"Yes, something like that. He might use the same formula in his other stories but I've been lucky enough not to know." And she'll continue not to know unless she one day discovered he'd written something more about her somewhere. "If it helps, I won't tell you if there's something one day about you. I should think you'd be safe, especially since we're being discreet."

"But where's the challenge in that? It would be much more interesting to try to sneak in." If she was feeling particularly self-destructive, that is. She turned to face him and smiled, reaching up to squeeze his hand briefly. "Likewise. You have my discretion and my silence." He had the upper hand; with Anders and Merrill always around, he could easily speak to Meredith and see them taken to the Circle. She trusted him not to do so.

"You did say you had a lower tolerance. I wouldn't hold it against you," she promised gently. "I think the numbness is the point, obviously." She tipped her head back against his arm and smiled. "I've never heard about it making someone's nose numb, though."