Summer 4999, 25 Guromoth

Ranito waved away the smoke while the others grumbled their various curses or prayers -depending on the companion in question. Such reactionary rumblings could hardly be considered true conversation, so the Archmage broke the 'silence' to prompt, "So, Shon owes me about twenty-five gold..." 

He used the topic as an excuse to study the icy Hengist soldier, who'd been particularly unresponsive during this confrontation. Ranito took out his notebook to muse while the others attempted to sound relieved at the small blessing. He listened as the others spoke, but watched Shon turn his back on them, walking to the pylon where the Firewyrm had appeared.

"Do you think she was serious though? They've sent some of the Warlocks home?" Ebonwing asked.

"Well, we knew they had spies." Oswall shrugged, "They probably just put the "sane" ones on permanent undercover duty."

"Sleeper agents..." Tristen growled,

Oswall just lit a match, speaking around his smoke as he puffed, "Yeah, but that's not new. Same shit, different motivation."

"So they've really given up on their goal?" Alena asked, then shook her head to clarify, "I mean, do they think they've achieved it? or something else?"

"Does it matter?" Ranito asked.

Before answering, Tristen waved the others back toward the inn. They started the walk back at a more leisurely pace, continuing the conversation as they went, "Yes and no. Their existence is still forbidden, but I doubt it will be left to us to find them all. Meaning our mission will need to shift focus..."

Ranito watched Tristen, stating, "We will need to stock up on fire deterrents." They all knew Lily wasn't bluffing when she threatened to burn any given town down around them should they try too hard to apprehend her.

The Paladin Colonel nodded, reaching the door to hold it open for his team, "We've given them enough chances."

The team filed in, lost in their own thoughts, meandering at their own paces back up to their rooms. Tristen led the way, followed by Oswall and Alena, all three disappearing into their rooms before Ranito reached the landing. Ebonwing was opening her door, but would be gone soon enough, so the Archmage stopped, allowing Shon to pass at the top of the stairs, and whispering,

"How much longer do you think confidentiality will serve?"

Predictably, Shon hesitated, shooting a sideways glare at Ranito before immediately clearing the expression and answering, "That isn't for me to decide."

Ranito rolled his eyes, making a note in his book, "Yes yes, orders are orders and all that. Good night, Master Sergeant."

A warm breeze from Shon's open window rustled his long black hair as he disappeared into his room while Ranito took notes.

Standing with her door open, Ebonwing asked, "What are you two whispering about?"

Ranito shrugged, "Nothing of any concern to you." Reaching for his own key the Archmage watched the Druid out of the corner of his eye. Perhaps he shouldn't have made his response so flippant, it had only piqued her curiosity.

Shon's lock clicked, and Ebonwing cocked her head at the door, whispering to herself as Ranito left, "... since when does our big guy lock his door?" 

Oh well, another observation for his notes.

***

Orders. Shon followed orders. It wasn't just what he did, it was who he was.

He'd sworn himself, -life, body, and soul- to Hengist and his Temple. Even if his god hadn't accepted the Oath, it didn't change the fact that Shon had made it, or that he still believed in it with everything he had left.

Closing the door on the overly observant Archmage, Shon stripped his sword off as he walked to the bed, leaning it against the wall beside the pillow. He'd spent his young life believing he would be a Paladin of Hengist, training every moment of every day in preparation for that future. It hadn't happened, and Shon was left scared and broken, with nothing but an unrequited oath to define what he was. 

From the window cill, Ryuuko whistled out into the night then chittered angrily at Shon, or -more accurately- at Shon's thoughts. He ignored the little dragon, stripping off his shirt, then, "Hmmm... I could watch that all day..." 

He dropped the shirt. Hurrying to lock the door, Shon swallowed, afraid to look. But the ice around his heart had cracked, and despite his best efforts, he couldn't help but hope.

Shon turned to find Lily by his window, hugging her arms and smiling nervously, "Sorry. I didn't want to get you in trouble but there was more I needed to say and I-"

She didn't have a chance to finish before Shon took the few short steps necessary to cup her fire-hot cheeks in both ice-cold hands, pulling her lips to his and cutting off her apology. She curled her fingers on his chest, grasping the gold and silver ring on its chain over his heart, and melted into him, opening her mouth for him to taste the sweet cinnamon of her kiss.

Gods. He hadn't seen her in months, hadn't held her in years. Shon whispered against her lips, "Don't apologize, Lily. Never apologize for this." He could tell she'd been on edge during the confrontation, could read her emotions better than he could feel his own. Further supporting Shon's fears, his strong, brave, defiant, Lily whimpered, looking up and pulling her lips away. Shon continued to kiss her neck, scraping his teeth down to her shoulder and holding her closer.

This couldn't last. Shouldn't have happened... Tristen was just down the hall... But Shon needed this. When even a god didn't want him, Lily loved him. She accepted his oath to Hengist, even if she didn't like it, and even now was doing her best to try and help him obey orders. Because it mattered to him. Even if to her...

"I don't know how much longer I can do this..." Lily pulled his face back to rest her head on his, stroking his cheek as if to make up for stopping his kisses, "I'm so tired, Shon, but I don't know what else to do..."

He wiped her silent tears away as best he could, feeling the transition between skin and scales under his thumb. But he was at just as much of a loss.

Ryuuko circled the room with a whistle. There were only two things Shon was sure about. He dipped, scooping Lily off her feet and carrying her to the bed. One: if she was here anyway, then he owed it to both of them not to hold back his desire to touch her.

Ryuuko chittered, and Shon continued to ignore it. He sat down, scooting back to rest his back on the wall, Lily cradled in his lap and nuzzling his neck. Two: he still had orders to follow. "What else did you have to tell us?"

Lily sighed, "Of course you caught that..." She rested her head on his shoulder and drew little circles on his chest, continuing, "when all else fails focus on work?" 

"It's something," something they could do. Shon watched his hands, running them over her soft skin and concentrating on the feel of her. Everywhere they touched, and the aura of heat mixed with cold, leaving them both comfortably warm.

With another sigh, Lily shifted, but didn't disappoint as instead she straddled him. Shon rested his hands on her hips, not sure if he wanted to squeeze or if that would distract too much from the mission, "Make it quick." He growled, leaning forward to nibble her neck as she spoke.

Running the backs of her nails over his scalp, Lily explained, "So, a few of the crazier 'locks got it in their heads to ask an actual devotee of the dragon gods for advice-" she stopped herself when Shon leaned back to arch an eyebrow at her. Lily answered his silent question, "I said they were crazy." she shrugged, attempting to lace her fingers up the back of his hair beneath the ponytail and grumbling, "I like the long hair, but this might be a bit too long..."

Shon wasn't about to explain why he hadn't cut it, instead, he bit her harder on the other side, saying, "Don't change the subject."

Lily curled her fingers, pulling his hair -making him moan- and chastising, "Stop distracting me then. Anyway, They're crazy, but not stupid. They managed to find records of a death knight in Talkar." 

Shon stopped. Grabbing her by the shoulders, he pushed her back so he could see her clearly. Lily nodded solemnly and continued unprompted, "They were Yoryuu's. Rose and I don't think they can help at all, but I knew you guys would want to destroy it."

A death knight... A fallen undead Paladin. A former holy knight who'd broken their Oath so badly it twisted their soul, trapping the spark of the god in their heart, corrupting their divine power and preventing them from dying. They were the worst monster Shon could ever imagine, anathema to all he was. But...

"They had human Paladins?" Shon asked. 

Lily rolled her eyes, "Apparently. I always thought the knights riding dragons were Horsa and Hengist lots, but apparently there were humans who swore themselves to the dragon gods too. They weren't all Sorcerers either, according to Tolinar, but he's the craziest one we have, so take anything he says with a mountain of salt."

Shon leaned back against the wall, running his hand over his hair and staring unseeing at the ceiling. A death knight...

Only such dire news could distract him from Lily, but even it couldn't continue to compete in the face of her wiggles and whimpers as she rubbed her scaled cheek against his to speak near his ear, "You can tell them tomorrow. Right?"

Thank the gods it could wait one night. Shon swallowed, "Anything else?"

Lily turned to rest her forehead on his again. She shook her head, moving both of them, but then contradicted her answer, "I really don't know what to do anymore, Shon. We stopped the biology experiments, and there's only so much they can do to help the Chosen-"

"Chosen?" Shon asked. Even if the dragon gods could have created human Chosen, they were both dead, their divine power usurped by Saint Giorgos and his companions.

Lily shrugged, a common expression when discussing the insane Warlocks and their outlandish theories, "No idea. Apparently, we, me and the other dragons, created a blood tether that lets the gods reach through, just a little bit, from the outer planes, and they managed to make some Chosen. Supposedly, they're the ones who will let the gods back through, and that should solve all our problems. Rose and the others have been working on finding where they are now but I don't know what we plan to do to help, or even what they're supposed to do." 

Damn... the kingdom wasn't going to like that. The only reason it existed at all was because their founder had killed the dragons and become divine, uniting the different kingdoms and cultures into one. But if that was what it took to protect the people from the destruction of the magical storms, then Shon was confident Hengist and his Temple would assist. He just had to wait for the order. 

Before Shon could comment, Lily continued, "There isn't anything left for me to do, so I'm going to look for the other dragons." Which was exactly what his team would be doing. They would still, and forever, be working at cross purposes.

Together, Shon and Lily had only managed to come up with two alternatives to their current situation, neither of which were truly an option. One was for Shon to abandon the Temple, his oath, and the kingdom altogether, in order to stay with her. Knowing it would tear him apart, Lily had refused to entertain the idea. But the alternative was for Lily to surrender herself to imprisonment by the kingdom...

Shon buried his face in Lily's golden hair, breathing deeply of her cinnamon scent. She'd been a prisoner of mad and abusive Warlocks for her entire young life. A test subject, not even allowed a name. She'd escaped when Shon was in training as a Squire. He would never even suggest Lily give up her freedom.

When the Temple requested Shon for this job he'd agreed at Lily's request. Their plan had started as an attempt to fight the Warlocks threatening the kingdom from both inside, and outside, the law. It had changed when they learned the Warlocks were attempting, in their misguided way, to save the world. Their crimes and cruelty couldn't be forgiven, but that didn't make the threat of the storms any less real. 

Shon agreed to join the team meant to hunt the Warlocks -and her- but with an ultimatum. Shon would neither help nor hinder any attempt to bring Lily into custody.

Tristen had agreed to it, but the depth of Shon's relationship with Lily had been ordered confidential. An order Lily only honored for his sake. Ranito had figured it out a year in, but none of the others knew.

Shon squeezed his eyes shut, pressing his lips against her skin and holding her tight. He wanted to feel all of her, including every emotion she inspired, but that meant releasing his icy shields and feeling the pain of his own imprisonment. Locked behind bars built of his own morality, trapped by his need to do the right thing.

He wouldn't have been able to maintain the defenses in the face of Lily's heat anyway, so he used that heat to ease the ache. Shon returned his hands to her hips and squeezed hard, coming up to bite her ear and saying between clenched teeth, "Right now you're here, and I'm done talking."

Lily's moan turned to a giggle, a beautiful sound, but his resulting smile was at the thought of making her moan again... They had no way of knowing how long they had, but they'd hold tight to every moment they could steal.

Ryuuko hissed, chittering, and Shon continued to ignore it.

*** 

Oswall was the best stealth operative there was, it was why he was assigned to the team, but Ebonwing had an advantage the Rogue lacked.

Just as skilled in her own art, and more curious than a feline with all nine lives, the Grove's representative turned into a rat. There was a very good chance Ryuuko would find her, but if that happened, the shameless Druid would just change back and confess all to Shon anyway.

Or so she thought, before seeing the Firewyrm. Not sure if she should get the others or transform to help Shon, Ebonwing hesitated. If anyone could take the Firewyrm alone, it was Shon. He was the only one with magic that could directly counter hers.

For a blink, Ebonwing worried for Lily. Normally, Shon wouldn't hurt anyone unnecessarily, but he'd been withdrawing again lately. Detaching. Ebonwing let slip a squeak in unheard warning as the large man reached for Lily with both hands. In that moment, the Druid was convinced that the cold, emotionless, soldier was going to break her neck.

Even a real rat couldn't have been more confused at the reality. Ryuuko's whistle broke Ebonwing out of her shock just enough to scurry under the bed. She listened to the exchange, paralyzed by the bombardment of new information.

Shon was working with Lily? Had betrayed them? He would never... But... that kiss... who knew Shon had such passion? How long...? 

A death knight?! Such an abomination radiated the kind of twisted corruption Warlocks used; creating their own undead like a viral infection, trapping the soul in a rotting corpse, unable to influence anything, a passenger in their own body. 

Lily had told Shon, and Ebonwing knew Shon would tell Tristen. She couldn't help but trust him. Even if he'd betrayed the kingdom -them- Ebonwing somehow knew he had a reason. They'd worked together, lived together, he was a good friend of Yua, she couldn't throw that all away. Not without an explanation. Besides, Ebonwing didn't really consider Lily an enemy. None of them did, not even Tristen.

Tristen... Ebonwing thought of the Paladin as Lily's shirt hit the floor. She might not know what to think or do, but that's why a pack had a leader. 

The rat sprinted from the bed to the door, confident that the two humans wouldn't notice and praying Ryuuko wouldn't catch her. The pseudodragon hissed at her from the door frame but didn't dive, and Ebonwing squeezed her way under the door.

She skittered down the hall and under Tristen's door before transforming back. The Paladin was pacing furrows in his room, pinching the bridge of his nose as he always did when he had a headache. Ebonwing would know, she was one of the primary causes of that gesture.

"Tris-" 

Tristen nearly jumped out of his skin, "Druid, wha-"

"I need to talk to you, it's..." Ebonwing hesitated, remembering that kiss. But it was too late, Tristen furrowed his brow at her and Ebonwing swallowed, "It's Shon, he-"

She didn't have a chance to finish or explain. Tristen flinched violently and marched with quick purpose out of his room and down the hall towards Shon's room. 

Ebonwing whimpered, following but torn. She wanted to stop him, knew what he was going to do, but he was also their leader. And Shon's closest friend on the team...

Tristen tried the knob, then commanded, "Hold!" before trying to force the door.

Ebonwing felt the power of the magical command and her body listened, holding perfectly still in the hall. But the Firewyrm proved resistant to such magic yet again, snarling from the other side of the door. 

Tristen growled his own response and managed to break the cheap frame and enter without waking anyone up. Lily was gone, and the spell fell, but Ebonwing still didn't move, listening from the hall as the Paladin confronted Shon.

*** 

Checking the door had given the couple warning, so Shon hadn't been holding Lily when Tristen cast the command spell. She wasn't immune, but was the most resistant person Tristen had ever heard of, and was gone by the time he got the door open.

He dropped the spell, marching to the open window to shout into the empty night, "It isn't a damn prison!" 

Tristen turned to glare at Shon, who returned the look, ice-cold eyes framed by tousled black hair. Tristen shivered, but his voice was steady as he ordered, "Report, Master Sergeant."

At the use of his rank, Shon buried his animosity beneath a layer of ice empowered by his sense of duty. Tristen both admired the ability and worried about the long-term effects. The Master Sergeant stood -his trousers lacking a belt but blessedly still on- and saluted sharply, but answered, "We have an agreement, Sir." 

"You..." Tristen came closer to Shon, stood nearly chest-to-chest with the cold man. Gray eyes locked on blue, he spoke in a whisper "I don't know who's worse anymore. You know what her coming back with us would mean, and it's not imprisonment!" by the end he was nearly shouting, gesticulating angrily out the window. 

Shon didn't answer.

Tristen seethed. Holding his frustration in, he managed to lower his volume, but didn't try and hide the emotion, he wanted Shon to feel it, to understand, "Just because the order is to hold her in the Guild doesn't mean she can't convince the king to let her go. We've given her every chance, again and again. His majesty limited the time we can keep her, all of them, to only five years. The length it takes to train someone from maturity to adulthood-"

Shon arched an eyebrow and Tristen stopped, allowing Shon to specify his expressed doubt, "unless he changes his mind."

"And you think THIS is going to convince him not to?!" Tristen growled, nearly nose to nose with Shon. They were of a height, a rare find for both of them, though Tristen was built slim, and Shon broad in the chest and shoulders. 

Where the mere thought of the Firewyrm flared Tristen's usually calm temper, Shon's radiant cold helped ease it once more and he returned to speaking volume, "I broke my Oath for her, Shon. I've done everything I can to make this as pain-free as possible, but you two..." Tristen stepped back, too tired to continue being angry, "You would rather hurt yourselves to prevent the merest possibility of pain to the other. And in doing so, you both suffer." 

He pinched the bridge of his nose and ignored Ryuuko's hiss, taking out Shon's desk chair and falling into it. He'd already dropped any semblance of professionalism when he'd stopped using Shon's rank. "The queen already favors her, because of you. If she came with us you two might be able to convince them to-"

"She's been held before," Shon said, only interrupting because Tristen had relaxed the formality of the confrontation. It was no longer a commander chastising his subordinate, it was a debate between friends in disagreement. 

Tristen glared up at Shon, "Yes, by the group she ran to, instead of us."

Shon sat down, shaking his head, "It's different." 

"How?" Tristen demanded, "She was traumatized by the Warlocks. They kept her prisoner. Now she rules what's left of them." 

Shon ran his hand over his disheveled hair, removed the tie, and even started pulling it back again to give himself time. Tristen let him, crossing his arms and glaring at the soldier. A paladin who wasn't a Paladin. Finally, Shon met Tristen's eyes, and when he did, he did so with complete confidence, explaining simply, "She could kill them." 

Tristen furrowed his brow, not sure if he understood. Shon saw and added, "If the Warlocks had tried to hold her." She would've killed them, had killed them. Lily always said that she didn't want to threaten the kingdom settlements or citizens, and only did so to keep her freedom. But killing mad Warlocks? Warlocks who'd hurt her before? She could end them guilt-free.

Tristen still shook his head, "We won't hurt her, you know that. Shon, you wouldn't allow it to happen, we all know that." 

But with that Shon wouldn't meet his eyes again, looking out the window while Ryuuko whistled sadly. Tristen sighed, "Do you know why I call her Firewyrm?" Ryuuko hissed at the title, and Shon arched an eyebrow at Tristen.

Tristen leaned on his knees, bringing himself closer, "The woman I know of as Lily, is warm and charming, she must be if she seduced you." the reserved Paladin managed to swallow down a blush, continuing, "she fights to protect the people she loves, including you. But I don't think I've met that woman yet. Instead, I've faced someone bound and determined to be a combatant, someone with no respect for anyone outside herself. Selfish, and with enough pride to put even my extended family to shame. Just like the dragons of old, the woman we faced today doesn't care about bystanders and she doesn't care about you." 

That earned Tristen a glare that could freeze blood, literally. Shon's pommel shifted from cloudy white to nearly transparent, but the Paladin forced his way past the instinctual fear, because, unlike the Firewyrm, Tristen did care about Shon, "She's forcing you to choose between her and Hengist, your god." the god that had rejected him...

Before Tristen could regret that particular point Shon flinched, but then argued, "She's the only one trying to prevent that."

Tristen had never imagined a pair could be as stubborn as Shon and Lily -to their own detriment- and snapped, "If that were true she would've come with you four years ago." 

He expected another glare, but Tristen must've hit a more sensitive nerve than he realized, because instead, Shon dropped the subject completely, "There is a death knight in Talkar."

The Paladin couldn't move, could barely breathe, "What..."

Shon stood, walking to the window, his back to Tristen as he explained in his abbreviated way, "From before the slaying, rogue Warlocks want to question it." 

"That's why they stole the books..." Tristen said, standing.

He looked over to find Shon waiting for their eyes to meet, "Lily and Rose were replacing their stolen books. They have nothing to do with the death knight or the Warlocks looking for it. They told us because they know we would need to destroy it." Shon's fists clenched at his side, and his sword pommel swirled as he finished in a whisper, "She cares enough not to keep this from us."

Tristen didn't want to continue arguing with him -not after this news- but couldn't help saying, "She would kill you in the name of respecting your values." because she had none of her own.

To his utter surprise, Shon nearly smiled, "That, and she trusts you not to let it happen." the brief twinkle in his eyes and imperceptible tilt of his lips, were gone in the next moment as the Master Sergeant asked his Commander, "After that mission, Sir?"

Tristen knew Shon too well to need more, and had too much to process to bother making the man clarify. Standing, Tristen moved to leave, pinching his nose again but saying, "There are five wyrms, Master Sergeant. I still expect your assistance with four of them. After we destroy this death knight." He left, turning back in the hall to apologize, "I'm sorry about your door..." 

Ryuuko chittered angrily, but Shon just shrugged, picking up the chair and bringing it over. Tristen closed the door, holding it until he felt the rattle of the chair propping it shut. He sighed, turning to find Ebonwing staring at him. 

Holding a finger to his lips, Tristen nodded back to his room. He passed the Druid -trusting her to follow- and didn't explain anything until she closed the door behind her. "I would like to request that you not tell the oth-"

"What the fuck, Tris!" Ebonwing interrupted, "You knew? You were going to make him arrest his lover? You know he'll obey your orders, you know that will kill him. Literally, Tris. I've been afraid he wasn't capable of love after the vigil, and you- you were going to take that away from him too? I just... I... What the fuck?" she fell down to lay on his bed, hands covering her eyes, finally settling on, "How long?"

Tristen sighed, taking a seat at his desk and closing his eyes. Of all of them, the Druid would be the most painful to confess to, "From the beginning. I'm sorry Ebonwing, but you should know... Yua was ordered, in no uncertain terms, to keep this history confiden-"

Ebonwing sat up so quickly it was a wonder she didn't make herself dizzy, perhaps her rage canceled it out. "You did what?! Yua would never lie to me, she would... how dare you." 

"You have a right to be angry, but-"

"You're damn right I have-"

"Enough." Tristen opened his eyes and Ebonwing's mouth snapped shut, though she continued to glare, even letting slip a quiet feline hiss. "We wanted Shon for the team because he was the most qualified soldier the Temple of Hengist has ever enlisted, wanted him against the Warlocks badly enough that we accepted his condition not to assist in bringing in the Firewyrm."

"That's why..." Ebonwing whispered, the pieces falling into place behind her eyes, "He's our best fighter, our frontline man, but you always put him in the back whenever Lily was around... Alena and I thought it was just you being nice. Because they'd been friends... just friends... their masters know each other..." mostly talking to herself, Ebonwing shook her head, focusing on Tristen again to ask, "But why not tell us?"

Tristen wished he could arch his brow as impressively as Shon, but since he couldn't he scoffed, "Because there were only two possible results, either you wouldn't trust him from the beginning -and you already know how hard it was to get to know him- or you would sympathize too much and need to be replaced." 

He locked eyes with Ebonwing, continuing, "I didn't want to replace you then, and I don't want to now, but I have to follow these orders." Tristen's Oath depended on it. A break of this nature, even as a repeated infraction, wouldn't be enough to turn him into a death knight, but Tristen wouldn't live through it again.

"You can hate me all you want. For keeping this from you, for hurting Shon and threatening Yua, but you know we don't mean them harm, Ebonwing. You know we are only trying to do what is best for the most people, that this isn't permanent." He'd made the arguments before, and Tristen knew none of them wanted to bring the dragons in, but they also saw the overall wisdom of it. Or, at the very least, they were loyal enough to their given organizations to follow the orders regardless.

Ebonwing looked him over slowly, her lip twitching as if she were barely resisting a snarl. It looked like part of her desperately wanted to argue, but the other part kept countering her emotional arguments with logic. It was a feeling Tristen was all too familiar with when it came to the Hengist rep and his wayward lover.

Finally, she said, "You should tell the others. Secrets are poison, Tris." 

Tristen looked to the ceiling, whispering a prayer to Saint Giorgos. He'd been avoiding this for too long but still wasn't ready to face it and said, "After we destroy the death knight we will have to focus on the wyrms. I will give Shon the option to tell the others then." 

Ebonwing slapped her knees -making Tristen jump- then stood. Tristen watched as she crossed her arms and cocked a slim hip, glaring down at him before she said, "You ass. Now I feel guilty... Shon would've told you about the death knight, after getting laid." 

Tristen choked on whatever he was about to say, the thought flying from his mind completely as he tried, and failed, to force down a blush.

Ebonwing closed her eyes, facing the ceiling as she continued to rant, "I'd never have cockblocked someone that pent up if I'd known. This is totally on you, we're adding this specific incident to your list of sins against Shon. I refuse to take the blame." she opened a single eye, smirking down at Tristen and continuing softly, "Don't worry Tris, I like Lily, but I ran out of sympathy when she took over her abuser's organization. If she could do that then she can suffer through a few years in the Mage's Guild."

Tristen forced himself to relax past his embarrassment, returning her grin to say "I pray the others agree. But just in case, I want to finish the death knight first. I'm still praying Lily will see sense." 

"Aw... Tris," Ebonwing smiled, punching him in the arm, "you do know her name!" 

She'd meant it to be funny, so Tristen did his best to resist scowling. He liked to imagine he could like Lily. If it weren't for the damn Firewyrm...