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“There’s nothing you’ve done so far that couldn’t be reversed,” Ivain said as if reading the thought.

“You’ve woven extra protein into your muscle fibers, begun feeling out your aether-limbic system, but nothing has been added or taken away.

You’re still you. You’re still whole . And you’re going to stay that way.

I’m sorry. I know that’s not what you wanted to hear. ”

The townhouse was just ahead. They crested the hill, moving toward the side entrance. Halfway across the yard, Skye stooped and called out to him.

“I’ve already thrown my lot in with Taly.”

Ivain sighed before turning to face him. “This isn’t about loyalty, Skye.”

“As a Fabricator, I’m only as powerful as my weapon—as what I can create. And that’s not going to be enough. I need to be stronger. The Queen warned us that something is coming. She told me —me, Ivain—that I needed to be ready.”

“And you will be. I promise.”

“How can you know that?”

“Because,” the old man said. “I haven’t taught you all my tricks yet.”

Skye narrowed his eyes. “Go on.”

“On the bridge—you morphed.”

Skye’s pulse kicked up at the memory of that rush of power. He’d felt limitless.

“Yeah,” he said carefully. “And?”

“That wasn’t bloodcrafting.”

Skye stared at him, waiting for the punchline. “… what?”

“Close enough to toe the lines of legality, but no. Not bloodcrafting.” Ivain’s eyes glinted.

“What if I could teach you how to do that on command? Without almost shredding your insides. That high you felt? That was your cells ripping open beneath the shearing force of all that realignment, flooding your system with aether. You should try to avoid that in the future.”

Skye rocked back on his heels, considering. It wasn’t what he wanted. But it was something. He could work with that. “When can we start?”

“Right now, if you’d like. Who knows when Taly will find her next crisis. Though there is one thing I need your help with first.”

Ivain gestured for him to follow. As they walked, he said, “I had this whole speech prepared for when Taly finally settled down. One version if she found herself a human, and another if it ended up being that Lowborn boy she was always sneaking off to town to see. You know who I’m talking about…

floppy hair, needed to learn how to use a comb. What was his name?”

Skye’s jaw tightened. “ Ren ,” he said, half-growling.

Ivain grinned. “That’s it. Somehow, I knew you’d remember.”

At seventeen, Taly had fancied herself in love with the son of a local butcher.

She’d find any excuse to visit him, snatching up errands just to get into town.

Skye had hated it. For the first time in his life, he hadn’t been the sole focus of her attention, and he’d stomped around for weeks, unable—or perhaps just unwilling—to understand why it hurt so damn much.

Of course, that wasn’t his only reason for wanting to kill the Lowborn. Taly was good at keeping secrets, but she’d let this one slip.

“I had it all planned,” Ivain went on. “The boy would come to pick her up, and I’d meet them on the steps.

Polishing a sword or perhaps my battle axe—I was going to play it by ear depending on how much of a little shit we were dealing with.

Naturally,” he said, gesturing at Skye, “you can see my problem.”

“That… I love her?” Skye asked, not liking where this was heading. “And will take good care of her? And that I’m not a little shit?”

“No,” Ivain said. “You’ve already seen my armory. And despite current travel restrictions, you’re still the heir to Ghislain, and I’d like to avoid making any threats that could be construed as treason. Taly certainly aimed high when she picked you.”

In the workshop, Ivain selected a sword from the wall. Forged from black metal, a thin, needle-like blade protruded from the mouth of a golden fox. Its twin tails formed the hilt.

“Sit down, son. Let’s have a talk.”

Skye arched a brow. “Ivain… did you really pull me in here to threaten me with a sword?”

“I did indeed, boy. You killed my speech and the opportunity to make a grown man piss his trousers, but this—” Ivain hefted the sword. “This part I’m keeping.”

No. No, they weren’t doing this.

“Goodbye, Ivain,” Skye said, turning for the door.

“I might still change my mind.”

Skye halted.

“Even you attempting to morph is going to have me skating on thin ice with your mother. And you know how much I hate arguing with her.” Ivain was grinning like a devil. “ Sit .”

He pointed at a stool with the tip of his blade.

“You’re enjoying this way too much,” Skye muttered. But he moved toward the stool anyway, settling in for what was sure to be a long morning.

Ivain took a seat across from him, resting the sword across his lap, all casual menace.

“You, young man, have been granted the privilege of spending time with my daughter. I expect you to treat her with respect and kindness because if you don’t, I’ll cut out your entrails and extract them through your nose. ”

“That’s good,” Skye said. “I can tell you practiced.”

“Thank you. Now, try to look a bit more frightened.”