“Do you recognize her?” Roman’s eyebrows draw together as he stares at me.

“That’s my mom.”

His fingers clench around mine way too tightly.

“Ouch.”

“Sorry.” He drops my hand so he can turn around to face me, but I can’t take my eyes off the painting.

“So I found out something, at least. Lucius was in love with my mom.” I spin as I take in all the pictures I haven’t even looked at yet. “Maybe a little too in love,” I mutter.

“Ava.”

The hesitation in Roman’s voice makes me whip back around.

He points at the portrait of my mom. “That’s your mom?”

I nod.

His eyes tighten. “Ava… the woman in that painting… she was the first magician. She’s the one who discovered she could move the balls with her mind.”

I blink at him. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around her being immortal, but now he’s telling me she was ancient. Aristelle said it’s hard to hang on to your humanity when you live forever, and this information makes me see that weariness in her eyes in a new light. She didn’t just give up magic—she gave up everything she’d been for so long. It’s a wonder she survived it and kept her humanity. Because despite the sadness, she was a mom who spent her days making me smile. And she did it all for me and Parker and Dad. The realization makes me love her even more, so much that my lungs squeeze, and I want to cry. The feeling is pure and untainted by her death. I can’t remember the last time I felt that.

I move to look at more pictures, longing to explore this revelation. I want to take in as much as I can. But Roman reaches out and turns me to look at him.

I try to ignore his hungry expression.

“That could be why you have so much natural power,” he says. “She had a lot of raw magic, and she left and became mortal again, but after building her power for so many years… it probably never faded completely. She must have passed some to you.” Roman looks me up and down like he’s seeing me for the first time. “You might have more than you’re letting out.”

I keep my mouth shut. I know I do. It pushes against my skin like it’ll burst from my pores sometimes, but Roman’s the person who taught me it doesn’t matter without control, and I don’t know how much I can control it.

“Do you know what this means?” Roman asks.

I nod. Somehow I’ve always known. “It means I can win.”

If I can let it out without hurting everyone around me.

CHAPTER 27