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He blew out a breath. “Fine.Fine.I’ll fucking… I’ll do it.”

“Good answer. Smart choice.”

I watched as Pops led him to the two Guardians and gave instructions.

As he did, I stared into space, trying to absorb the shocking words that Sylas Morgrave had spoken to me.

Not just words.

A warning.

“Sorry about that,” Pops said, coming back to me. He frowned as he took me in, concern clouding his features. “Are you okay, Ari?”

I considered telling him what the necromancer had conveyed to me.

But that urge slipped away quickly.

I’djustfinally been invited up here. I was being included in things that had been previously closed to me.

I couldn’t jeopardize that by telling him what had been said.

Besides, I didn’t know that it was the truth at all. Not only didn’t I know Sylas, I couldn’t just take something like that at face-value. There had been a lot of things said about me since before I’d been born. People thinking they knew what my destiny was, what I was to become. This could just be one of those incorrect assumptions and predictions.

Until I looked into it, I wasn’t going to put any weight behind it.

“I’m just absorbing everything. All of this is a lot to take in. In the best way, though.”

“You’re really excited to be here. I see it all over you.”

“Not only that. I’m happy that you’ve allowed me to be here finally.”

He smiled sadly and then took my hand. “Not doing it until now was never about distrust. It was never about being afraid of your power, nothing like that.” He let go and shoved a hand through his hair. “I didn’t want history repeating itself.”

“What do you mean?”

“Your mom told you about the duty that she was bound by, yes?”

“She did, yeah.”

“That included the Guardian Movement. She never wanted to be a part of it. She never wanted any of that. But she was forced into it. And it impacted her so deeply. It shattered her for a long time, and it cut her off from me, it cut her off from everything. She was in a lot of pain. I didn’t want you to experience the same thing. I wanted you free to walk your own path.” He gritted his teeth. “But this Cassius situation… it’s interfered with that. But it also had me realizing that by cuttingyou off from the Guardian Movement, I was actually taking a choice away from you.”

“Pops,” I said, taking his hand this time. “I understand. Really. The important thing is I’m here now. And now, thanks to what you’ve shown me today, I see so many options for what I can do, what I can become. While I’m not ready to become a Guardian yet, or to even train for such a position, you’ve given me a lot of exciting things to think about.”

He smiled out at me. “I’m glad, Ari.”

“Now, should we continue?”

“Actually, there’s something else I have in mind now we’ve covered so much. An opportunity. A chance for you to use your power positively to do something important and protective, to help others who need what you can provide.”

“Wow. You’re really pulling out all the stops to show me that things have changed.”

“It’s long overdue.” He shifted his weight and told me, “A perpetual protective ward requires forging. Normally, I’d go to Cornelius for this or employ the Methuselah Root to ensure eternal viability, but I wanted to giveyouthe option to see to it.”

I couldn’t believe it.

This was a massive sign of trust from him.

From the supernatural world as a whole, actually.