I look down, a little ashamed because I know he’s right and I chose to ignore it.
"It wasn't just the shadows," Malrik says quietly. His silver eyes catch mine, and something in his gaze makes my heart stutter. "There are... patterns, in shadow magic. Rules. The way Darian watched you—studied you—it felt wrong."
"And the way Thorne kept pushing you in training," Aspen adds. "Always testing your limits, but never explaining why."
Torric's rune flares briefly. "Plus, Darian's a creepy bastard."
"Very diplomatic, brother," Aspen sighs.
"What? Am I wrong?"
I almost smile, but then another thought hits me. "Wait. Is this why you've all been... you know..."
"Charming? Devastatingly handsome? Excellent dance partners?" Finn suggests innocently.
"Around," I finish, ignoring the way my cheeks heat. "Always showing up when I'm training or studying or—"
"No," Malrik cuts in, his tone leaving no room for doubt. "That was..." he pauses, looking almost uncomfortable.
"That was just us wanting to be around you," Finn finishes simply. "The protective stuff came later."
"Oh." I look down, watching my shadows swirl gently around everyone's feet. They seem completely at ease, especially with Finn and Malrik. Even Mouse has abandoned his usual alertness to sprawl across Finn's lap.
"We should have told you sooner," Aspen says again. "But we were worried—"
"That I wouldn't believe you?"
"That you'd pull away," Malrik corrects softly. "You've spent so long trying to handle everything alone."
"Yeah, well, look how well that turned out," I mutter, but there's less bitterness in it now.
"Hey." Finn leans forward, his usual playful demeanor gone serious. "You handled yourself pretty well tonight. Mouse going full battle-panther? That was badass."
"Indeed," Malrik agrees, his lip twitching. "Though perhaps next time we could avoid the dramatic blackout."
"That wasn't me," I protest. Then pause. "Was it?"
"Your shadows," Malrik explains. "They were protecting you. From whatever Darian and Thorne were trying to do with the alignment."
"Which was what, exactly?"
The others exchange glances again. Finally, Aspen speaks. "We're not entirely sure. But it had something to do with your necklace. The way it reacted to the magical convergence..."
"It's not just a normal piece of jewelry, is it?" I touch the stone again, feeling its steady warmth.
"No," Malrik says quietly. "I don't think it is."
A comfortable silence falls as we all process that. My shadows continue their lazy patterns, occasionally stealing snacks or nudging someone affectionately. It should feel strange, sitting here with them like this. Instead, it feels... right.
"So what now?" I ask finally.
"Now," Finn says, reaching for more cookies, "we figure it out together. No more secrets."
"Except for Bob's secret cookie stash," Torric adds dryly. "That's sacred."
I laugh despite myself, and the last of the tension drains away. My shadows settle contentedly, and Mouse starts purring.
"Together," I repeat softly. Testing how the word feels.
