“Are you two all right?” Mara stood over Ping and Melanie, looking pale and concerned.
“I’m perfectly fine.” Melanie smiled, wiped soot from her upper lip. “Mr. Ping, how are you?”
“I’m okay. That was a little disconcerting, but I have to admit it felt enlightening, like my perspective of myself has been expanded in some way,” Ping said.
Bohannon raised a hand to get their attention. “What was all of that stuff about a dragon? And why was there fire coming out of Melanie’s nose?”
Melanie had a blank look on her face and self-consciously rubbed her nose. “Fire? Out of my nose? What is he talking about?”
“You don’t remember?” Ping asked.
“I don’t generally have physical manifestations of any kind. Are you saying fire came out of me?”
Bohannon pursed his lips in a silent whistle and no
