I raise my right palm to shoulder-height and open my eyes. In my mind I know Lincoln is near, but he seems blocked behind a white haze. The skin on my face cools; my irises glow bright blue. Igni materialize around my hand, appearing even faster this time than when I called them in my house. The tiny lightning bolts swirl about my palm before arcing to the ceiling in one great geyser. Once they hit the wooden rafters, the igni bounce and tumble to the floor like so many snowflakes, disappearing before they touch the ground.

I focus on Lincoln. When the haze around him clears, I find he’s standing a few yards away, his face still as stone. I meet his gaze. “Possible or not, I am the next Scala.”

“Myla, I—”

I raise both hands at him, palms forward. “No, I need to say something first. Now that my Scala powers are active, I have to go into hiding. I don’t know when I’ll resurface, if ever. Walker told me about all the things stacked up against us…How the Earl wants you to marry Adair. And I heard what you said to Kamal and Horus before. Unifying the lesser Houses? You’ve got enough to worry about without adding me to the list.” I hug my elbows. Here comes the yucky part. “What I’m saying is, if you want to see someone else, that’s okay with me.” I roll my eyes. What am I saying? “Not that we’re really dating in the first place.”

I’d face-palm myself if it didn’t make me look dumber. That was about the worst speech in the history of ever.

Lincoln’s face is unreadable. “May I ask a question?”

I pretend that it’s very important to check for dust on my ghoul robes. Anything not to look in his eyes at this point. “Sure.”

“Do you love me?”

Holy cow! I did not see that coming, at all. “Um, well, I…”

Fuuuuuuuuuck. I have no idea what to say right now.

“Alright, I’ll ask a different question.” His face stays still as stone. I have no idea what he’s thinking and damn, that’s annoying. “When did this happen?”

Okay, that question I know how to answer.

“It’s been happening for a while, but I didn’t know it. The ceremony at the Arena actually awakened me, not Adair. Then, I was angelbound last night when we—” I bite my lower lip.

Lincoln watches me for a long minute, then his mouth does something impossible: erupt into the biggest grin I’ve ever seen. He rushes toward me, wraps his arms around my waist, and pulls me against him. “That’s wonderful, Myla.”

Wait a minute.

I look at Lincoln out of my right eye. This is unbelievable. “So, you’re not worried about what I just said?”

“No. Should I be?”