Maddox's wife was a dragon. His High General was running a gambling operation during an extraction. And his ex-High Marshal had just made a joke, which meant either the apocalypse was starting or Sterling had been body-snatched.
Ryker: Annulment. You married a Solandris. Gross. I feel like I need a shower just thinking about it.
Ryker said "annulment" with the confidence of a best friend who knew he was funny and was fully prepared to die on that burning hill.
Sterling: A dragon queen for a dragon throne who happens to have a wolf too. I called that weeks ago. You're welcome for the genius foresight.
Ryker turned his whole body toward Sterling, slowly, the way a man turns toward a noise he doesn't believe he actually heard.
Ryker: Did you just make another joke?
Ryker was grinning at Sterling the way a man grins at a friend who just accidentally revealed a personality. Sterling's unimpressed stare was trying to put the personality back in the box. The box was broken.
