Drust scowled and his eyes narrowed at Ghent’s comments against magic on Earth. “With that attitude, boy, it’s no wonder you haven’t found it already.” His attention turned back to Elayra when the flame burst to life, the light glittering in his eyes. “Magic is a proud thing. Believe in it only partially, or think it fake, and it won’t let you find it.”
	A proud look crossed Elayra’s face at Ghent’s reaction to her use of magic. The expression turned to an amused haughtiness when he questioned her skills, but that, in turn, shifted into a heated frown at his newest name for her.
	“My [i]name[/i] is Elayra,” she growled, his reference lost on her. “Not Ella. Not [i]Blondie,[/i]” she spat the nickname venomously. “Elayra,” she enunciated each syllable. “And I’ve been doing archery since I could hold a bow.” She looked about ready to get up, grab her bow and arrows, and usher Ghent outside in a fit, but she remained seated on the dirty floor.
	Drust’s gaze darkened and his neck twitched at their little spat, before Ghent asked his next question.
	Elayra took a cross bite of her burger. Whether or not she decided she liked it, her stomach approved of being fed. She raised her eyebrows when Ghent said, “other humans,” and glanced to Drust, wondering what about his appearance had Ghent categorizing him so easily as human. 
	“There are others, yes,” Drust answered stiffly. He finished off the rest of his burger before elaborating. “They’ve been called the omitten. Not all of them are human. I’ve only met a couple handfuls. The Red Queen’s monsters are always on the hunt for them, forcing them underground.” 
	Elayra removed the fries from her bag, and fingered one, faintly admiring the salt and golden color. She popped it in her mouth, and chewed slowly, savoring the salty, fried sliver of potato, once more unsure whether she found it enjoyable or nasty. She settled on disgustingly delightful.