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I smile at the pair of them

"I need the nourish his stomach "Do you kno many calories it takes to swi to make herself as invisible as possible in the corner of my room I’ve never seen her before "What’s your na her a reassuring ss else, Princess?"

"No, thank you," I say "Please go on about your day"

With a grateful nod, Bailya darts across the room, around my two visitors, and out into the hall

"Giveacross the room "I need to freshen up"

"Hoas last night?" Peri shouts to be heard insideabout Aurita’s clairab a cloth from the shelf beneath the counter "And you knohat?"

"What?" she asks

"He doesn’t believe her," I reply "He doesn’t believe me"

I scrub the cloth over izes me I do the same at key spots--under my arms, base of my neck--and then reach for the toothpaste

"Peri, can you bring me a clean tank?" I ask "They’re in the--"

"I knohere your clothes are," she says before I can finish

Seconds later, she’s handing me a turquoise tank She whispers, "I heard Quince had trouble with the first test Did it turn out okay?"

I nod I dart behind the changing curtain "The swi off my dirty tank, I open the lid on the laundry hae twothe turquoise tank, Peri grins "He will Because he loves you, and that’s the point"

"Are you two gabbing in there?" Quince shouts "I’"

"You just ate half the pantry," Peri shouts back She winks at do too," I say Then, because I can’t help myself, I add, "If there’s any food left to eat, that is"

"Ha ha" Quince throws an ar to throttle," Peri says, swio ahead and eat your share"