“I came as soon as I heard,” she said, hugging the creature closer.
I crossed my arms, watching the exchange in silence. I was half-expecting Ashteryn to launch into one of his signature rants. If I disliked animals roaming the halls, Ashteryn detested them with an almost spiritual fervor—especially near his forge.
But then something impossible happened.
Ashteryn bent down, squinting slightly to meet the rabbit eye-to-eye.
“And who is this little guy?” he asked, voice soft—fond, even. A tone I didn’t know he possessed.
All I could do was stare and wonder.
Who was this girl?
And what, in the gods’ name, had she done to Ashteryn?
Eirlys beamed. “This is Nibbles,” she said brightly. “Because he loves to eat.”
Ashteryn finally shot me a glance over his shoulder. “Weren’t you on your w
