Page 85 of What Blooms from Death

“In my experience, people are more forthcoming with theirhospitalitywhen they need something in return.”

His teeth bared in a not-quite-smile. His fist clenched, and I would have sworn the flame in the bowl flickered, as if suffocated by his closing hand.

He still didn’t look at me as he said, “So maybe I do have a favor to ask of you.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Nova

I braced myself.

“You clearly carry an enormous amount of magic.”

“Yes, but it’s not predictable or always entirelyusefulmagic.”

“And yet, you brought an entire section of our dead realm to life.”

“I told you: I didn’t do that.”

It was a flimsy attempt at a lie, and it didn’t stick in the slightest.

“Come now, Nova. We both know you were lying.”

A group of wraiths wandered closer to us. Uncomfortably close. My turquoise bracelet again reacted to the concentration of their flames, coming to life with a fluttering that made my wrist itch. I gripped it as casually as I could, trying not to draw attention to it, while also trying to settle it. “It’s not entirely a lie,” I told Kaelen. “I did cause some things to bloom, yes. But I didn’tdo it on purpose. And I didn’t do it...”

I trailed off, fixing my eyes on a distant, rippling banner to avoid Kaelen’s expectant stare.

Alone.

That was what I’d nearly said.

But something had caught my tongue, and something continued to hold it now. Despite the frustration and uncertainty I felt toward the King of Light—and the way I’d hurried away from him earlier—some part of me didn’t want to betray him.

It wasn’t just about protecting him, and it hadnothingto do with the lingering ache that came when I thought of what we’d done in that loft. Or what wecouldhave done, had my vision not interrupted us.

We were simplysafer if I didn’t speak of our full abilities.

The Keeper of Erebos didn’t realize how powerful Aleksander and I were together. He didn’t realize we’d brought that girl—our mysteriousRed—back to life. He only had suspicions about me and my own powers. Nothing else.

And I wasn’t foolish enough to give him any more than that.

“Nevertheless, you clearly have magic we haven’t seen in this city in some time.”

I remained silent.

“You don’t deny that your magic could potentially help us, do you?”

I gritted my teeth. “It isn’t really afavorif you guilt me into it, now is it?”

He held up his hands in a gesture of peace. “I won’t force you into anything. Just…consider it. All the potential of it.”

We walked on in uncomfortable silence, slowly weaving our way back toward the manor. The sharp cold from earlier persisted, snapping at our heels, urging us to keep moving, lest we end up as frozen statues. My skin felt tight, as if it was already halfway to a statuesque state, and my feet ached with a numbness I couldn’t shake off.

More than once, I had the sensation of drifting out of control, my boots not truly touching the ground, my body belonging to someone else—and I didn’t think it was solely due to the cold.

Was it something about the air in this city?

Something about drinking its water, or staring too long into its flames?

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