“I didn’t say at this moment, love,” Thayva said gently, lightly holding her hands behind her back. “That’s why I stopped.” She smiled warmly at Serapis declaration of putting the children and her ahead of himself. “That’s one of the reasons I married you, you kind ol’ reptile.” Her snout scrunched in a playful smile as she watched him check the food.

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	“Don’t mind him.” Nick went to where he had left his garments and slipped his own shirt on. “He’s just in a mood,” he said through the fabric of his shirt before his head reappeared. “How’s it going, Arjun?”

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	Laya cleared her throat nervously. “Well, [i]technically[/i] the door to get here’s supposed to be locked.”
	Kia laughed and gave an approving smile as her friend reached the rooftop. “You little rebel!”
	“Hey, Laya,” a soft voice said as Kia pulled herself up.
	“Well, speaking of!” Laya smiled at the other girl lounging on the roof with a quill in hand, her knees drawn into her chest and a pad of parchment resting on them. She had her back against a part of the roof that rose up behind her.
	The human girl watched them clamber from the ladder with her big, brown eyes. Her short hair as rich in color as her gaze, she gave them a smile in greeting. Her eyes fell to Laura. “I don’t think we’ve met.” She sat her quill and parchment beside an ink bottle and got to her feet as Kia stood at the very edge of the rooftop, looking out, her hands on her hips almost triumphantly as if she had just climbed a great mountain. “Not officially, at least.” The girl extended a hand to Laura. “I’m Belle.”