In a daze, it came to me: Seb and I had been growing closer every day, so that now I was able to sense what he was doing on every possible level, almost as if I was him – and it let me grasp a detail I hadn’t managed to catch before. He’d told me this over and over, but for the first time I was experiencing it for myself – the way he kept his aura locked safely away, where it couldn’t be disturbed. I could feel how protected that part of his mind was, how cradled away from everything. He’d almost built a sort of barrier around it, though I knew he wasn’t even aware of it; he must have done it instinctively as a child.

Mirroring him just as I’d done over two weeks ago, when we’d only barely started, I carefully constructed the same mental shield. Immediately, I felt a calm come over me – as if on a deep level I knew, really knew, that whatever I did with my aura now was totally secure.

Blue, I thought, and felt it shift.

I could tell Seb had sensed what had happened, and why. His hands tightened in mine. “Look,” he said in a whisper.

I opened my eyes. My aura was a clear sky-blue, with lavender hues. I swallowed, half-expecting it to crash back to silver. Deliberately, I thought of the Council attack; of how much I needed to be there; of every distracting, worrying thought I could throw at myself.

My aura stayed blue.

I reached out in wonder, and watched the blue lights gleaming on my fingers. Exhilaration rushed through me.

“Seb, I’ve got it! I’ve really got it!” I lunged forward, hugging him. He returned my hug with a laugh; I could sense his deep relief that I had it now, despite his reservations.

I sank back onto the sofa, staring at my still-blue aura. I experimented with changing it to a dull, stunted grey. The colours dimmed and shrank. It looked like used dishwater clinging to me. I hated it. So would an angel.

I’m not sure how long went by as I sat playing with my aura, shifting its colours with my thoughts. Seb watched in silence. Finally we glanced at each other, and my excitement faded. The closeness between us that had let me finally learn this suddenly seemed like a double-edged sword – because when the team attacked the Council, Seb would be there too now, risking his life. Alex and I didn’t have a choice, but Seb did. I wanted him to be safe, just as much as he wanted the same thing for me.

He shook his head, responding to my unspoken thought. “Madre mía, Willow,” he said softly. “Do you really think I’d go somewhere and be safe while you’re taking part in that?”