Page 48 of Starfall

Kelnen finished ambling over and looked at his furious partner and then at Emery. He sighed. “She found out about the ice cream.”

“She did.”

“Her cholesterol was getting high. The doctor wanted it under control, so I lied.”

Krys kicked him in the shin.

He winced and wrapped his arms around her, whispering into her ear. She glared but then nodded. “Fine. Three times a week.”

Sallen laughed. “Well, I know that isn’t about sex.”

Emery smirked. “Negotiating for how much ice cream she can eat. Who knows, with her second one, she might not have cravings.”

Kelnen looked hopeful, but Sallen laughed. “Not going to happen.”

Emery chuckled. “I can reduce the sugar and swirl in some sorbets.”

“Thank you.” The dragon inclined his mage’s head.

Rowen came toward her and wrapped his arms around her. “Ready to go?”

“Sure. Your car or mine? Avaknell left me hers.”

“Neither, I have a bit too much energy, and I want to run home.”

“Not in these boots.”

He laughed. “Not in this form. I did warn you about riding a stag.”

She said weakly, “I thought it was a euphemism.”

He kissed her quickly and took her hand to walk her back to the field. Orla ran after her and put the cloak around her shoulders. “It gets cold out. Talk to you in the morning. Afternoon. Soon.”

Emery chuckled and kissed her friend on the cheek. They both glowed with their different lights.

When Emery turned to face Rowen, he had a stag’s head, neck, and horns, and then, his body blurred until he was the size of a moose. “Whoa.”

He gave her an amused look, and as promised, he knelt next to her. Emery hiked up her skirt and settled on his back, hanging onto his horns as he rose up on his front and back feet. He was really tall. She shifted her grip to his neck, where there was a tuft of hair, and he began walking, then cantering, followed by a full run as she leaned close to his neck and held on.

Familiar streets blurred past as his hooves dug into the snow as he stayed off the slippery roads.

He ran to his home on the outskirts of town and headed straight for the back yard that ended in a thick forest. He knelt again, and she slid off, staggering back as he reformed to a kneeling man.

She sighed. “You are ruining your suit.”

“It will be repaired. Cale made it so it shifts with me.” He stood up. “You have very strong thighs.”

“Um, thanks.”

He took her by the hand and pulled her into his home. She pushed the door closed and swallowed. “So, we are going to...”

“Would you like to?”

“Yes, but... this kind of feels like prom night.”

“Did you have fun at prom?”

“Didn’t go. Amy made sure that no one asked me.” She twisted her lips. “But she was the birth daughter, and I was just the trash that blew in.”

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