Page 46 of Morel Dilemma

“A dragon,” Rylana said. She might have made a joke, but her father walked out after Zames, and she braced herself to confront him.

He carried a ledger book and an atlas of shipping routes under his arm and had a pencil tucked behind one ear. A man in a button-down shirt who carried a notepad and had a pen in hand peered out the doorway after him.

“Rylana,” her father said as Zames hurried to check on the animals, “you didn’t make an appointment.”

“No, but I need to talk to you anyway.” She glanced at the man in the doorway. “It’s important.”

“Did your cousin Tharla visit you?”

“Er, yes, but that’s not what I want to talk about today.” Rylana didn’t want to discuss her fertility with her father on any day. Meeting his gaze, she said, “I know you met with Aztor Melnakin.”

“I do not know who that is.”

That wasn’t the answer that Ryland had expected. Was it possible he’d found and delivered an ultimatum to her landlord without learning his name?

“The owner of the building we’re leasing for the Dragon Diner,” she said.

Father tilted his head to the side, looking puzzled, then glanced toward Zames, as if he might know what she was talking about, but he’d disappeared into the kennel.

“He said you coerced him into evicting us,” Rylana said, but she was starting to doubt herself. In all the years of her youth, she couldn’t remember her father lying about much or pretending obtuseness to avoid unpleasantries. “Actually, his wife said that, but she had no reason to lie to me. She was furious about the situation, about the pressure she said you applied.”

Father spread a hand. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Rylana. Even if I had the time and inclination to threaten landowners in the city, I wouldn’t try to have you and your new business endeavor ousted from your building. Why would I do that? You’ve finally returned home after almost twenty years. Even if you’re not doing the exact work I would wish for you, it’s far better than being a soldier in a far-off war. And actually…” His eyebrows rose as he looked in the direction Jildarin had disappeared. “I’ve had three acquaintances ask me about your new endeavor and business partner.”

“Jildarin has gained some fame since winning the Golden Whisk,” she said, though she was still trying to puzzle out the situation. Why would Lady Derva have accused Rylana’s father of strong-arming her husband if he hadn’t? Could she have been the one lying? Acting for some reason?

“And notoriety for being a dragon. A cooking dragon. I’d never heard of such a thing before.”

“He’s a unique soul.”

“I’ve been wondering if I could claim he’s an ally who might swoop down to protect my freight vessels that are attacked regularly by pirates in the Hurricane Hells Straits.”

“Lately, he’s swooping down after morels.”

“More-what?”

“Mushrooms. To make an enchanting dish for the elf queen. Also an enchanted dish.”

“I wouldn’t truly expect him to accompany my ships through the straits, but if I could let it be known that my daughter has a dragon ally who might fly in that direction from time to time to breathe fire on pirates, that alone could be enough to deter their foul ilk. I’m paying a fortune in insurance right now, and the Lords of Troll Gulf are threatening to remove my coverage altogether.”

“I could ask Jildarin about letting people believe that, even if he’s too busy at the diner to travel that far often, but not if we’ve been evicted.”

“I still don’t know why you believe I pressured your landlord. I’m not a thug of intimidating stature. If I were, the pirates would fear me. This Aztor was the one who said I approached him?”

“His wife did. She said Lord Avandar—” Rylana rocked back with the realization that Derva hadn’t used Father’s first name.

“Have you seen your brother lately?” he asked, watching her face.

“No. I don’t know why he would want me evicted. We haven’t spoken in seventeen years.”

“Honestly, I don’t know why he would either. I keep him busy with work. He shouldn’t be off hatching schemes, and I don’t know why he would care about your diner.”

Rylana shook her head, about to say that she didn’t know either, but the memory of her conversation with her cousin came to mind. “He wasn’t around when you were speaking with Tharla, was he? Or have you had separate conversations about your dynasty with him?”

“We’ve had many conversations on that topic. When you ran away, he became my only heir to the business.”

“I didn’t run away. I was eighteen and left home.”

“Leaving only a letter and a jilted lover behind.”