Kaelan rose, giving Magda one more long look. The green light in his eyes was at once brighter than ever and yet, somehow, hazy. Her face warmed under the intensity of his gaze and she curled back in on herself slightly.
Then he shut his eyes—thankfully.
The air shimmered around him. Slowly, his hair grew long and black and wavy. His face began to change, though his body remained much the same. When he opened his eyes, they were silver, but no less penetrating.
Magda shifted in her seat, chewing on another pear, not sure if she was uncomfortable because an older version of Cae was gazing down at her or because of thewayhe was gazing at her.
“No, that’s not quite right,” Flor said, pushing out of her chair to walk behind him, inspecting. “Magda?”
Magda took another drink of water, trying not to look too closely at Kaelan and, yet, needing to look.
“His mouth should be wider and his lips fuller,” she said, clearing her throat.
Kaelan closed his eyes again, changing slightly.
She nodded when he was done, rising from her chair as well. “And his nose... it had a slight width, right here.” She pinched the bridge of her nose, circling the table to come by Flor’s side.
Kaelan tracked her. “A bump?”
“But it didn’t rise up,” she said, “only out. You would only see it if you were looking at him straight on. And he had three moles, right here.” She pointed to her left cheek, just under the cheekbone. “And his jaw would be stronger. You have it too soft, like a child’s”
He changed again.
“And this ear,” Flor said, tapping the right one. “The lobe curled in at the top, more so than the other.”
They went on like this for some time, adjusting every minor detail they could think of, reshaping Kaelan into Cae.
Finally, Magda stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Flor, both of them facing Cae. Flor gripped Magda’s forearm, tears shimmering at the edges of her eyes. Magda’s skin prickled.
“It’s him,” Flor breathed.
Magda split open another walnut, popping the sweet, oily meat into her mouth.
“It’s him,” she agreed.
Flor hurried forward, picking up one of the silver trays that Magda had cleared of food. Though mostly tarnished, one gleaming bit of silver surface remained. Flor held it up for Kaelan to examine himself.
“Will you be able to remain like this?” Flor asked as Kaelan’s eyes finally left Magda, giving her a chance to breathe, and gazed down at his reflection.
“I think so,” he said.
“Good,” she said, taking the tray from him. “Don’t change back unless you have no other choice. It’s too risky. As soon as my brother sends his brownies, I’ll have them procure clothes suited to a Prince.”
And then she embraced Kaelan, tightly. He hung there, allowing it, but his eyes tracked back to Magda.
“I need to finish my armor,” she said, snatching the last bit of apple from the table.
“You need to bathe and change and rest,” Flor called after her. “And to cut my hair!”
“I’m sure Kaelan can do it,” she called over her shoulder, hurrying down the terrace steps, cramming the last of the apple into her mouth, jogging to the path that led back to the training shed.
All the way, the weight of Kaelan’s gaze pressed upon her.
AS THE HEAVY SWATH OFpurple twilight fell over the gold eye of the sun, Magda was running through repetitive kicks and punches, crushing the weeds that had rooted in the sand of the old training ground.
The bushes rustled. She spun, tensing. When Damion’s weary frame pushed through the verge, her shoulders sagged. Only then did she realize that she’d been both hoping and fearing that Kaelan would find her.
“Good to see you haven’t forgotten everything,” he said, setting a basket down on the ground.
