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I gave myself another minute to see if I could get back on track before I huffed. “I can’t do this.” When I opened my eyes, Fletcher was lying on his stomach with a deck of cards fanned out, playing solitaire.

“Neither can I. Meditating sucks.”

“Hey!” I reached forward and messed up his line of organized cards.

“Ripley!” he playfully shouted, scooping me up and bringing me under him. His pelvis pressed against me. “I was about to win.”

I leaned up and kissed him. “Tomorrow, the king and queen are going to hold a welcome home ceremony for me around ten thirty. I’d like for you to be there.” I would have tempted him with the promise of his magic after, but I didn’t want this to get his hopes up in case something went wrong.

He groaned. “I wish I could, but you know I can’t enter Elizy.”

My head tilted to the left and grinned. “But you have my magic. You can enter. ”

His brows knitted as he sighed. “I’m borrowing your magic. I don’t own magic. I cannot enter.”

The words buried in my ear and pulled at my heart. “I just—I just want you there.”

“I’m sorry.” His velvety voice softened the blow. He grinned, leaned down, and kissed me slowly, whispering over my lips, “Thank you kindly for the invite, but I will not be able to attend.”

Fletcher dropped me off outside the barriers of Elizy the next morning with my coin pouch he had found in a bowl by the front door.

I quickly kissed him goodbye, afraid anything more would make it harder to leave him, and made a beeline to the bookstore where Rosaanne was already holding up a copy of The Wizened Navigator.

A big smile graced her freckled face and her unruly, sparkly hair puffed out from a high ponytail. “For you, Princess.”

I squealed in delight and laid two coins on the counter for her. “Thank you!”

She giggled, took the coins, and placed them in a box. “I will see you at your ceremony later today. ”

I curled an upper lip as my shoulders sagged. “Don’t remind me.”

Some level of hope drained from her eyes. “Do you not wish to be welcomed home?”

“I—” I sighed. “I do. It’s just complicated.”

“Oh.”

I clenched my jaw, not knowing whether I wanted to make friends with her or hate her.

“Because of now being associated with Fletcher?” she continued.

“I’m more than just associated with him,” I claimed. Jealousy curled in my stomach.

Her eyes widened in confusion.

“I’m with him,” I snipped, feeling both nervous and overwhelmed by having to say that to her.

Her eyes flitted over my shoulder. “Really? Where?” she said while smoothing out errant strands of frizzy hair.

“No. He’s with me. Him and I are… you know… together,” I ground out, not liking the feeling of rubbing it in her face as much as I had thought I would. “I love him.”

I could see her hope snapping over her face and across her yellow eyes as the words processed through her mind.

“Oh,” she nervously chuckled out in a huff and looked away.

“Of course. I-I don’t know why I thought otherwise.

” She slapped her forehead. “I’m so incredibly rude.

I’ve just—oh gosh—I can’t believe I did that.

” Her eyes trailed down to her boots, now mumbling to herself.

“Ah! The princess. I just did that to the princess.”

“What?” I asked, dropping my hand.

Her sunshine eyes darted to me. “I’ve just insulted you,” she whispered then made her way behind the counter. She turned back to me, flattening her hand over her heart. “Please forgive me. I hate that I’ve overstepped that boundary. It was never my wish to take what is yours—who is yours.”

Then, I felt myself stepping toward her with a sad sympathy swelling. She’d just been told she could not have Fletcher. I’d been told that many times before. And it was always painful. I took another step forward and rested a hand over hers. “I’m sorry.”

She looked at our hands and smiled. “That’s okay. I guess I’ll just have to try my luck elsewhere.”

I stepped away, smiled at her, and held up the book. “Thank you.”

She bowed her head. “I will see you at the ceremony.”

I had been the first one to arrive to class. I sat on the floor off to the side as I did not want to take anyone else’s seat.

Talia arrived about five minutes later, setting down her bag on the front desk.

“Hello, Princess Ripley.” Her hair was drawn back into a low bun, dark strands of hair framing her oval face, and her bright indigo eyes looked well-rested.

“Hi, Talia.”

“You are quite early.”

The trip to the bookstore hadn’t taken as long as I had thought it would. “I have a lot of catching up to do.”

“Come have a chat with me.” She gestured to a seat beside the one where she had put down her bag.

I obliged, curious as to what she wanted to talk about. I set down The Wizened Navigator on a nearby desk and gave her all my attention.

Talia pulled up a chair in front of my desk, and with a smile said, “How’d your homework go last night? ”

“Not well,” I confided, disappointment sneaking into my words. I had been hoping for something to shed light on why my magic was so unpredictable. The work I had done hadn’t made me grow or learn anything. Trying to connect with my magic just made me flustered.

“Why’s that?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I just couldn’t do it.”

“Hmm. It does take practice. Do not be discouraged.” She sat forward with her hands linked together on the starlight-infused desk between us. “If you’re willing, I’d love to know what your current relationship is with your magic.”

I raised my brows with a mocking smile. “Not a good one.”

“Tell me more.”

Out came a stream of word vomit that stemmed from a desperate hope that she could pin-point what the hell was wrong with me.

I left nothing out. I explained how I had never been able to depend on my magic.

I confided in her about stealing Fletcher Darkly’s magic when I was just four.

I even told her how I had grown up thinking the only way to suppress my magic’s unpredictability was to let my mother bleed me dry every few days.

I knew that was wrong now, but I was told over and over again that my magic wasn’t safe and couldn’t be trusted.

And, finally, in a rush of a breath, I told her that my mother had punished me the moment I used my magic. I was never allowed to.

I thought Talia would be surprised by my confessions, but her facial expression remained unwavering. She quietly sat there listening, letting me say all I had on my mind without interrupting.

Amidst that beat of silence, her thin brows turned up. “I’m sorry to hear about your troubles.”

I gave another shrug.

“Now that I know more, I think we are ready for the next step.” She held out her hand. “I can read your magic if you’ll allow me to.”

I tilted my head. “Read my magic?”

“Yes. I have the ability to read Elizian magic. It means I can see its essence.” She smiled. “We might have a better idea of where I can start supporting you.”

I held out my hand, eager for the clarity she was offering. “Yes. Please. I want to know everything. Help me.”

Talia gently cleared her throat and extended her hand toward me.

When I placed mine in her palm, she lightly curled her slender fingers around it.

Her electric cerulean magic swirled down her arms in paper-thin lines of glowing iridescence.

As it pooled in her hand, mine responded with jagged, thick lines that looked clumsy and disjointed next to her precision.

She took a deep breath and gently rubbed my hand.

With closed eyes, she smiled. I carefully watched Talia’s face for any subtle change that could let me know her ability was working.

Could she really give me the answers I’d been searching for?

My hand ignited with aqua against Talia’s cerulean, two shades of blue so similar but with magic immeasurably different.

She hummed something so quietly I couldn’t quite tell what the melody was.

No matter how close I leaned in. My heartbeat raced toward my throat in waiting.

“I see your magic,” she whispered.

Giddy butterflies exploded throughout my system as a gentle breeze passed between us.

“It’s bright and bold and beautiful.”

Though everything in me was bursting with excitement, I held back and remained quiet so she could concentrate. This was it. Answers. This was why I had come to Elizy. This was why I had put my relationship with Fletcher on the line.

“Wow,” she breathed out, “so heavenly beautiful.”

“Thank you,” I whispered back while scootching closer to the edge of my seat.

“Oh, isn’t that lovely?” Her smile broadened as she stuck her tongue to the back of her teeth and raised her shoulders like she had just seen something adorable. “It just told me it loves Fletcher’s magic. So much.”

Pride burst through me, and suddenly, I saw the way my magic treated his in a whole new light.

It had always dragged Fletcher’s magic below the surface, drowning it, never letting it show itself.

I had always thought it was because Fletcher’s magic didn’t belong, like it was an intrusion and my magic was trying to exert dominance.

But that wasn’t the case at all. Instead, my magic was protecting his, embracing it.

Loving it as fiercely as I was loving him.