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"No. Don’t do that."

Gage looks back at me.

"Do what?"

"That little secret eye conversation. I’m standing right here."

"I know."

"Then answer me."

He hesitates.

"Let's go inside," he says.

We all walk into the kitchen and he continues.

"There are people who might want to use what’s happening to you."

The air suddenly feels colder.

"Use me how?"

"We don’t know yet."

Evelyn speaks for the first time.

"That’s why I’m here."

Her voice is low and even.

Sid’s tail doubles in size.

I look at her.

She keeps her hands where I can see them.

Smart woman.

"I want to determine how much of your magic has awakened," she says. "I want to teach you enough control that you don’t hurt yourself accidentally. And I want to make certain no one reaches you before you understand enough to choose for yourself."

Choose.

That word catches.

Maybe because everything else sounds like I stopped having choices sometime around the first exploding lightbulb.

I look at Gage.

"And you trust her?"

His answer takes half a second too long.

"I trust her to want you safe."

Interesting wording.

Evelyn notices too.