“She thinks I made a mess of things when the Brutopods attacked, doesn’t she? Just like I did in Knunx.”

Barclay knew it. He hadn’t imagined it at all.

Runa sighed. “The Brutopods destroyed plenty without your help, and Cyril and I both told Orla that you did an impressive job helping to protect the other apprentices. A Brutopod makes a dangerous opponent for any Lore Keeper, and you students took on dozens of them. But Orla does have a point. Guardian Keepers need to be able to control their Lore. In the Woods, you were never asked to use your powers much in Sycomore itself. There was always space. But here, you need more precision. You don’t want to accidentally hurt someone, do you?”

Barclay was so embarrassed and ashamed that he wanted to bury himself in the sand.

“Of course not,” he said. “But—”

“That assignment might seem silly to you, but it really is a great place to start. I know you can handle it with a bit more practice—”

“I’ve been practicing nonstop ever since we left Knunx, and I still can’t get it!” Barclay couldn’t help it—his voice rose. And it kept rising, because he was tired of pushing himself and still falling behind the others. Tired of being the odd one out. “Everyone else already mastered their assignments ages ago. They’re getting stronger, and I’m just… I’m just stuck! And I never will get stronger. Because I’m too much of an Elsie to ever be a Lore Keeper.”

Runa’s expression changed. Barclay had never seen Runa scared before—he didn’t think the Fang of Dusk could be scared—but that was how she looked now. Her face went ashen. Her brows knitted tightly together. And Barclay could think of no good reason why.

“What does your being an Elsie have to do with it?” Runa asked him slowly.

Barclay would’ve thought that was obvious. “Because everyone else can control their Lore, and I can’t. It probably shouldn’t even be a surprise—I grew up terrified of Beasts. And maybe I’ll never be able to change that. Some part of me will always be an Elsie, just like everyone believes.”

For several moments, Runa didn’t speak. Barclay’s heart hammered, and he braced himself for the words he’d been expecting to hear ever since Knunx. That Barclay didn’t belong as one of her apprentices.

Finally, Runa said, “Barclay, I want you to listen to me carefully.” She knelt in front of him so that they were closer to eye level. And Runa’s eyes looked very, very sad. “You are going to become an incredible Guardian one day. Do you know why?”

Barclay was too shocked to respond, so he only shook his head.