90 - A Trip Down Pleasure Lane

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With Baron Kellis off to negotiate with Lady Hyacinth for Meya's freedom, Baroness Sylvia heading the door-to-door search for the missing Greeneyes and guarding the rest of the entourage, Meya and company had seized the Hadrians' guest quarters as base of operations, so Meya could prepare for her pleasure session with Dizadh the top courtesan.

"This is lunacy. You're staying—I'm going!"

Coris stopped pacing and stomped in for a rematch with Meya as she studied her reflection in the mirror. Leaning in, she gingerly prodded the warm blob of silvery metal on the bridge of her nose. Perhaps she could do with more to work with.

"You've seen those girls at the school, Coris. 'Tisn't like you lot have safe passage in there, neither." Sighing, she scrunched up her eyes and concentrated. Instead of piling on her nose, the liquid metal flowed onto her cheeks like alluvial fans. Swearing under her breath, she reabsorbed the goo and started over.

Coris's twin in the mirror raised his eyebrows.

"Well, at least they won't gouge out my eyes and peddle them on the black market!" He snapped.

"Coris, enough! I'm going with you no matter what you say." Meya abandoned her quest for a human nose-bridge and whipped around to the real Coris, "They're just as much your people as mine. I can't just sit by!"

"We've spied in hostile lands before. Enemies who actively seek out dragons in hiding. We're treating this as such."

Gillian, who was mentoring Meya from his spot beside her chair, attempted to mediate. Coris opened his mouth to retort, so Meya quickly added,

"Exactly. I mean, I'm a Greeneye meself, and I only knew he's one when I looked closely at his eyes. I didnae even do this nose thingy back then, and you slept with me and you were still none the wiser. The record speaks for itself, Coris."

Coris made to argue, but swallowed his words and resumed pacing, muttering darkly to himself. Shaking her head, Meya turned back to the mirror and concentrated. Metal trickled out of her pores and pooled on the flat region between her eyes. With her fingers shielded by thimbles, Meya shaped the cooling, waxlike puddle into a ridge.

As she was about to venture into a brothel known for kidnapping Greeneyes and stealing their eyes, Gillian had decided to teach her to also fashion herself a human nose, in addition to wearing Lattis.

According to the dragon, skilled Nostran spies could change their very appearance by tweaking and shaping the metal underneath their skin. But as Meya wasn't experienced enough yet, Gillian thought it safer for her to practice molding her armor over her skin first.

Adding a few prods as finishing touches, Meya turned left and right, admiring her new nose. 

"What d'you folks think?" She hollered for the human lads to score her efforts. Simon, Christopher and Zier crowded around her chair. Coris ignored her and continued his parade.

"Hard to tell. Guess I'll have to see it with the skin on." Simon cocked his head at the strip of paper-thin, eggshell-colored leather on the dressing table. Coris flounced to the door and disappeared outside with a huff of contempt.

"Coris!" Meya whipped around, half-rising out of her seat. Gillian pushed her down with a firm hand on her shoulder.

"Sit. He could never be persuaded."

"But—"

"He's a man, Meya Hild. No man wants to see a woman put herself in danger if he could help it." said Christopher solemnly. Meya froze, then bit her lip as a wave of turmoil surged inside her.

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