Zen wished he could do the same.
“You aren’t eating?” The dark elf woman, Leela, had snuck up on him. She really was stunning, her black hair in an array of braids that came together over one shoulder, and the violet colors of her dress playing beautifully against her black skin.
Zen tried to smile, failing as much as he imagined he had all day. He’d sat away from the others, though Guardian had chosen to lie beside him by one of the fires. In truth, Zen was starving, had been ever since Gaian fed from him earlier, but he hadn’t wanted anyone to notice.
The pastry Leela offered made Zen’s mouth water, because it was filled with meat, unlike the sweet pastries from the village, something she and her companions had smuggled when they left their own.
“I should,” Zen said, accepting the tr
