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“She’ll be back,” he said confidently. “I’m sure she’ll be back soon. Florence Shen drop out of school? Never.”

“You almost sound like you know her a little,” I observed.

“Well, I do, a bit. I know she loves books. Adores libraries. Has good taste in friends. I mean, Neville likes her, so she’s all right in my book.” He grinned.

I groaned and propped myself up on my elbows. “Neville.”

Blake looked at me with confusion. “What? He’s a sweet little thing. I thought you liked him.”

“I do like him,” I said, gritting my teeth. “But he’s a demonic imp who thinks he can go wherever he pleases and do whatever he wants. Case in point.” I pointed accusingly at the fluffin who had just trotted out of the bathroom and was now sitting on his hind legs, licking his front paws while he watched us with undisguised curiosity. I yanked a blanket off the foot of the bed and threw it over us.

Blake snorted. “He’s an animal, Pendragon. Get a grip.”

“Well, I don’t exactly have nice fluffy fur to cover me up like he does,” I retorted. I glared down at the fluffin. “Just when exactly did you arrive, and what did you hear?”

The fluffin tilted his head. Then he swished his large red tail. His eyes widened as if to say I just got here, I swear.

I sniffed. “I don’t believe you. You were probably sleeping in the bathroom all along.”

Blake was still laughing. “He’s a fluffin.” He slid out of the bed and went over to Neville, crouching down beside him. Apparently completely comfortable in his nudity, Blake scratched the top of the fluffin’s head. Neville’s eyes rolled back in his head. Even from the bed, I could hear the little animal begin to purr in contentment.

“He adores you,” I commented. “You and Florence.”

“You’re the one who saved him in the first place,” Blake reminded me.

“Yes, but he has his favorites. I think he only sneaks in here to see if Florence has come back. But I’m sure he visits her, too, so I’m not sure why he bothers.”

“He bothers because he likes you.” Blake jumped back up and leaped onto the bed next to me, shaking the entire fourposter. I shrieked as my blanket slid off. Blake ran a hand soothingly over my shoulders, kneading and caressing the tension away. I closed my eyes and tried to relax.

“Florence being gone. And Nyxaris … It must be a lot to adjust to,” he murmured. “I’m curious … Can you still hear him inside your head?”

Reluctantly, I shook my head. “Not anymore. For the first few days, I could still hear bits and pieces, like eavesdropping on a conversation in another room.” I’d done my best to shut them out. I knew I wasn’t supposed to be privy to Nyxaris’s mind—not anymore. I sighed.“I was just getting used to the grumpy old bastard, too.”

“To be able to sense a dragon, to speak to one mind to mind, to ride on one’s back …” Blake was looking at me keenly. “It must be incredible.”

“I suppose you’ll have to talk to Florence about that,” I said peevishly. “She’ll soon be the expert.”

“She’ll talk to you about it herself,” he said softly. “And think of all you’ll be able to share. She’ll need your help and advice. Not many people can say they’ve spoken to a dragon, let alone ridden one. She’ll come back to you, Pendragon. You saved her life. She’s smart enough to know that you were just trying to protect her. Give her time.”

I nodded, trying to show more faith than I really felt.

“What about Rodriguez?” Blake asked. “Have you—”

“No,” I said shortly. “He had the nerve to try to work another justification for what he’d done into one of his Historical Strategy lectures. Can you believe it?”

Blake tilted his head. “Can I believe that Rodriguez is still an arrogant prick after all that just happened? Why, yes. Yes, I can.”

I sat up, wrapping the blanket around me like a shawl and leaving Blake naked.

He grinned. “Nothing for me?”

“You don’t need it. You don’t seem cold.” It was true, his skin was warm and flushed. “Besides, you look good that way,” I said primly. He stretched out more fully, giving me a better look. “The problem with Rodriguez,” I said, determined not to be completely distracted again by Blake’s beauty, “is thrallguard.”

“Thrallguard?” Blake’s eyes lit up. “Right. He was your tutor.”

“After what Regan did the other morning …” I shook my head. “Seems like some practice might be a good idea right about now.”

Blake cleared his throat. “You might not need as much practice as you think. And, uh, if you do, I could always be your instructor.”