And that’s when it hits me. Tarq is what’s out of place, not the world. I get it. I’m no expert on this new world, so maybe I’m wrong. But Tarq’s clothes—while very beautiful—don’t match up with the rest of the city. And what was that word he just used? I look up at Tarq. “Vinca?”
“Oh, that’s where we are. This is Vinca. Welcome.” Then his face goes thoughtful. “You really don’t know anything.”
I scowl at him.
“No,” he says, reading my expression. “I don’t mean it that way. You really have never travelled outside of your world before, have you?”
“Generally speaking, people don’t hop worlds where I come from.”
He nods at me. “Right. I have to keep reminding myself of that fact.” Then he smiles. “Welcome, Pie Vita. And let me be the first to say that you are an exciting addition to our world.”
For some reason this makes me feel good. Little bit warm. Little bit… comforted. Like maybe working for Tarq won’t be that bad. I pan my hands wide. “So this is my office?”
“This is the hub. Your bench is private.”
“Bench?”
“Your research bench. Work station,” he clarifies.
“Wait.” I shake my head a little. “What do you mean research? I’m not a scientist. And clearly this is a place for scientists.”
“Well, you’re an alchemist, right?”
“No, not really.”
He raises one eyebrow at me.
“I’m serious. I’m not a witch, or whatever. I’m just a regular girl. And I’m definitely not a”—I look around, searching for the right word—“researcher.”
“Well.” Tarq lets out a breath. “You are now.”
“What do you mean? I thought I was your personal assistant?”
“You are. This is my department. Therefore, you will assist me here.”
“But what can I do? I don’t know anything about this stuff, I swear. I barely got through high school. I’m not qualified.”
“And yet…” He smiles big. Kinda like the Big Bad Wolf, if you ask me. “You found your way here using a dragon scale. How do you explain that?”
I point to my chest. “That wasn’t me. I didn’t do that. Tomas did. I just… wore the damn scale as I passed through the door.”
“About that scale.”
“What about it?”
“Where did you get it?”
“I just told you. Tomas got it.”
“But you said he was a chimera.”
This throws me for a moment and I stutter. “W-what?”
“You said he was a chimera.” He says these words slowly. Carefully.
“Yeah. He is. But…” I stop. Because something inside me says I should not tell him that Tomas is a real dragon.
“But what?”