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“Convinced you? That I’m not all bad? Not an opportunistic motherfucker?”

A smile graced her lips. “Something like that.”

I chuckled and unfolded my arms to snatch up the flower I’d left for her. I held it between us. “Watch.”

She did and I swept my hand over the petals and a golden glow emanated. A moment later, the petals grew slightly.

“The same thing that happened for you, yes?”

She nodded. “Which should be impossible.”

“Ah, but this is no ordinary flower.”

“I know. It’s a Celestial Eclipse Peony.”

She frowned, then moved closer, sweeping her hand over the flower. “And you were able to pick this from Meforian Forest?”

“Yeah. Why? Is that not… normal?”

She stared at me for several moments.

“It’s just that most people don’t even know they exist. Yet, you found this. On your own.”

“That I did. It represents the balance between light and dark, between control and chaos.” I ran my fingers over the petals and her gaze was fixated on my careful touch. “Your power is a lot like this flower. Not just uncontrollable chaos like you fear.”

I handed it over to her and she surprised me as she took it and slid it into her silky golden waves, a warm smile spreading over her face. “Sit with me.”

“What?”

She gestured at the picnic. “You went to all this trouble. Let’s enjoy it before it gets cold, yes?”

“I… okay. So, we’re good? Despite my association with a certain sorcerer and even admitting to the power draw to you?”

“We’re good. I could do with a friend, and it’s clear you could as well. So, let’s make the most of it.”

I smiled. “Sounds perfect.”

She turned on her heel then, and settled down onto a space on the picnic blanket. “Thank you for doing this. It’s amazing. Truly.”

“Well, you deserve an effort to be made for you,” I said, as I sat down opposite her.

She giggled like she had the day we’d first met, a sound that had most definitely stayed with me. “There’s that charm coming out again.”

“What can I say? I can’t help it. It comes naturally to me.”

“Oh, I’m very sure that it does.” She went for the waffles first, snatching up a fork and digging in right away. “What?” she asked, as she saw me looking. “This issogood.”

I chuckled. “I’m glad. Although, that was meant to be the dessert.”

She lifted a shoulder. “Why save it for last, right?”

“Ah, of course. Gotta say, I like that approach. It means once in a while, you can break a rule or two.”

“Once in a while. When it’s called for.” She looked at me out of the corner of her eye. “I know you’re referring to my spell. Kai obviously told you.”

“He did, yeah. I don’t know the details, just the ramifications that he used against you.”

“I didn’t want my family to know how upset and uncomfortable I was with the whole party thing, with people there celebrating and putting on all that fakery.”