Page 90 of A Forgery of Fate

“Then it’s good he’s not here.” I reached for my ladle. “Let me eat, then I’ll come. I’m far less charming when I’m hungry.”

“Don’t rush,” said Elang. “Your noodles could use another minute.”

I stole a glance at him. “I didn’t know you cooked.”

“I didn’t always live in a castle.” His eyes gravitated to the pot, avoiding mine. “My mother taught me when I was young.”

His mother. I tried to cobble together a mental portrait, taking in Elang’s freckled nose, his brooding eyes, his regalbrow.She must have been beautiful,I thought before I could stop myself. I turned back to my pot, glad Elang couldn’t read minds.

“Dragons truly are mercurial,” I said dryly. “Last we met, you spurned my offer to be friends. Now here you are making sure my noodles aren’t undercooked.”

“I don’t need you making a poor impression on the merfolk. You said it yourself—when your stomach is empty, you’re at your most disagreeable.”

I crossed my arms. “Maybe you should go alone, since my presence is so difficult to endure.”

A muscle ticked in Elang’s jaw. “Those words were uttered in poor taste,” he replied at length. “Most humans are difficult to tolerate; I shouldn’t have said the same aboutyou.”

“Because it isn’t true or because it’s rude?”

“Both.”

Both.I tilted my head, mildly startled. Was that his way of apologizing?

I wouldn’t be won over so easily. “You should know I haven’t had a vision,” I said, “if that’s what you’re here for.”

“We’ll discuss your visions later.” He cleared his throat, pausing. “Will you come?”

I didn’t reply. Night was falling upon the sea, casting an argent sheen. I could see the dark half-moon staining the area under Elang’s human eye, accentuating new hollows in his cheeks. His scales were more gray than blue.

Word around the castle was he never took a rest. I wondered whether he was sleeping enough. Eating enough.

“I’ll come,” I decided.

He looked faintly relieved. “I’ve asked Mailoh to help you prepare for the journey. You’ll need to leave Shani behind.”

“She won’t like that.”

“It doesn’t matter what she likes. Demons are not permitted in the realm of merfolk. Shani, least of all.”

“Then who will be my guard?”

“Kunkoi will see to your safety.” Another pause. “As willI.”

He started to leave, but I raised a halting hand. “We’re supposed to spend dinners together,” I said, ladling noodles and soup into a fresh bowl. “You’ve missed three. Four will be bad luck for our marriage.”

Elang arched an eyebrow. “I didn’t take you to be superstitious.”

“I’m a fortune teller’s daughter, of course I’m superstitious. A little, anyway.” I twisted my lips. “Mama always says bad tidings come in fours, and we could use all the luck we can get. So eat with me now—unless you truly dislike noodles.”

“There were noodles at the wedding banquet, were therenot?”

“You hardly touched yours.”

Elang expelled a breath. “You don’t miss anything.”

“You did hire me for my Sight.”

“So I did.” He picked up his bowl with a claw and downed the noodles in a single gulp. “So I did.”

---