange had happened.“What sort of rumors did you hear?”she asked.
Thea sighed.It was better to come out with it.“Do you have any experience with magic?”she asked.
Beatrice’s eyes widened.“Oh,that.What do you know about magic?”
Thea shrugged.“I was just wondering if you had any experience...in case someone you knew was also having trouble with something.”
Beatrice laughed.“I think I understand what you’re saying,” she said.“Yes, there was magic involved in the beginning of our marriage that has since been dissolved.”
“Dissolved?How did you dissolve it?”Thea asked eagerly.
“Who’s asking?”Beatrice asked with a raised brow.
Thea hesitated.“Me,” she said.“Someone I...someone I care about is struggling.”
“What kind of struggle?”Beatrice asked.“The bearer—or being the recipient?”
“The recipient,” Thea said with a sigh.
Beatrice nodded.“I see.Well, I don’t know what I can do for you except tell you that you should talk to Guinevere about it.And if Guinevere can’t help, then...you and this person should come visit me.I may or may not have a baby dragon that might be able to help.”
Thea’s eyes widened and she stared at Beatrice.“A what now?”she asked.
“Shush,” Beatrice said quickly.“It’s not something we throw around.”
“They’re real?”Thea asked quietly.
“They are,” Beatrice admitted with a giddy grin.“You’ll have to come meet her.I can’t promise she will reveal herself, but if she does, you will be amazed.”
“I’m already amazed,” Thea said.“I just assumed they were a myth.”
“So did I,” Beatrice said.“Especially the books I read about them—they all made it seem like they weren’t real.Of course, we also thought magic wasn’t real.”
“True.And you and I both know that that isn’t true.”
Beatrice leaned closer.“So, what sort are you dealing with?”
“Nathaniel keeps randomly turning into a cat.”Thea sighed.
Beatrice snorted.“Somehow that is both terrible and extremely fitting for the two of you.What does Ginger think about that?”
“Apparently she thinks he’s handsome,” Thea said with a laugh.
“Well, he is,” Beatrice said.“I mean, not for me—I’m very happily married—but I can see why she would think that.Because if his cat form is anything like his human form, I’m sure it is very handsome.”
