What on earth do you say to someone who just caught you lurking in their room after breaking the front door? Elwin couldn’t think of an answer fast enough. Not that more time would have helped much.

  Prin jumped into the gap with a smile that would melt butter. “We were waiting for you. It was a surprise.”

  Kit’s dark eyes widened and then his cheeks turned red. “Oh . . . both of you? Are you – together?”

  “Yes, of course.” Prin said. There was a predatory glint in those Prin -not Prin eyes. But he was oh so charming all of a sudden. “And we both like you.”

  “This is . . . this is unexpected.” Kit said. His face still held a startled deer in the headlights quality, but gradually as the situation began to sink in a smile played around the corners of his mouth.

  Elwin tried desperately to think of how to get out of this situation. “What about—” he gestured down the hallway, to where the blond had presumably retreated to.

  “Three of us is enough, don’t you think?” Prin asked, tilting his head to the side and feigning playful shock.

  Kit laughed. “We’re not really a thing. He’s just a jerk I went to school with who wants to, what’s the expression? Have his cake and eat it, while at the same time telling everyone he knows he hates cake.”

  Prin laughed along with Kit. “You are certainly too good for him. Much too good.”

  The way Prin said too good made Elwin queasy. Because he knew he was thinking of delicious food when he said it.

  Kit tucked a strand of hair behind his ear and looked away shyly. “This is just so unexpected. Not that I’m saying no . . .”

  “Come back inside.” Prin reached for the boy’s hand as though he would take it, but instead just caressed it gently.

  Elwin couldn’t help but think, he’s learning. It’s like he’s rapidly learning things even the real Prin wouldn’t know. Who is this creature.

  Elwin shuddered as though it had been his hand caressed by a monster. He tried to talk but the words turned to dust in his mouth and blew away.

  Prin took a step backward, back into the doorway of the room.

  Kit took one step forward, his hand slightly outstretched.

  When Prin’s back hit the room’s door and it swing inward with no resistance, Kit’s eyes opened wider and he seemed to snap out of his momentary trance. The hot blood had bloomed roses in his cheeks.

  “Wait a minute, did you break my door? Isn’t that a bit extreme?” Kit asked. Still, his voice was calm. Having no instinct of alarm yet for the situation. Or if he did, it was only beginning and not nearly enough to save him.

  “It was an accident.” Prin said sweetly. “Sometimes I don’t know my own strength.”

  Kit leaned forward to examine the broken lock mechanism. The doorknob no longer properly connected to the frame. “You did this with your own bare hands?”

  Prin put his hand on the top of Kit’s lowered head. “I can do all kinds of things with my bare hands.”

  Kit stood back up abruptly. “I – I had better see about getting this fixed first. Otherwise . . . it wouldn’t feel very private in there, would it?”

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  “No one will walk in.” Prin assured. He winked at Elwin, as though to say, someone will stand guard.

  “I will consider your . . . proposal.” Kit said, very formal, cheeks still burning away, showing his youth. Betraying his worldly act. He stepped away. “I have to excuse myself though, for now, to go and find maintenance. But I know where your room is and . . . you know where mine is.”

  Prin sighed. “If this is what must be.” He seemed to be giving up. For now.

  Kit walked quickly down the hallway, giving the quiet Elwin a little wave as he went past.

  Elwin wondered if he knew that he had dodged the falling sword. The gnashing teeth.

  Doubtful.

  Prin took Elwin’s arm and guided him down the hall. At first, he thought they were following Kit down the darkened hallway, through the night-lit ship. But then, they took a turn toward the area with the gambling and drinking establishments.

  “This should make you happy.” Prin said.

  Elwin chose not to answer, not sure which words would get him in the least trouble.

  They saw the blond young man, Kit’s on again off again, and Elwin wondered if Prin had been sniffing him out and zeroing in on him specifically.

  Prin’s toothy grin said it all.

  *

  Dru waited until Aster had eaten four or five bites of his roast beef and vegetables meal before saying anything. Although, she watched intently, nearly quivering with nervous energy until she couldn’t take it anymore, leaning forward conspiratorially toward Aster.

  Aster was content to eat slowly and let her squirm. He carefully loaded his fork with the just right proportion of meat to potato to carrot to make a perfect bite.

  The atmosphere in the restaurant was heavy with romance, couples batting their eyes at each other over a shared dessert the flickering candles on the tables making of their faces a spooky mask of syrupy affection.

  The way Dru was leaning it was almost like they were on a date too. The derisive snort of laughter didn’t make Aster drop his bite of food.

  That was when Dru chose to drop her bombshell instead.

  “I have to tell you something.” She said, all as one long word, before taking a breath and continuing at the same pace. “Someone has stolen from us both and I need your help getting it back.” She leaned back in her seat, letting out a relieved laugh. “I always have been a blunt one, huh?”

  Aster dropped the food back on his plate. “Do what now?”

  Dru ran her hand through her black hair nervously. “It’s really not my fault, see? I am usually so much better at this than I am right now. So much better. For some reason I am on an awful streak of bad luck. But even still! Even still okay, this wasn’t really my fault! I was playing cards. Sharks and garters? You know it?”

  Aster nodded, just to keep the story moving. She better hurry up and get to the point.

  “Anyway, I am so good at this game. Ordinarily. But this time. So this man showed up out of nowhere and cheated me out of everything I had! I know cheating when I see it. You being what you are . . . I figured you could help me get it back from him! Win, cheat, or steal it, whatever. He’s a cheater already so why should we care?” Dru rambled.

  “Maybe you shouldn’t be gambling, Dru. It’s always the house that wins in the end. Don’t you know that’s how these things work? All they have to do is keep you playing long enough and bam!” Aster slammed his palm down on the table for emphasis, making the candle flames jump up in surprise. “Every damn time.”

  “Not every game is a chance game! This is a skill game, skill!” Dru insisted. Spoken like a gambling addict would.

  Aster loaded her fork again and took a bite calmly before replying. “Whatever you say. I don’t see what would make me help you though.”

  Dru leaned slightly away from Aster this time, the angle causing her round glasses to go opaque and hide her eyes like a mask.

  “I . . . borrowed something of yours. With every intention of putting it right back before you even noticed it was gone. And he’s stolen that too.” Dru said. “I know you might not want to help me, but I thought I had to at least give you the chance to get it back.”

  Aster’s eyes widened in question.

  “That little apple on a gold chain? That my uncle gave you?” Dru said. “Figured it would give me a chance to get my money back, but like I said, he cheated. So there wasn’t much I could do . . .”

  Aster’s hand automatically went to his neck before he remembered that the necklace was in a soft leather jewelry pouch tucked away safe and – what should have been safe and sound at the bottom of his suitcase. He swallowed roughly, almost choking on the food before quickly recovering. “My diamond necklace --?”

  Dru nodded. “That’s the one.”

  “You got it from --?” Aster tested, to see if it could possibly not be true.

  “The bottom of your suitcase, yeah. I saw you put it in there.” Dru said. She tapped between her eyes almost proudly. “I have a way about me, I pretty much see and hear everything that goes on and file it away just in case.”

  Aster froze. “I’m going to kill you.”