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Caelen stares at him. "You don't get to decide what makes her safe." My heart misses a beat. Maybe two. "I didn't." Rhyven answers. His gaze shifts toward me. "She did."

Caelen follows it. The anger reaches me now. Not directed at me. Unable to avoid me. "You agreed to this?"

"Yes." I nod once.

"You went into the Silent Archive?"

"Yes." I repeat.

"You used your manifestation on another student?" "With his consent."

"You left the Academy for a ward investigation?"

"We remained in Varethia."

His expression changes. "Don't correct me." I become very still. Caelen closes his eyes briefly. When he opens them, the anger has not disappeared. Only narrowed. "Why didn't you tell me?" The question is no longer loud. It lands harder because of that. "You told Cassian."

"He was there when Aldric fell."

"You told Professor Neris."

"She already knew about my manifestation."

A pause. "You told Rhyven."

I glance toward Rhyven for a second. His expression is still the same. "He experienced the same absence through Vyrael."

"And I'm your brother."

The words crack through the room. Not because he shouts them. Because he does not. I look away. There is no answer that will not hurt him. Still, he deserves the truth.

"I knew you would stop me."

Silence. Caelen looks as though I struck him. "Would I have been wrong?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"No." I force myself to meet his eyes. "But I knew what I felt. I knew it was real. And every time we found evidence, it became harder to pretend someone else would solve it before people were hurt."

Caelen sighs. "You could have come to me."

"And what would you have done?" I ask.

He stares at me. "I would've protected you."

"Exactly." The word leaves me too sharply. His expression closes. I soften my voice. "You would have protected me by removing me from it."

"Yes."

"Even after my manifestation found something no one else could?"

"Yes."

"Even after Professor Neris asked for my help?"

"You are nineteen."