Page 14 of Morel Dilemma

“Not long, but I didn’t have a desire to go into that place.”

“Because you’re not in the market for a fancy dress or because it didn’t have a back door and wouldn’t be easily defensible if enemies rushed in?”

“It doesn’t have a back door, and the front windows are huge. You might as well wear an archery bull’s-eye target on your chest as enter such an establishment.”

“It wasn’t my kind of place either.”

“And yet…” Sylin extended a hand toward the dress. “That’s not a bookkeeper’s uniform. Are you hoping to wear clothing that will draw your dragon’s eye to your curves?”

“His brother’s eye, actually.” Rylana didn’t mention that Jildarin had barely glanced at her curves even when she’d been standing in her undergarments.

“Pomposity attracts you now?”

“Wine clubs do. And I’m hoping they do you as well.” Rylana tilted her head toward the alley, feeling they should chat in a less public spot. Thanks to the afternoon sun, a lot of pedestrians were out on the cobblestone street, visiting shops.

To her credit, Sylin followed Rylana into the alley without question and let her explain her scheme before interrupting.

“Why,” Sylin said, “don’t you let me sneak into your landlord’s house tonight, throttle him, and extract from his half-strangled throat the answers you seek?”

“First off, I’m not sure what it says about me that I attract companions who enjoy hobbies such as throttling and incineration. Second, I don’t know where he lives.”

“First, you were a mercenary, so it would be odd if your companions settled disputes over tea and cookies. Second, as an assassin, I’m practiced at locating targets, even those who go out of their way to keep details about their residences private.”

“While I appreciate your offer, I am positive Aztor won’t renew our lease if you throttle him beforehand.”

“He doesn’t know we’re linked, does he? I doubt he noticed me the day we arrived at the diner and he was berating your dragon for late payments. Also, doesn’t such behavior suggest his self-preservation instincts might be low?”

“Does that imply that you could find out where he lives in scant hours?”

“Minutes, most likely. His residence is probably public knowledge.”

“I think Aztor is bright enough to link us if you start asking him why he’s evicting the owners of the Dragon Diner.”

“I suppose. But I’m not interested in attending a wine conclave. That’s the kind of snooty place that could be laden with elves.”

“Probably genteel and sophisticated elves, not the warriors who’ve been directed to eliminate the threat of assassins.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised if your Captain Tassani attends.”

“He’s not my captain, just as Jildarin isn’t my dragon. Didn’t the wolves teach you about pronouns?”

“Your is a second-person possessive adjective, not a pronoun, and the wolves didn’t bring up parts of speech. After I left the forest, I read books to further my education.” Sylin’s eyebrows twitched. “Perhaps you should have asked your tutors to share a few more texts with you.”

“Their reading suggestions tended to be dry and filled with numbers and diagrams.” Rylana waved a hand to dismiss the topic. “May I at least tell Zilek you’ll meet him at the coffee shop for a short chat once the queen leaves and the elves have stopped hunting for you? Mentioning you would come was how I got him to invite me. Due to my combat-boot-wearing scruffiness—not to mention my excessive pockets—he was hesitant.”

“You want me to go on a date with him?”

“You could just agree to speak with him at a table while sitting at the coffee shop that you visit regularly anyway.”

“Rylana, that’s what a date is. I’m going to have to get you a dictionary for your next birthday. I can tell.”

“It could be a short date.”

“Isn’t he pursuing that elven acrobat?”

“Yeah, but he’s not going to get her.”

“He’s not going to get me either.”