Trying to compose myself, I nodded quickly and wiped my cheeks, then finally looked over at Gryf standing silently beside him. Except it wasn’t Gryf. He was another human. His skin and eyes were a deep brown, and the closely shorn hair on his head and thick beard on his face were almost black. He was even taller than Jugs was, towering over Lyri beside him. My mouth opened and closed in wordless shock—and embarrassment that this stranger was seeing me in such a state. Nervously smoothing back my hair with shaking hands, I tried to pull myself together and give him a smile, but I wasn’t sure
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