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The look on Skye’s face said he couldn’t decide between feeling flattered or irked. Ivain’s was a close mirror.

Sarina patted Taly’s arm proudly. That was the sweet spot.

Ivain dragged a hand over his face tiredly. “Shards, you’re really going to make me do this. Let’s say I did agree with your logic, Sarina, that still doesn’t solve the obvious problem.”

Taly felt every eye shift to her. “Right,” she said, tucking a piece of hair behind a pointed Fey ear. “Party in my honor, but they’re expecting a human.”

“Aimee,” Ivain said. She’d been sitting silently on the couch, half-listening as she stared into the fire. When he said her name, she inclined her head. “Where are you on Taly’s glamour?”

Taly expected Aimee to say a lot of things. That she hadn’t started, or a problem had come up, or she’d just decided not to do it. She always was the petty type, and Taly had wiped the floor with her that morning. Probably not the best move in hindsight. Not until she had a glamour in hand.

What she didn’t expect was for Aimee to pick at her nails and say nonchalantly, “It’s finished.”

Taly’s heart nearly leapt out of her chest. “You mean I can go outside?”

Aimee spared her a glance. “Once it’s fitted.”

Excitement curled in Taly’s chest, pounding harder and harder with every beat. She could feel it already, so close now—freedom.

It wasn’t a lack of gratitude. Far from it. Ivain had turned the townhouse into a haven. Still, safety wasn’t the same as freedom. In the loop, she’d relived the same hours over and over, like a puppet in a script with no way out. And after only a few days, the townhouse was beginning to feel like the same trap—a set of rooms she couldn’t leave, time slipping past while she was stuck.

She needed… she wasn’t sure what she needed. Air, space—anything but just waiting, watching the hours tick by as the world moved on without her.

“And exactly how sure are we about this?” Skye asked, always right there to burst her bubble. “The most powerful mages in the city will all be gathered in one room, and we’re, what? Just going to parade a time mage wearing a little bit of water magic in front of them? Let Aimee go in her place. If she can glamour Taly, she can glamour herself just as easily.”

“No,” Aimee said in that same bored tone. “My name is also on the invitation, and Iwillbe going. No offense, Talya, but you’ve already taken my time and marriage prospects. I won’t let you take my social life.”

“No offense taken,” Taly replied offhandedly, still set on the task at hand. Disarming Skye’s anxiety so they could get back to the part about her leaving the townhouse. “If we’re really worried about how it will hold up to scrutiny, let’s test it first.”

Taly reached into her memory. She remembered sneaking into a bar one night with some of the village girls. They wanted to “test” their cosmetic glamours before the upcoming dance. Something about heat, humidity, lighting… She’d gone for the danger.

“How about a bar?” she said. “If we go late enough, everyone will be drunk, and they either won’t notice, won’t remember, or nobody will believe them if they say they saw a time mage in a flickering glamour.”

It seemed like a foolproof plan.

Not that it stopped Skye from deadpanning a simple, inevitable, “No.” Taly whipped around, unable to hide her disappointment. “We start less risky and work our way up. A walk through the park or a visit to a shop.”

“The shops are closed already,” Aimee said.

“Which is why we can do ittomorrow.” Skye gave Taly a look that clearly said they already had plans for tonight.

And she liked those plans. Hell, sheneededthem.

But…

When was the last time she felt the thrill of being part of a crowd? Howlongsince she smelled the sweet aroma of cheap beer, puke, and life happening all around her?

Taly shifted her gaze to Ivain and Sarina. “I’m sorry, but do we really think it’s a good idea to do our first test in broad daylight? Think about it—a crowded market, nosy neighbors, and half the city wide-awake? It just doesn’t make sense. If we go tonight, we dodge most of the gawkers.”

Skye raised a brow, giving her that long, slow stare—the one that said he was onto her.

“That’s a fair point,” Ivain admitted, frowning slightly. “I don’t love the idea of rushing into this, but… if we only have a few days before this party…”

“Less than a week,” Sarina interjected. “That’s not a lot of time to prepare. We’ll need to find you a dress, shoes, do something with those nails…”

Taly pried her hand from Sarina’s. Her nails were fine. Cut short and stained from the cigar, but otherwise fine. “We can’t do any of that until the glamour’s stable,” she said. “If it needs adjusting, we need to know now. We can’t afford to burn a night.”

They were nearly there, teetering on the edge of seeing reason. She could see it in the way Sarina stopped arguing and Ivain started thinking. They just needed one more little push.