---
Her eyes narrowed. "You can't go alone."
He blinked. "It's a guild banquet, Fenna. Not a duel. I'm not going to fight, just hear their offer."
"All the more reason I'm not letting you go alone," she snapped, planting her hands on her hips. "I don't trust that woman. She talks like a politician and walks like she owns every man in the room."
Zephyr raised an eyebrow. "You're exaggerating."
Fenna leaned in, voice dropping to a dramatic whisper. "She wears those tight leggings, Zeph. The expensive ones with flame stitched lace along the seams. That type of woman doesn't just want to hand you a contract, she wants to wrap you in it and tie a bow on top."
He laughed. "That's a bit extreme."
"No! It's not!" Fenna's expression turned sharp with indignation. "You don't see it, but women like her… they seduce young tamers. Play the long game. One minute you're sipping wine, and the next, you're being pampered in some velvet bed, wearing nothing but shame and your underwear!"
