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“I’m not asking you.”

He walked with her, although she knew the lecture hall for his class was in the opposite direction. “You’re not?”

His big grin made her increasingly furious. Thanks to the truth elixir, he already knew she wanted him to go with her. Somehow, the thought of him there was comforting. Not that it should be, because bringing him, of all people, would certainly complicate things further.

“No, I’m simply informing you that you could come if you wanted to. It’s up to you.”

He laughed. “Sure sounds like you’re asking me out, Winters.”

“I’m not.”

Dawson. At the Pearsons’. Ben was going to be there. Her skin prickled with nerves. It was a horrible idea. All around.

“Hypothetically,” he mused, “if one was invited to the party, when would one show up?”

She sighed. “Six.”

“Tremendous. I’ll pick you up at quarter to.”

—

The lecture hall for her signifier class was never packed because it was an introductory class, which not many Wielders at Ivercrest needed. To her surprise, Obryn stood at the front of the room. That meant Mira had to pay attention today. As predicted, he called on her several times and luckily she answered correctly.

When class was over, she grabbed her bag and headed to the exit.

“A moment, Miss Winters.”

Obryn gathered his books and papers. She hadn’t seen him since the night at Harrington’s. The night he had released her from the investigation and taken her base magic with him.

Students flowed around them, making their way to the exit. When the last group of students trickled out the door, the lecture hall turned quiet and the Highmage finally spoke.

“I tried to analyze the base magic you so recklessly extracted from yourself.”

“Tried?” She held her breath.

He exhaled and took off his glasses, touching his forehead with the back of his hand. “It doesn’t behave like magic residue. I haven’t seen anything like it. So far I can’t identify it.”

She closed her eyes, feeling those words crush her.

“I’m consulting experts on base magic,” he continued. “I hope to have an answer for you soon.”

She gave a timid nod. “Once we do, I can continue with my scar removal potion.”

He cleared his throat. “Yes.”

But he sounded less sure. His eyes didn’t meet hers. Instead, he flipped through papers on the desk as if they suddenly required his immediate attention.

Mira’s heart sank. She hugged the books in her arms closer to her chest. He didn’t say it, but it was clear even he thought her scar removal might be impossible.

This foreign substance lived in her like a parasite. What if it festered? Grew with every breath she took. Every spell she spoke.

The evening of Ella’s birthday party had finally arrived, and the moment they coin traveled to the party at the Pearsons’ home, Mira felt on edge. And it wasn’t just because Dawson was next to her, dressed in a perfectly tailored midnight-black three-piece suit that made him look out of place. The Pearsons’ used to be her second home, but now she felt like a foreigner.

The old house had belonged to the Pearsons for generations and came with its pains. The weather-worn rock walls were overgrown with ivy. Every storm, the roof would leak into the living room. And when the wind blew from the east, it made a strange howling noise. When they were kids, Mira and Ella were convinced it was haunted.

Ella’s mother was a healer and her father a shield builder, which paid significantly less than being a shield architect or inventor.

Party guests mingled in the beautifully decorated garden. A large buffet was set up in a tent, and Mira smelled some of Mrs. Pearson’s famous dishes, which Mira used to love as a kid. Strings of lights hung all around, making it look like a sea of stars floated above the guests.