Merlin nodded, eyes looking up at the stars for a minute. The stars weren't usually visible from the inner city, blanketed as they were with light pollution. But over Hecate's hotel, they glimmered through.
"True," he said, around the stem of his pipe. "Dogs can't have chocolate. Now that was a tragedy narrowly averted, eh?" He took a long draw on the pipe, making the embers in the bowl glow brightly. He could feel that Kaden was interested, he just had to somehow entice a little trust from him. Blowing smoke rings seemed to hold a little interest, so he did it again, this time followed by an arrow of smoke to pierce though the middle.