She still looked unconvinced.
Carefully, I picked it up and held it in my palm for her to see.
“It looks real,” she muttered skeptically.
I smiled despite myself.
Fuck.
She was adorable.
“No, really. It’s crystal.” I turned it slowly in the light. “I made it when I was young.”
Her eyes widened.
That expression again.
Wonder.
Pure, open curiosity.
No fear.
No judgment.
Just interest.
I had no idea why that affected me so strongly.
“A model?” she asked cautiously. “So it’s not alive?”
“No.” My voice softened automatically. “Not alive.”
“Oh.” She relaxed slightly. “Okay. That’s, wow, that’s actually kind of beautiful.”
Something in my chest tightened painfully.
I wanted to hear her say that about me.
The realization hit hard enough to make my stomach twist.
Dangerous.
Very dangerous.
“Lys,” I murmured softly, letting lunar magic thread through the crystal.
The moth immediately began glowing silver-blue in my palm, delicate wings sparkling like trapped starlight.
Amrin gasped softly.
And gods—that smile.
Bright.
Warm.
Unfiltered.
