I held my plate out, and the girl behind the table dropped a massive steak onto it with a smile, just as bright as it had been yesterday and the day before.

“Why are you smiling at me?” I made sure I pulled my plate back before I asked.

Her smile froze into place, as if I’d spoken in a foreign language.

“I’m an outsider that you’re willingly sharing your food with. You should not be smiling at me. You should be trying to run me out of here.” Someone had to teach these people.

Her eyes shot to the side, as if she were looking to one of her coworkers for help. That guy was too busy smiling at someone else to notice. Her eyes came back to mine, the smile faltering slightly before she said, “But…there’s plenty of food. Why would I run you out?”

I shook my head, my disappointment flowing out as strong as a geyser. Her smile turned into more of a gape. These people were going to need some serious work. I moved along the line, giving her some space to think about what I’d told her—and also because the biscuits were so fresh you could see the steam from the other side of the line.

I piled a few biscuits up, having to drop them on my plate before they burned my fingers with their freshness. Some were to eat with dinner and some were for tomorrow, in case that bastard tried to donut me in again.

I made my way over to where my crew was sitting, and nearly tripped. Why was Burn at our table? Why was Marra smiling at him? Yeah, I might’ve thought he was the least bad person here, but that didn’t make him good.

I plunked down my plate in front of Ruck. Fetch gave me a wave, a chicken leg attached to his hand as he did. I barely got nods out of Marra and Sinsy as they devoted themselves to hanging on every word Burn said.

I leaned toward Ruck. “These people are too nice. It’s a miracle they’re alive.”

Ruck took a spoonful of food so large that his mouth had to strain to open up wide enough to shovel it in. The message was silent but loud.

“I get it: you like it. But they’re going to end up dead, and us with them.” I looked down the opposite end of the table, but no one was paying me any mind as Burn continued his story. I was sure it was something or other about how he and his magic saved the day.

Ruck finally swallowed enough that he could speak. “Yeah, I know, we’re all going to die. I’m kind of enjoying it right now, though, so if you could zip it until after dinner…?”

You’d think he’d be happy someone was warning him of his impending doom. No, they all wanted to join the happy, smiling rainbow crew.

We sat in silence for a couple of bites before he seemed to remember something. “Almost forgot—I offered to go on a recon mission tomorrow.”

“Why did you do that?” Who was I going to sit and talk to after Ryker did his next horrible thing?

He threw up his hand. “Seemed like fun?”

Fun? He was starting to smile, just like them. It was like a disease or something. Although maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea. The more time he stayed away from here, the better. He was settling in way too well. They all were.

A wave of magic pushed into the room and I straightened up and pushed my hair from my face, but I wouldn’t look.

“What?” Ruck asked, making me wonder what signal I’d given off to alert him.

“Nothing.”

He looked around the room, not believing me for a second.

“Wow, how far away can you feel him?”

Ryker must’ve walked in. “Too far.” It seemed to vary somewhat, and I wasn’t sure if that was due to me or him, but “too far” was an accurate measurement either way.

Wasn’t going to look. Why would I? We were done for the day. As far as I was concerned, he didn’t exist until tomorrow. I didn’t look at him when he was in line getting food, and I didn’t look at him when he stopped to talk to some blonde, or when another brunette made her way over.

He was in charge of this place. Did he have nothing better to do than laugh with the girls during dinner? And did he need to laugh so loudly? We got it. The blond bimbo he was talking to was funny. The whole room got it.

Not that I cared, or was even paying attention. He ran this looney place. He could waste his time laughing as he led everyone to their death, if that was his choice.

Ruck didn’t have the same qualms about staring. “He gets more ass than a donkey. Understandable. I’d certainly give him mine if he was into it.”

“I don’t know why you would. He’s a complete ass and he looks like a Neanderthal.”

“I know. I can smell the testosterone all the way over here.” Ruck lifted his nose and then did a fake shudder, as if he couldn’t resist.

My back was to Ryker, but I felt his magic heading my way. There was a chair open beside Burn. No, this was too much. I was not eating with him.

“I’ve got to go.” I stood, nearly knocking my chair over as I scrambled out of there.

I didn’t look at Ryker when I got up, or not directly, but for some reason, I thought I felt his eyes on me.

I took my napkin and dumped my entire dinner into it, glad I’d gone light on the gravy, so I could put the dish in the bin. If people noticed my strange behavior—who could even tell with all the damned smiles aimed in my direction?

The roads were clear outside, as most everyone was eating, and I made it to my room in peace. Or I’d hoped for peace, but there was a stack of books and a pile of candles beside where my pelt was. Had they given my room away? I thought no one liked my room but me?

I ducked my head out the door, looking for evidence of the person who might’ve been trying to interlope, but didn’t see anyone. Leaving the door cracked, I walked over to the piles and sat down on my pelt, putting my dinner to the side for a minute. Whoever had left the candles had left some matches along with them.

I lit one up, figuring if they were going to try and steal my room, their candles were fair game.

The top book had a picture of an apple on the cover. I flipped it open and saw the apple again, but with a word underneath it. That must’ve been the word for apple. Learning books? Were they left for me? Who would’ve sent me learning books?

My skin felt like it was about to fry off my face as I thought about Burn catching me outside the class. And he did have some sort of relationship with the teacher.

I flipped through a couple more pages, wondering how rich this place was that they could afford so many books that they could give them away. Smiling idiots. They were doomed. I’d figure out which one left these here and I’d give them back.

I lay down on my pelt and flipped through some more pages. It wasn’t as if I was going to interrupt everyone’s dinner to find the owners. It could wait a little bit, and I might as well flip through them in the meantime.