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Essie shook her head and searched the desk for a piece of paper. Lance would be at this for a while. She might as well sketch out what she’d had in mind for a heating device while she waited.

She drew a horrible sketch, then worked to refine it into something recognizable while Lance replaced parts and Farrendel blew up a few more magical devices. As he worked, Lance explained to Farrendel what he was doing, and Farrendel leaned close for a better look, occasionally asking questions. Somewhere along the way, Farrendel’s questions turned into full sentences.

Interesting. Lance wasn’t the person she would’ve expected Farrendel to bond with, but his excitement over Farrendel’s magic had won him over.

As Essie added the finishing touches to her sketch, Lance let out a whoop. She glanced up. The magical device whirred, blue light swirling inside it.

Farrendel strolled around the protective shield, and Lance clapped him on the shoulder and gave him an exuberant shake.

Footsteps drew Essie’s gaze. One of the guards marched into the workshop. “Princess? A crowd is gathering outside, and it doesn’t look like they will remain peaceful. We should go.”

“Of course. Thank you for staying alert.” Essie pushed up from the worktable. “Farrendel. Lance. The guards think it’s best if we head back to the palace.”

“Good timing. With this magical device, I will be able to perform tests.” Lance glanced back to the device, as if he itched to return to his experiments.

“Before you get wrapped up in studying Farrendel’s magic, could you look at this sketch?” Essie waved the sketch at him. “It’s the reason we came here today.”

“Right. Of course.” Lance took the paper from her.

She quickly explained what she wanted the machine to do. Lance nodded along, somewhat absently. She wasn’t sure if that was because his brain was spinning with ideas for the heating machine or if he was still distracted by Farrendel’s magic.

She didn’t care. If learning more about his magic could help Farrendel feel more in control, then she would support him all the way.

FOR THE FIRST TIMEall day, Farrendel did not want to leave. Lance was a unique individual. He seemed to find Farrendel’s magic fascinating rather than dangerous or unnatural. No wonder he was a friend of Essie’s. Essie was one of the few other people who did not fear Farrendel because of his magic, even with everything she had seen of it.

When he had come with Essie to Escarland, all he had hoped was that her family would tolerate him. He had not expected to enjoy his time here once they had moved to Buckmore Cottage. He had especially not expected to discover that his magic worked better with human machines than it did with elven growing forests.

Elven magic and technology worked by growing and healing. By encouraging the forest to grow in the way they wished it to grow. His magic was such that his fellow elves could not envision a way to harness it in any manner other than death and destruction.

But if this Lance Marion could figure out a way to direct Farrendel’s magic to power something good and useful and nondestructive...

He could hardly imagine such an outcome. It meant his magic was meant for more than killing. That he was meant for more.

Essie slipped her hand into his as they strode through the heaps of metal and human machinery that filled the workshop, headed for the door.

As they stepped outside following the guard, Farrendel swept a gaze around the restless crowd growing around the entrance, only barely kept back by a small cordon of guards. A few shouts came from the back of the crowd. Something in a harsh tone about pointy-eared elves and a few other worse slurs that Farrendel wished he did not know even in Escarlish.