She recounted the memory in great detail, her recollection perfect, as it always was when it came to memory-reading. Just another gift provided by the Goddess of the Wood, she supposed. When she finished, he said, “Seems like you went pretty deep.”

She knew exactly what he meant. That she’d lingered inside the bear’s mind for a long time. Too long. She remembered the slash of fear that hit her when she realized she couldn’t get back out. And then…Narcissi’s voice, as clear as if the goddess had been standing beside her, speaking her name. “What’s your point?” she asked, trying not to sound too defensive and failing miserably.

“How did you escape?”

“You make it sound like I was being held against my will,” she said, trying to make light of the question.

“Soraya. This is important.”

She sighed, considering whether to tell him about the goddess’s unexpected presence but thought better of it. Everything about the experience had felt personal, private, intimate. Sharing it with someone, anyone, felt like it would spoil it forever. “By sheer force of will, of course,” she lied. “Don’t tell me you’re still underestimating me.” She forced a smile onto her lips, hoping he’d buy it.

Shim watched her for a moment that drew out a few beats too long for her liking, but then he smiled too. “It’s not that I underestimate you. It’s just that we haven’t worked together before. I know the Soraya from the Rocklands, but I’m still getting used to this version of Soraya. Guardian Soraya.”

“And?”

“And what?”

“What do you think of this version of Soraya? Guardian Soraya?”

He seemed to seriously consider the question before answering. “I’d say it suits you well. And it’s not often a new Guardian earns another Leaf of the Goddess on her first day out.”

“What?” Soraya said, hand immediately going to her face, feeling about, touching each of the eighteen golden leaves that she knew she’d find and then—

Locating another one, set just over her left eyebrow. The nineteenth. Her eyes widened. “I didn’t even feel it,” she murmured. Usually there was a deep and resonating warmth in the spot where the goddess leaves appeared, lasting anywhere from a few minutes to an hour. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t noticed anything different.

“You were a little busy at the time,” Shim said with a smile.

“During the fight?”

He nodded. “Congratulations, your power continues to grow at a rather prolific pace for one so young.”

Such a comment might’ve stroked her ego if she had one. Not to mention one other somewhat concerning fact. “The bear seems to have grown its power even faster.”

“So you noticed how many Leaves of the Goddess it had, too.”