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Frowning, she searched my face.

My hand wavered between us, still empty. “If you accept a lesson with the Starlit King, I don’t know how to keep you safe. Trust me, I have a plan.”

Irritation flashed through the bond. “Weneed a plan,” she corrected.

“Then why—”

Starlight crackled at her fingertips, the first I’d seen of her light since losing Ninti. “I already told you my plan—I want to accept a lesson.Just one.My magic is like his, I know it. It’s the same like calls to like thing I felt with his starlit box. A boxyoushadow-stepped us away from before I could even try opening it.”

“I told you, my shadows don’t work—"

“Yourshadows,” she corrected. “His starlight might feel wrong to you, but to me it feels…” She squeezed her eyes tight. “It feels like I’ve known it all my life.”

I hesitated, recalling how claiming the vault had felt just as familiar.

She shook her head. “I need to have control over my magic. If there’s a chance a single lesson from someone with experience in starlight mightactuallyhelp, I want to take it.”

“I can keep you safe.”

“What happens when you’re not there?”

“I’ll always be there—”

“You’re a necromancer who regularly goes into death! I need to understand my magic if I’m to defend myself—defendus.”

My jaw tightened.

She continued on. “Additionally, if I learn more about my magic, it’s possible I’ll be able to open the starlit box with the shards. Ideally, we’ll try right after the lesson. And if everything goes right, we’ll be sailing away before dark! What’s wrong with that?” She stared at me, eyes wide. “Why don’t you like my plan?”

“Everything!”

“Then explainwhy!”

“Do you really think you can outmaneuver the Starlit King after a single lesson?”

She lifted her chin, the growth of her antlers on full display. “Who knows. We didn’t try opening the box.”

I drew my hands into fists, yanking the shadows closer, wishing I could protect us from everything determined to drive us apart. “I have an idea too—a way to minimize your light. It’s not perfect, but please try. We need to exhaust every other option. Ineedyou, Ayla…”

“Don’t you trust me?”

“I do. But I don’t trusthim.”

“And neither do I!”

I shook my head. “He’ll manipulate you.”

“I’m smarter than that!”

“You just said that his magic felt familiar. Are you certain that’s real?”

She took half a step back.

I charged on. “Ayla, I hate to break it to you, but you’re just as susceptible as everyone else.”

Her eyes flashed with hurt.

That went too far.