Page 30 of Tall, Dark and Haunted

With a shiver, Enzo frowns at us. “You really don’t want to know.”

Red’s eyes widen with horror, the look mirroring my own.

“You can help, Enzo,” Castalia says. “You always dress well.”

“Yes, when you and your little friends aren’t turning my clothes pink.” Enzo gets to his feet and looks us over with a scrutinizing expression. “I’m not sure I’ll be much help. My look isn’t really off the rack.”

“Surely you can lend the guys a suit or something until they get their own clothes?”

“Well, I guess. But aren’t they going back to Margam? I don’t want my Armani suits to be ruined. Armani really isn’t at its best when translucent.”

“Enzo!” Lupine gives her mate a disapproving look.

“What?”

“You can’t say that.”

“Just did.” He shrugs.

Lupine turns back to us. “Ignore him. He doesn’t mean to be an utter bastard.”

“Don’t I?” Enzo mutters, smirking almost sweetly at her.

“Juniper is working on finding a way to help them stay,” Castalia cuts across him with a roll of her eyes.

Lupine gets to her feet and says, “I’ll head back to the orphanage and grab some clothes for you all. I should have something that will fit you, Rhiannon. I really am sorry about that awful unicorn t-shirt. It was all I could find in the lost and found.”

“Thank you.”

Ember gives Rhiannon a strange look. “Has anyone told you that you look just like that viral woman? You know the one who—”

“That wasn’t me,” Rhiannon says quickly, and I can’t help but wonder who they’re talking about.

“But your hair—”

“Nope. Not me.”

Castalia takes Rhiannon’s hand and leads us out of the room. “I wonder if we can get Arach to help us with Topher, Davy, and Red’s hair. Because no offense guys, but sideburns are so last century.”

I’m inclined to agree, but I do not like that everyone seems to be following after us, clearly eager to watch our transformation. Apparently our embarrassment is not complete without an audience.

“Are you sure you want to wake up Arach?” Enzo asks, almost looking apprehensive. “You know he won’t be happy about it.”

“That’s an understatement,” Amon mutters.

“Who’s Arach?” I ask.

No one replies. They exchange looks that say ‘how the hell do we describe Arach’ until Amon continues, “We’ll be lucky if he doesn’t breathe fire. Although, I guess that’s one way to lose your sideburns.”

“Breathes fire?” I frown.

They ignore me. I want to believe that they’re having us on, exaggerating, but something tells me they’re all one hundred percent sincere.

We climb the stairs and head down the corridor, stopping just outside a door marked number one. Castalia doesn’t hesitate to bang on the door, but I get the distinct impression that everyone else is holding their breath.

I hear stomping from inside the room, and then the door flings open to reveal a dragon shifter who is much older and angrier than the deputy mayor.

“WHO DARES TO DISTURB MY SLUMBER?” he roars at us, steam pouring from his nostrils, his eyes hooded with sleep.