Terror flooded him and he nearly wet himself. “I’m sorry!” he cried aloud. “I’m so, so sorry. I did not know what you were. Please. Please, just let me be. Let go of my mind. Please.”

“Sedric?” The copper dragon reared up and abruptly took Alise’s shape. “Sedric! Are you all right? Do you have a fever or are you dreaming?” She put a warm hand on his damp brow. He pulled back from her touch convulsively. It was Alise. It was only Alise.

“Why are you wearing a dragon’s skin? And why are you rummaging through my possessions?” Shock made him both indignant and accusing.

“I’m…a dragon’s skin? Oh, no, it’s a robe. Captain Leftrin loaned it to me. It’s of Elderling make and completely lovely. And it doesn’t irritate my skin. Here. Feel the sleeve.” She offered her arm to him.

He didn’t try to touch the shimmering fabric. Elderling made. Dragon stuff. “That still doesn’t explain why you’ve sneaked into my room to dig through my things,” he complained petulantly.

“I haven’t! I didn’t ‘sneak’! I tapped on your door and when you didn’t answer, I let myself in. The door wasn’t latched. You were asleep. You’ve looked so weary lately that I didn’t want to wake you. That’s all. The only thing I want from you is some ink, some blue ink. Don’t you keep it in your little lap desk? Ah. Here it is. I’ll take some and leave you in peace.”

“No! Don’t open that! Give it to me!”

She froze in the act of working the catch. Stonily silent, she handed the lap desk to him. He tried not to snatch it from her, but his relief at keeping it out of her clutches was too evident. He swung it onto the bed beside him so he could conceal it with his body. She didn’t say a word as he opened it and slid his hand in to grope for the ink bottles. Fortune favored him. He pulled out a blue one. As he offered it to her, he ventured a halfhearted apology. “I was asleep when you came in. And I am out of sorts.”

“Indeed you are,” she replied coolly. “This is all I need from you. Thank you.” She snatched it from his hand. As she went out the door, she muttered for him to hear, “Sneaked, indeed!”

“I’m sorry!” he called, but she shut the door on his words.