“I wouldn’t.” Another pause. “Don’t let it -- him? Her? -- bully you, or me not telling won’t matter.” Once everyone knew… well, Flynn was a shining example of what happened then.
“Him,” he confirmed, “and he’s not… he wouldn’t bully.” Eagerly insist on helping, maybe. Definitely. “He means well and only wants to help us.” A beat. “Does Flynn’s and Audrey’s bully them?”
“I suppose that’s a question for Flynn or Audrey,” Ari replied. “I can only imagine that the personalities of such creatures are as varied as hume personalities can be.”
“So how do you…” Merri bit his lip. Dare he ask? “Do you have one?” he asked in a lowered voice.
“Do I?” She knew it was better to tread carefully. So many people knew already, and Merri, unlike those she had approached in the past, knew enough not to worry for his own sanity. But… “I suppose anything is possible,” she said after a moment, which he was hopefully bright enough to interpret as a yes.
“So that time, last year, when you came asking for… that was for you?” He couldn’t be angry with her for lying; he likely would have said the same in her shoes. Would have, if he hadn’t known about the others, if the Sage hadn’t revealed hers. Still, he wanted to be sure.
“Well, let’s just say I ran across a situation that… piqued my interest in the topic,” she said carefully. “You were a great help, by the way.”
The way she seemed to avoid answering him directly was telling, and again, Merri couldn’t blame her for her caution, and he mentally kicked himself for not exercising the same. “Of course, anytime,” he said, a small apologetic grin on his face. “And if you’ve found out anything more… I’d love to hear more. Later, of course.”
“Later,” she agreed. And perhaps -- possibly -- she might even say more, later. She knew that Drake trusted him, after all… “This is not the venue for such academic conversation, however. So tell me -- what interesting new things have you been getting up to since I saw you last? Tell me everything.”
Merri found himself happy to move on away from the subject, and he began telling Ari what he felt Ran would be okay with him sharing about their lives so far, the new spells he was learning, and inquiring about her life in turn, as friends did.