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Staring into her friend’s pleading eyes, Mira realized this wasn’t just about a dance. Ella was expecting her to get better. It was time to do normal things again. Ella had lost her brother during the war. Oliver, his father. And yet, they had moved on.

“It’s going to be fun.” Ella placed a hand on her arm. “Just like old times.”

—

Tallan’s streets bustled with shoppers. The air smelled of herbs and freshly brewed potions as Ella and Mira passed various magic supply stores.

“I can’t really afford to buy a fancy dress,” Mira said the moment they entered the dress store and she saw the array of silk garments.

“Good thing that they rent out dresses, then. It’s magic tailoring. One size fits all. Remember when we went dress shopping for the solstice back at Scion?”

They had a contest to see who could try on the most hideous dress. By the end, they were crying from laughing. They talked about boys, exams, and their dreams for the future. At the core of their lives was magic. It was in everything Mira did and thought about. From mundane tasks to her dreams of becoming an expert healer at Ivercrest—it was magic that had permeated every minute of her existence.

With her left hand (she didn’t dare use her right hand, with the Shadowflame) she browsed the collection of dresses.

“Found it,” Ella exclaimed, holding a monstrosity of ruffles in bright pink. “You cannot possibly top this.”

Something in the way her friend looked at her broke her heart. It was a reminder of a simpler time that Mira desperately wanted to return to…but she didn’t know how.

She grabbed an atrocious thing in baby blue with puffy sleeves and a high neckline of white frill. “Consider yourself beaten.”

They tried on the dresses and laughed at each other.

“You look hideous,” Mira said.

“Why, thank you. You look rather awful yourself. Let’s look for nice ones. What color were you thinking?”

“I don’t know.” Color was the least of her worries. She was more concerned with the dresses’ lack of sleeves. “Do they have gloves?”

Ella stopped. “They do, but you know you don’t have to hide your scar. Maybe it’s time to stop covering it up all the time. Stop letting it have power over you.”

If only it was that simple. The thought of going anywhere with a bare arm made Mira instantly anxious.

“Maybe.”

She kept browsing the collection, not wanting to try on any of them, but in the end, she settled on a lavender chiffon dress that didn’t make her want to scream.

Ella went with a beautiful blue dress with little stars sewn into it, and she beamed with happiness. Mira had forgotten what that felt like.

“I hate that we can’t get ready together,” Ella scowled when they left the store with their bags in hand. “I would love to see your room.”

Her room in an empty hall that apparently wasn’t. The school had just created whatever environment Mira’s subconscious had wanted. That is, if what Dawson said was to be believed.

“It’s nothing exciting,” Mira responded.

“Let’s meet tomorrow evening at the entrance of the school. It’s going to be great.”

Mira mustered a smile, hoping it was believable. When Ella left, Mira went back and bought a pair of long gloves, but she knew they weren’t going to be enough for her to survive tomorrow’s ball.

Would Dawson be at the ball, or did he get a pass because of his family name?

She wanted him there.

She wished he wouldn’t be.

21

It took her way too long to pin up her hair, and now that she had, she hated it. Or perhaps it was the lavender ball gown. What had possessed her to get this one? She looked ridiculous. She tugged on her satin gloves in the same color, making sure they wouldn’t budge.