15 As Finn sketched a map on the ground of how they might travel to the city of air, Ekon reached for Mila’s hand and led her to the corner of the cave. “You could stay.” His voice was soft, tentative. “You’ve only just arrived and I know we’ve just met, but … I want more time and I know you do, too. Imagine what we could discover about our magic together.” His words echoed deep inside Mila, calling to a part of her that longed for home. Perhaps home was not a place, after all, but a person. Someone who understood her dual self, someone who saw beyond her magic to the woman beneath. Part of her longed to say yes, to give in to this heady feeling, but if she stayed, if she used her magic the way Ekon did, she would soon be lost in shadow. They would be together, but they would also chan