Xaxac clung to Agalon’s side as they made their way toward a part of the house he had never been in before, so much closer to the front that for a moment he allowed himself the brief, flittering hope that they may be going outside.

Instead, Agalon opened a door and led Xaxac into what may have been the largest room on the estate. It was dark in the twilight that shone in through the windows, but lit by flickering firelight and a few lamps that hung from the ceiling. The room seemed to be primarily designed to sit around in, because it was mostly couches and the like, but there were also tables, and the centerpiece of the room was a large piano that was currently filling the room with beautiful music.

It did not escape his notice that there were more shelves of plants, or that the pictures on the walls, depicting flowers, seemed to be painted by the same artist who had painted the two pictures that hung in the bedroom.

The woman who sat at the piano was the youngest elf in the room, wearing a dress almost identical to the one Xaxac had seen in the window of the seamstress’s shop, and he realized instantly that he had been correct in his assumption about how it would look on a real woman.

If that was Cremia, Lorsan had lost his damn mind.

He had absolutely nothing to complain about.

Her fingers moved nimbly along the keys and Xaxac wondered what the song was. He had never heard it before, but he had never seen a piano before, so it was possible he would have recognized it on a more portable instrument.

Lorsan had been right about the amount of smoke in the air; the room was completely saturated with it, and it was coming from nearly everyone except the lady at the piano. Xaxac quickly counted five elves already in the room, along with Lee, Bobby, Mickey and Ellie, who were all standing silently, in shadows, in that way that people who were raised to work in houses had, silently watching, which Xaxac found unsettling.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” Agalon said, “I’m downright sorry, but my youngun’s fell ill, and I went and sent him to bed.”

“You know what that is?” an older elven woman, whom Xac, by process of elimination thought to be Lady Loraxina asked, “That’s that exhaustion all the kids are gettin. All them younguns is gettin that. Folks has been takin um outta school, sendin um off to the water continent, or out to the country to get um rested up. Ain’t nobody knows what’s causin it.”

“I’ll tell you what’s causin it,” the elven man sitting next to her, whom Xaxac thought may be Lord Loraxina, said matter-of-factly, “It’s them stupid clothes they wear. Them trends is dangerous. You know I read up on them corsets or girdles or whatever they’re callin um now, says it moves your whole insides around. Ain’t no wonder they’re all passin out.”

“There ain’t a damn thing wrong with corsets,” his wife argued, “I’ll wear a corset.”

“They tie um real tight,” her husband said, and Xaxac thought this was probably an argument they had had before, “it’s the fashion. It’s what the kids are wearin. Won’t have my youngun chasin trends.”

“I don’t think it’s the clothes,” Ky said, “Lorry just ain’t used to bein back on a plantation. You send um off to them schools they catch anythin catchin up there. You put a bunch a kids together like that. I know we passed the same damn cold back and forth for damn near eight years.”

“There’s truth to that,” the vet said, and his presence shocked Xac, because he hadn’t been alerted that he was even in the house, “I’ve been readin up on this new research to come outta academia, and there’s a feller what says you can catch stuff from bugs, teeny tiny little bugs, so little you can’t see um without a lense.”

“It ain’t bugs,” Mr. Loraxina said as if the concept was foolish, “It’s the fashion.”

“Is that the rabbit?” Cremia asked, and the music stopped as her face split open with a smile.

“Yup,” Agalon said proudly, “This is Xaxac. This is my shifter. Say hello to everybody, Xac.”

“It’s real nice to meet you,” Xac said and leaned forward in a bow, before straightening back up and leaning back into Agalon’s side.

“Oh, Kai, is that his new outfit?” Ky asked, “I love it! He jingles!”

“Yeah, ain’t it cute?” Agalon asked as he led Xaxac toward the area where they were all sitting, “Sakala says it’s what they’re wearin in the Fire Colony.”

“It is,” Mrs Loraxina said as she leaned forward to ash, “Lady Glenlen’s got herself a whole bunch of um dressed like that.”

“Why?” Mr Loraxina asked, “Why are we bringin that back? Why we want a costume that looks like what them ignorant savages wore before we taught um how to properly dress? That ain’t-”

“You are bein real rude,” his wife said in a stage whisper, “embarassin the hell outta me an Cremy.”

“I’m just sayin, Kai was there,” Mr Loraxina said, “It’s weird.”

Xac had thought this himself, but wasn’t willing to agree with anyone who insulted his master’s taste to his face, so instead he climbed into Agalon’s lap once he seemed situated in his armchair.

“Either way,” the vet said, “I reckon he is a real shifter. Look at this.”

He stood, and as he approached Agalon spun Xaxac so that he was sitting facing straight ahead, which allowed the vet better access when he reached out to pry his mouth open.

“The bone structure is about like a human’s,” the vet explained while Xaxac tried very hard to relax, though he did wish that someone had warned him before they just jerked his mouth open, “but the teeth themselves have characteristics of a rodent- look at them. Number twenty nine was knocked clean out, the tooth was broke, but it’s- oh, look at that, it’s grown back completely. And I know y’all can’t see this, but there was actually a fracture line right about here-”

Xac really wished he would stop just sticking fingers in his mouth.

“And that’s gone too,” the vet continued, “I ain’t never seen nothin like it. He really is just healin up, like the legends say.”

He released Xac’s face and Xaxac massaged his jaw on that side that he had been prodding.

“He kinda looks like a rabbit,” Cremia said, “With them big eyes and buck teeth. And that hair, oh,” she stood and took slow, tentative steps toward him, “can I touch it?”

“Of course,” Agalon said before Xaxac could respond, “Actually, everybody come here and feel this- it feels just like angora. When he shifts he’s covered in angora. Feel how soft it is!”

Cremia gently ran a strand of his hair between her fingers and cooed.

“Oh my lord, mama, feel it,” She beamed.

“Ought… ought you really have somethin like that in the house, Kai?” Mr Loraxina asked, though he seemed to be the only one who felt the least bit unsettled.

“That’s a bad attitude, Ricky,” Agalon said playfully, “that right there’s why you need to see him shift. He wouldn’t never hurt nobody, would you, Honey Bunny?”

“No,” Xac swore, “I ain’t never tried to hurt nobody, ever! I ain’t never been in a fight! I’ve always been real good!”

“Oh, he looks scared,” Cremia frowned, “he alright?”

“He just gets real skittish,” Agalon said, “Lee, bring us some more whiskey, settle his nerves!”

“Yes, master,” Lee said, bowed, and took his leave.

“I been readin up on shifters,” the vet said, “since I left. Ain’t no real good sources on um. Nobody’s really been able to study um. Kai, if we could find out how far that healin goes-”

“He ain’t for sell,” Agalon said quickly, putting an end to the idea.

“It’s hereditary,” the vet said, “and I’d rather have a subject I can study from birth. You ever think about breedin him?”

“Maybe,” Agalon said, and Xaxac froze.

How does one study a healing factor? Wouldn’t you have to hurt somebody to do that?

“I don’t… really wanna have kids,” Xac said, quietly, “Aggie you said I wouldn’t never have no kids.”

“No, darlin, you get so confused,” Agalon laughed, “What I said was I wouldn’t never take you to no breedin center. Them places charge a fortune.”

“God, they do,” Ky agreed, “there ain’t no point to them places.”

“Well now there is a point,” the vet disagreed, “they got good stock they can guarantee, and they keep the kid till it’s weaned. There’s a lotta good breedin centers. I’d say you get your money’s worth.”

Xaxac was trying very hard to control his breathing. He didn’t want kids. He didn’t want his kids sold to someone who wanted to test their potential healing ability.

He had been taught how to top.

Aggie had said that he was being taught because he might want to breed him.

Lee said this was a test. Don’t freak out. Don’t cry like you like to do.

That wasn’t going to happen.

Alex said that sometimes you mishear things, you make things up, things that never happened, things that were never going to happen.

This never happened.

“I don’t know,” Agalon said, as if he was considering the thing that had never happened. “I don’t even know what kinda stud fee I’d charge. It seems pretty valuable.”

“Don’t be a dick, Kai,” the vet said.

“He’s shakin,” Cremia said, “you sure he’s alright?”

“Lee!” Agalon yelled.

“Master?” Xac whimpered and backed up as far as he could, tense and shaking, “I’m scared. I… I’m sorry, I… I ain’t tryin to be rude I… All y’all seem real nice, it’s just… a lotta people an…”

“Shss, Honey Bunny,” Agalon gently ran his hands up and down his sides and called again, “Lee!”

But apparently Lee was there with several bottles, one of which he had poured into a plethora of glasses that he sat on the coffee table. Agalon picked one of them up and presented it to Xaxac.

“Here you go, Honey Bunny,” he said in his most soothing voice, “settle your nerves.”

“I’ll believe it when I see it,” Mr Loraxina said in what Xac suspected was a volume he didn’t think would carry, didn’t think Xaxac would hear.