Zane raised both hands in surrender. "Calm down, it's not gonna hurt you." He glanced at the blade again. "Seriously, why do you even carry a dagger, anyway? That thing just—poof—appeared out of nowhere. You've been hiding it under your skirt or something?"
Mira's glare could've set him on fire. "I carry it just in case your kind—" she jabbed the blade toward him, "—try something funny."
Zane blinked. "…Your kind? What are we, goblins?!"
"I mean men," she snapped, dagger steady.
Zane slapped his chest, gasping dramatically. "Excuse me, I'm offended. Not all boys—" he caught himself, coughed into his hand, and straightened. "—ahem, I mean, men—are like that."
Mira rolled her eyes so hard they almost left orbit.
Zane leaned against the wall, crossing his arms. "You know, if I wanted to do something 'funny,'" he gestured at the wriggling shadow at his feet, "I wouldn't exactly need to knock first. Pretty sure Mister Stabby down there is scarier than whatever you think I'd try."
Her grip on the dagger didn't loosen, but her expression shifted—curiosity wrestling with caution. "So… what is it? A curse? Some kind of magic?"
Zane smirked. "Magic? Curse? Nah. It's just… me." He wiggled his fingers, and his shadow mimicked it a half-second later like a dark puppet. "Kinda like a pet. Only less fluffy. And slightly more… morally questionable."
Mira's lips parted, caught between awe and horror. "…You don't even realize how terrifying that sounds, do you?"
Zane tilted his head. "Terrifying? Pfft. No, no. Terrifying would be if it also had teeth." He grinned. "Which, by the way, I really hope it doesn't."
Mira pinched the bridge of her nose, muttering under her breath. "Of all the travelers to walk into this inn…"
"Hey," Zane said, pointing at her. "You brought me bread. So technically, this makes you my first official fan. Congratulations. You're part of history."
Mira lowered the dagger a fraction, glaring at him like she couldn't decide if he was insane or just unbearably annoying. "Fan? More like a witness. Because if that thing does eat someone, I'm telling everyone exactly who to blame."
Zane clutched his chest again. "You wound me. Here I thought we were having a bonding moment."
"Bonding?" Mira scoffed. "The only thing bonding here is me and my dagger if you keep talking."