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And here I’d thought he was a humorless fuck "What can I say? I have a unique outlook"

"One I would not trade for anything"

I turned and leaned on the railing to look out at the sea Distant clouds shrouded the horizon, and flying creatures swooped along the cliff edge A breeze brought the taste of salt and war o back to finding this stupid knife?"

A hint of amusement curved his oing to call a knife by a name Especially one as silly as ‘Vsuhl,’" I teased with a roll ofelse you naht back at s But to answer your question, we begin as soon as Idris prepares" He shifted to drape an arm over my shoulders "But for noish to enjoy the view And the co, I slipped an arm around his waist and leaned in to him "They’re both pretty damn nice"

Chapter 38

My favorite faas in the whole world crouched by the side of the bed with a rinned and threw off the covers "Oh, Jekki, if you weren’t already taken…"

Jekki tilted his head and gave h as I pulled on a robe "I’ht’s sleep And here you are with coffee, ready and waiting!" The last couple of weeks had been psycho busy with training and ritual preparation, but thanks to a progress-halting snag yesterday, I had the luxury of much needed sleep Okay, it kinda sucked that we’d run into a snag, but, dah the doorway to see Mzatal still sitting at the table in the outer cha notes--exactly where he’d been when I went to bed I snorted "Let ht and hasn’t eaten since, what, yesterdaytwo days," Jekki said, holding the coffee out toand sipped, then exhaled in pleasure Jekki kne to stay ona plate of fruit, so of tunjen for hio, I added, "And a bowl of that honey custard stuff he likes" If nothing else, maybe he’d eat that

I followed the faas out into the lanced toward me with a faint smile as I set my coffee on the table and moved behind hiil before hie the tight , then let out an exasperated sigh "I still cannot determine the sequitur of this final series for the beacon, and we cannot proceed without it All else is coesture of frustration

"Yeah, well, take a break and e "You sure as hell won’t figure it out when you’re tense and hungry and cranky"

He exhaled a that-hurts-but-don’t-stop breath and dropped his head back to look up at ry, undeniably" His expression turned doubtful with a hint of a s, and focused But cranky?"

I laughed "Well, I rescind the cranky label for now, but only if you rest and eat," I said "I know you’re a big bad lord, but you still need food every once in a while" I dughave you been sitting here?"

"Since we concluded last night," Mzatal said He looked back to the floating sigil, dissipated it with a violent sweep of his arhed "I should send for food"

"Way ahead of you" I save his shoulders a final squeeze, then helped the two faas get the food onto the table "Eat"

Mzatal gestured towardas he poured tunjen for hiain," he noted

"Coffee is the food of the gods," I retorted as I snagged sos

"You doslices of fruit for his plate "It is ubiquitous to Earth, yes?"

Taking a sip, I nodded "It’s a huge industry, and there are shops devoted to little more than the sale of coffee in a variety of forh "Heaven"

"It was relatively new to your world at the time of the cataclysnificant distribution Once the ways opened again, I had not considered it until I noted your obsession, then discovered its use to be widespread"

"It’s not an obsession," I said, grinning "It’s an addiction Get it right"