Page 53 of Shadows of Change

Right now I couldn’t agree more.

Torric's only response is a growl as he stalks toward the exit, leaving the scent of smoke in his wake.

For a long moment, none of us move. The common room feels emptier somehow, colder, despite the lingering heat from Torric's anger.

"I should go after him," I say finally, though I make no move toward the door. We all know how Torric gets when he's like this—he needs space to burn off his temper, literally sometimes.

"Let him go," Malrik says, his voice tight. He's watching the spiral staircase leading to the upper levels, his silver eyes distant. "He's not the one we need to worry about right now."

Finn makes a sound that might be a laugh, if laughs could bleed. "No, we just pushed Kaia straight into Darian's arms. But hey, at least we proved her point about being controlling."

"What choice did we have?" I ask, sinking into an armchair. The velvet feels cool against my skin. "You both can see her shadows. You know something's wrong."

"Yeah, and fat lot of good that did us," Finn mutters. He glances up toward Kaia's room on the second floor. "Bob's having a complete meltdown, by the way. Never seen him this agitated. It’s like he knows something we don’t, and he’s trying to scream it at us in the only way he can."

I still haven't gotten used to them talking about the shadows like they're people. But after everything I've seen, everything they've told us, I'm starting to wonder if maybe they are.

"Something happened in that maze," Malrik says quietly. "The way her shadows responded to him... it wasn't natural."

"They were terrified," Finn adds, his voice uncharacteristically serious. "They kept trying to pull her away from him, but it was like she couldn't even feel it anymore."

A chill runs down my spine, despite the lingering warmth from Torric's outburst. "Could he be manipulating them somehow?"

Malrik's expression darkens. "It's possible. There's old magic that can interfere with shadow bonds, but it's dangerous. Unstable."

"Like everything else about this situation," Finn mutters. He's sprawled on the couch but his usual easy demeanor is gone, replaced by something tighter, more worried. "Bob's been trying to warn us for weeks. I thought if I could just make her laugh about it, make her see..."

"We all tried," I say quietly. Above us, the vaulted ceiling seems to absorb our words, the enchanted shadows there shifting restlessly. "Each in our own way."

"And failed spectacularly," Finn adds with a bitter laugh.

Malrik moves to the window, his reflection fragmenting in the glass. His silver eyes are distant, unfocused, as if searching for answers in the jagged pieces of his image. The tension in his shoulders speaks volumes, the weight of unspoken fears pressing heavily on him. Whatever plan he’s formulating, it’s clear he knows time is running out. "The question is: what's his endgame? The dance is too public for anything obvious."

"Unless that's the point," I say slowly, an idea forming. "What if the dance isn't the plan? What if it's just meant to isolate her from us, to cut her off when she’s most vulnerable? If he can sever her ties to us, she’ll have no one left to turn to but him."

"Make her choose him publicly," Finn catches on, sitting up straighter. "Prove he has her trust completely."

"While discrediting any warnings we might try to give," Malrik finishes, turning back to face us. His silver eyes gleam in the dim light. "It's clever."

"It's manipulation," I correct him. "And Kaia's walking right into it."

"While we sit here discussing it like some sort of shadow council," Finn groans, flopping back down. "She'd hate this, you know. All of us plotting about her life."

He's right, and we all know it. The silence that follows feels heavy with that knowledge.

"I should find Torric," I say finally, standing. "Before he burns down half the training grounds."

"I'll keep an eye on things here," Finn says, waving vaguely at the upper levels. "Someone should monitor the shadow situation, even if she won't listen to us about it."

Malrik straightens, shedding the weight of his concern like a cloak. The intensity in his silver eyes sharpens to steel. “It’s time I had a chat with Professor Thorne about his star pupil.”

"Be careful," I warn. "If Darian's as dangerous as we think..."

"Then we're already in trouble," Malrik finishes smoothly. "Might as well make it count."

"Oh, and Aspen?" Finn calls as I reach the door. "When you find your hot-headed twin, maybe remind him that setting things on fire won't actually solve this?"

Despite everything, my lips twitch. "I'll try. But you know Torric."

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