Page 78 of Shadows of Change

Seren squeezes my shoulder. "That's okay too. Just... be careful, yeah? Not everyone here has your best interests at heart."

Her gaze drifts to where Darian stands with Thorne, their heads bent in quiet conversation. Something about their posture sets off warning bells, but before I can analyze it further, Finn bounds over.

"Survival achieved!" he announces cheerfully, throwing an arm around my shoulders. "Though I think Bob is traumatized by Malrik's footwork."

"Bob?" Seren asks, bewildered.

"Don't ask," I groan, but I can't help leaning slightly into Finn's warmth.

"Bob is a perfectly respectable name for a shadow," Finn insists, and I swear I see Malrik roll his eyes from across the room.

“I hadn’t realized you named them.” Seren snickers and I barely hold back another groan.

She looks around the floor even though I know she can’t see them. “So do I get to name one now? That one—” she points randomly to a spot where there are absolutely no shadows. “That’s Chloe! Isn’t she cute?”

“No way. Absolutely not. Naming shadows is my job. No one else’s,” Finn declares, flailing his arms dramatically like a conductor in the middle of a symphony.

“It’s not a shadow naming convention,” I murmur, but Finn’s too busy gesturing wildly at my shadows to notice.

My shadows curl happily around Finn's ankles. The simple comfort of his presence helps settle the chaos in my mind.

"Come on," Seren says, tugging me toward the door. "Let's get you fed before you have to process any more feelings."

"I'm not—" I start to protest, but her knowing looks stop me. "Fine. Food first. Emotional crisis later."

As we leave, I feel their eyes on me—gold, gray, blue, green, and silver—each gaze carrying its own weight of unspoken possibility. Mouse bumps against my leg supportively, but I swear he's laughing at me too.

I'm definitely in trouble.

53. Kaia

The dining hall is packed when we arrive, the air thick with magic and chatter. Seren leads me to our usual table, but before we can sit, Alenya's voice cuts through the noise.

"Well, if it isn't the shadow witch and her pet chaos mage." She stands with Rynessa at her side, both of them radiating disdain. "Quite the show in training today. Though I noticed you needed quite a bit of... hands-on instruction."

Heat creeps up my neck, but before I can respond, a warm presence appears behind me.

"Jealous, Alenya?" Torric's voice rumbles, deep and dangerous. "I don't see anyone lining up to help with your form."

Alenya's perfect features twist into a scowl. "As if I'd want—"

"Is there a problem here?" Aspen appears at my other side, his tone deceptively mild. But I feel the subtle shift in temperature as his water magic responds to his mood.

"No problem," Rynessa says quickly, tugging at Alenya's arm. "We were just leaving."

As they retreat, Finn materializes with a dramatic sigh. "Aw, and here I was hoping to show them my new trick. Finnick’s been practicing his interpretive dance."

Finnick swirls dramatically at our feet.

"Would you stop encouraging them?" I groan, but I'm fighting a smile.

"Never," Finn declares, dropping into the seat beside me. "They're artists, Kaia. Artists!"

Torric and Aspen take seats across from us, and I try not to think about how natural this feels—being surrounded by them, their presence both comforting and confusing.

Aspen leans forward slightly, his blue eyes thoughtful as they meet mine. "You seemed more confident today," he says. "Your magic—it's different now, isn’t it?"

Torric nods, biting into a roll. "Yeah, like it’s more in sync with you. Less... reactive and more deliberate."

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