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Dax tries to stifle a laugh--not very well--and I realize I’ve been tripped up by another one of these "figures of speech" that I keep running into I’e

"No, IDaphne around the party Pretend you barely reht you told me not to be rude to her Isn’t indifference the sa is don’t act all stalkery Let her coe"

"But what if she doesn’t?"

Dax looks me over and adjusts my tie one last time "Trust me She will"

"I don’t know about all thisthe ht course I should find a different way to get closer to her"

"No," Dax says "I think thesome research into it and found that there’s a whole neurochee"

I raise my eyebrows

"There’s scientific evidence that when people sing together their brains release oxytocin--that’s a neurotrans It causes a sense of well-being and trust toward the person you’re singing with"

I nod, liking the sound of that, even though I don’t kno to sing

Another concern eats at me "But it’s forbidden," I say "Music isn’t allowed in the Underrealm"

"We’re not in the Underreal one of the Court’s h my nerves have been left exposed to the open air "If ranted, reluctantly--so he’s not going to tell on you Not unless you do soain"

I shake rove once ainst everything you’ve been taught, but sometimes Champions have to make exceptions to the rules Just be smart about which ones you choose to bend" He slaps o knock ’eood impression at the party, and not to follow the literal interpretation of that expression

Chapter twenty-six

DAPHNE