“It was.”
“And that’s my power?”
He nods. “It was yours. You pulled from love, didn’t you?”
I hesitate. “Maybe. It felt… safe. Warm. It started when I thought about how you— how you believe in me, even when I don’t.”
Something flickers across his face, too quickly to name. “Then it sounds like you did it right.”
I look down at my fingertips, still faintly glowing, the shimmer fading from my arms. “Was it mine?”
“No.”
His gaze is steady.
“Was it yours?”
He nods. “You were always good at that.”
The phrasing catches me. “Always?”
He goes still, realizing what he’s said. “Fucking old habits,” he mutters.
“You talk like we’ve done this before.”
He hesitates and seems to brace himself, weighing his words. “We have. In ways you don’t remember.”
The words hang between us, heavy with prophecy.
He stands, offering me a hand. When I take it, a spark jumps between us — small, but unmistakable.
He gives a faint, crooked smile. “Still connected.”
My pulse stutters. “What does that mean?”
“Only that you’re not as alone as you think.”
“You knew me? Before?”
Another small nod.
I can feel the excess energy still lingering in the air. Excitement bubbles inside me.
“Then you can tell me everything! You can fill in all these blanks in my mind.” I laugh and even I can hear the edge of hysteria. “I don’t have to feel crazy anymore.”
“No, baby. No. I can’t.”
Like a switch has been flipped, my giddy joy turns on its head and I’m suddenly on the verge of tears. “But why?”Was I a terrible person? A monster?
Flint grips my hand, using his other one to turn my face to his. “No, love. But there are things I can’t tell you. There are stronger magicks than mine at work and I, and Betsy and Calida, we all have to step back and let you remember organically.” He brushes a lock of hair behind my ear. “You will, in time.”
He leads me toward the path in silence. The world feels both brand new and achingly familiar. I feel hopeful and terrified. The answers to all of my questions seem so close and so far away.
Finally, I say, “That name —Lila. It felt important. “
“It is.”
“…you know her?”
