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He put his phone in his pocket and crawled out with Pan following. His gaze took in the waiting centaurs, their harsh expressions and sharp spears, and his heartbeat quickened with fear. His throat was dry, but he needed to sell this.

He swallowed twice before finding his voice. “This is what is called a two-man tent, because it sleeps two humans comfortably, though you can squeeze three in.” Noah pointed to Web and Liam. They had discussed chipping in to buy a four-man tent, so they’d have a bit more room, but they never had. Sometimes he took David’s family sized tent, but that was too big for the three of them, and much more cumbersome to carry around and set up.

The child in the tent called out and two other children cantered over and dived inside.

Beard made a joke, and the others laughed. If they were comparing tent sizes again …Noah glared at Pan.

Pan smiled at him and translated what they were saying into English. “Three humans or three centaur children. They want a tent for a family.”

Noah looked at Beard as he spoke. “Humans also like family tents. My uncle has one, which also has an awning and an annex.”

Pan’s translation halted. “What is an awning and an annex? Perhaps you can show them. And by them, I mean the queen. Address her please.”

Right, just because Beard was doing the talking didn’t mean he was in charge.

Noah pulled his phone out and Pan seemed to describe it to them, as mixed in with the Tarikian, Noah heard the word phone. Which the centaurs then repeated, as if testing out the new word.

Pan ran his fingers through his hair and tugged on a curl. “They are asking what a phone does. I said it is a herald for news and also takes pictures like a painter, but they move. I do not think they believe me.”

“It also searches the Internet, but how are you going to explain that to people who’ve never had the Internet…which includes you. Shit. The Internet is like a giant library, but it’s the kind of library where anyone can add to it, so some of it is truthful and useful and some of it is not. There’s also social media where you can keep in contact with people. I use it to message my friends in Australia. Which is on the other side of the world. And I use it to call my parents and speak to them.”

Pan’s eyebrows drew together. “I know it’s not magic, and yet, it is a powerful magic. Your world created new technologies because you lack true magic.” He was silent for a couple of seconds before turning to the queen to tell her more about the phone.

“What about the yurt where the meditations were held at the last festival? That was a big tent,” Liam said.

“That’s a good idea, but I don’t know anything about them. Or where to get one.”

“What are you going to do? Rob a camping store?” Web asked.

He hadn’t thought that far ahead. “I’ll worry when they have agreed human tents are better, then I’ll ask my aunt to requisition one, or something?”

The queen beckoned Noah forward. He pulled up the camping store website to show her and scrolled through some photos. When he reached the biggest tent, he tapped on it, so she could see a bigger picture.

She asked questions he couldn’t answer, and from the look on Pan’s face, he didn’t know where to start. There was a little conversation between the queen and Pan. Which involved Pan pursing his lips and tugging on his horn again.

Noah had the feeling that if Pan had magic, they’d have all been smited so he could have some peace.

“She wants you to explain how the phone works,” Pan said eventually.

Noah blew out a breath. “I don’t know the details. Like, a website is made with coding. It’s a language made for technology that tells it how to work.”

Pan told her something, and she gave what appeared to be a very sage nod before responding and waving at Pan to translate.

“It is the same as the vampire language, which is only written, never spoken. She thinks you are a powerful witch for being able to operate the phone.”

Web laughed but stopped with his mouth still open at Pan’s glare.

That was enough for Noah to remember Pan had called him the most magical being there. That he either attracted magic to himself or was drawn to it. He had a whole ass god on his side. And Web had nothing except for a collection of black clothes and an attitude.

“Please tell her more about the tents,” Pan said.

So Noah showed her the video on the website of the tent being set up. And he listed off the features, before demonstrating how a zipper worked. Which everyone was very impressed with, and they all wanted a turn to see if they could operate it.

“The queen said she will keep the small tent for the children, and that she will take two big ones in exchange for the dragon.” Pan nodded, as if agreeing that the queen had made the correct choice.

Great, now he needed two large tents, not just one, but he wasn’t about to argue if that’s what got them out of there. “When can we see the dragon?”

Pan winced at the answer. “Tomorrow, it is too dark now. We are theirguestsfor tonight.”