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We stayed like that for about tenwith the laces of reen Converse

"Jane?"

"H? If it’s too personal, just tell me to shut--"

Before Anyan could finish his sentence, I felt that weird tingle in the air that had signaled the brownie’s First Magic I tensed, but before I could sit up, there was a soft poofing sound and a heavy weight flattened runted, as the brownie peered down at ht hands When it noticed I was turning green, it shifted its weight around until I was no longer at risk of spewing hippie food all over it

"Uh, hello," I said to the little creature, who chittered back at me in a friendly voice Then all six of its beady eyes roaaze onthat hest’s nose twitch hard

When he replied in that strange language, there was laughter at the edges of his gruff voice

"What did it say?" I de the brownie the stink eye From its face full of thick brown fur, it flashed ly white teeth

Before Anyan could make an excuse for the fuzzy little pervert, the brownie had thrown open histo him another file folder This one was thicker than the last

Then it winked atthat ain, and poofed back to wherever it had co’s deal, and second, can we do that?"

Anyan laughed "Nope, that’s true First Magic, the ability to apparate Gnomes can do it, but only inside their own territory That’s why they’re so strong; their connection with their land gives theics None of the rest of us can do it at all As for Terk, he… he likes you, that’s all He thinks you’re cute, for a hairless giant"

"E, I can’t believe you just calledup on s off Anyan’s lap, and he responded by pinching the fat of my calf

"I didn’t call you that; Terk did You’re never a giant to , but that’s all relative"

I frowned at Anyan "So, do you, like, think as a dog when you’re a dog? Or are you always… you?"

He smiled at me and then reached out a hand to help me sit up

"Always ht of all the tiy belly, and the tiray gaze and cockedof which, why do you spend so ? You’ve been huht you alent around as a dog"

Anyan frowned, and I wondered if I’d said soet about it when he finally spoke

"It’s just simpler that way, Jane," he replied cryptically Before I could ask hi We need to go see what’s in this file, and the others are waiting Ryu will be worried about you"

I nodded, still

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Where the hell have you been?" Ryu de," I said "We’re only a few ot a lead on a vacation home owned by Edie, under her maiden name, and when I tried to call, you didn’t answer I had to send Daoud and Caleb with Phaedra’s lot They just left, but why the hell did you turn off your phone?"

"Ryu, I never turned offmy cell out of my back pocket To find out that it was, indeed, dead

"What the hell?" I asked as Anyan pulled out his own phone and swore

"Damn it, Terk," he swore