Page 151 of Phoenix's Fire

"I'm being a friend," I corrected. "A worried one who just heard this animal saved not only her life, but also my best friend's. So yeah. I'd like to keep the money part between us."

"Send eight thousand to Naomi's tomorrow," he said. "I know you're good for it." Then he offered his hand.

I pressed my palm against it, and we shook, sealing the deal. "Thank you," I told him.

"No, thank you," he said. Then he yelled at Irrik. "Hey? I'll be right back."

"I'll be here," Irrik promised.

So Lansin jerked his head for me to follow. "Pretty sure I saw Zasen over this way."

"Wait, then I need to - "

"Nope," he said, grabbing my arm before I could head the other way. "You're buying this dog, so you get to hear my bullshit story, see her reaction, and make sure this is what you really want." He grinned. "And you can explain it to those other guys."

"But don't tell her?" I begged.

"Trust me," he said, in the way guys always did before doing something extremely stupid.

That was enough to make me regret all of this, but Lansin just marched off with his two dogs trailing after him. I followed them, but then Lansin did something I didn't expect.

"Holly, find Ayla," he ordered. She barked and moved ahead. "Show!" he told her.

I wasn't sure what that meant, but Holly was trotting her way through the crowd, not running. Lansin acted like he trusted her to know where to go. Shadow followed him, so I followed the black dog. Before I knew it, I heard Ayla make a surprised - but pleased - noise.

"Holly!" she crooned just as I stepped around a few people so I could see her.

"Ah," Lansin said. "So that's what she wanted." He looked at Zasen. "You're an asshole, you know that?"

"What did I do?" Zasen asked.

"You introduced them. Now Holly likes Ayla more than me."

Ayla just giggled. "But you're a good girl, aren't you?" she asked, ruffling the dog's neck as if she'd done it a million times before.

"So..." Lansin said, reaching down to unsnap something from his belt. "I guess I can't stop fate." Then he thrust a loop of narrow leather at Ayla. "Can't sell a dog who's already found her owner. She'd never be happy again, and it seems she's decided she's yours."

"What?" Ayla asked, her head snapping up. "I'm sorry. I didn't - "

"Yours," Lansin said, pushing what had to be a leash at Ayla again. "She likes you, Ayla, and I like her. That means I'm not about to break her heart by trading a living, breathing animal to someone who wouldn't appreciate her as much."

"I have money," Ayla immediately offered even as she accepted the leash. "I don't know how much, but I didn't mean to mess up your dog."

"You didn't mess her up," he said. "You, Phoenix, have done something amazing. You found your soulmate."

"My what?" She looked at Zasen, then Kanik, and over to me as if hoping for an explanation. I just shook my head, showing I didn't know.

So Lansin crouched down to pet Holly as well. "I don't know what you were taught, but up here there's a myth about two souls that match perfectly. Some say two pieces of a whole. Well, I think you're hers. I mean, if you'll have her?"

"I don't know how to have a dog," Ayla admitted.

"I know a bit," Kanik said. Then he laughed. "Always wanted one as a boy, so I read about them."

"They have books on dogs?" Ayla asked.

"Tons," I assured her. "We'll get you some."

But Zasen was giving me a suspicious look. I shook my head, so he smiled and told Ayla, "You'll have to hunt for her. Lansin, how are they with venom?"

---