Iannis held the front door open, and I stepped over the threshold, out of the summer heat into the comparatively cool confines. Unlike the inn’s outside, the interior was very inviting—the floors and walls were paneled with warm, honey-colored wood, and the smell of spiced tea and fresh meat pies laced the cool air. A woman in a blue serge dress came bustling forward, ready to attend us. Off to the left was a hallway that likely led to the kitchens and offices, and to the right was a large, open common room, complete with a fireplace, wingback chairs, coffee tables, and rugs. Above the hearth, I noted a wooden shield with a lion’s head on it, painted in black. There were lions in other places too—the patterned rugs, the candlestick holders, and furniture carvings.

“Good afternoon,” the woman said in a pleasant voice. “Welcome to the Black Lion Inn. Are you staying long?”

“We’re here to meet a friend,” Iannis said. “He’s waiting for us in the common area.”

“We could use some food though,” I mentioned, holding up a finger before Iannis could drag me over there.

“Gallie, our server, should be coming around to the common room in a few moments,” the woman assured us with a smile. “You go off and meet your friend, and I’ll let her know that you two will want something to eat.”

“As I recall, you ate three helpings on the flight,” Iannis commented in my head as we walked away, a smirk in his voice. I could feel the woman’s curious gaze on us as we passed through the entrance to the right.

“Yeah, but I’m still hungry. And besides, there may not be much food wherever Elnos is taking us.” Any smart shifter fueled up every chance she got, and as a magic user, I needed even more energy than the average shifter.

It wasn’t hard to find Elnos—he was wearing the same disguise he’d donned before leaving town, and was sitting in a chair by the fire, gazing toward the window, his features tight with strain. He turned his head as we approached and jumped a little in his chair, no doubt sensing the magic that provided our glamour.

“Hey,” I greeted him quietly in my my own voice. “It’s Sunaya, and Iannis.”

Elnos’s mouth opened in surprise, and he jumped up from his seat. “L--” He caught himself just before he shouted Iannis’s name aloud. “Lord Iannis, Sunaya,” he said more quietly as he enfolded me into a quick hug. “I’m so glad you were able to get here on such short notice.” He looked absolutely nothing like the fresh-faced, gangly young mage that I knew—the man hugging me was more filled out, sporting a leather jacket and dark sunglasses rather than mage robes.