“Better to feel it. I need the reminder that the rush isn’t worth the consequence.” There’s something hard and bleak in the look he gives me, and I know there’s no point in arguing.

“So, what if that’s what’s happening?” I ask. “What if someone is—”

“Siphoning magic out of kids?” Morgan’s lips curl in disgust.

“Siphoning?”

“Like when you suck on a straw.”

“Oh. Great.” Now I can’t stop imagining Natalie and Hannah being consumed like magical milkshakes.

“Someone must want a lot of power then,” Morgan says. “But for what?”

“It must have something to do with Svalbard. But there’s something I’m not seeing.” I tap a fist against my forehead, as if it’ll help. “Definitely a dog buried here.”

“What?” Morgan asks.

“You don’t say that? Like when something is suspicious?”

“We say something’s fishy.”

I make a mental note. Clearly, I need to up my game when it comes to English idioms. “Either way, we have to go to the tonttukivi.”

Morgan’s jaw twitches like he’s chewing over something he doesn’t want to say.

“What is it?” I ask.

“It’s just…this is pretty dangerous, and you seem ready to take this risk for a friend. I mean, I’d die for my sister but the way you want to take on the world for Natalie, it’s—it’s a lot to do for a friend.” There’s a knowing look on his face even with the questioning lift of his eyebrow.

I sigh. “Natalie is more than a friend. Well, to me at least. I’ve had a crush on her since the day we met in fourth grade, but I ruined things.”

“How?”

“I tried to kiss her and messed everything up,” I blurt out before I can think better of it. It feels good to finally tell someone. “I thought she’d want to kiss me back, but I guess I got it wrong.”

“That sucks,” Morgan says. “Did she punch you?”

“No, she walked out of my room and basically didn’t speak to me again.”

“Lucky. I got punched for trying to kiss my crush.” He dabs at his lip as if he’s still feeling the hit. “Guess I misread the situation.” He shrugs.

“I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve that.”

“And you didn’t deserve the silent treatment.”

If that’s what I got. When I force myself to think about it—something I’ve been actively avoiding since it happened—I think it might’ve been me who went silent first. I was embarrassed, ashamed even. I couldn’t bear to face Natalie after that, let alone talk to her. Oh gods, what if I did destroy our friendship, just not the way I thought I did?

“We should tell the others about the stones,” Morgan says, changing the topic and already reaching for his phone.