“I’m so sorry it took until now for you to feel comfortable telling me.” No judgment in his voice. No cheap pity. Just compassion.

I shivered and he stepped back. “You’re so cold.” He dug in his pack and pulled out a small pouch, then stuffed fistfuls of some plant into the palms of my hands. He shoved his own gloves over my stiff white fingers. Instant warmth wrapped around them.

“Heetmoss,” he muttered. “I got it from Verstad.”

A place I’d only ever seen scrawled on Sven’s map. And Bastiaan was using this incredible plant to warm me. I couldn’t thank him. Words weren’t enough. But I could give him the truth. Finally.

“I can’t give you a wish. I can’t give you what you want.”

His right hand lifted, ever so gently, and touched the edge of my eye. Tender. Too tender. “I want nothing more than you. Alive. Safe.”

He had hardly blinked at the confession of my dead Talent, at the revelation of my curse. Even after I told him, he didn’t see me as broken. He saw me as Myrthe. Just Myrthe.

I was enough for him.

It felt like Mutti’s love again—the long-desired warmth and peace that came with it. But this was different because it was Bastiaan. He was not family. There was no obligation to extend care or acceptance.

This was his choice.

He chose me.

No stones remained on my wall. I was laid bare. I shut my eyes tight.

“Stop!” He didn’t know what he was proclaiming. He didn’t know I was a murderer. “My wall . . . It’s not strong enough . . . for this.” What was I saying?

He took my face in his hands. Waited until I dared to open my eyes again. “Let me be your wall,” he whispered

Could I risk this sort of trust? Should I? “I’m going to the Well. To ask it to break my curse.” He had followed me into the Trials, but I couldn’t expect him to continue with me.

He allowed an inch of space to enter between us, if only to meet my gaze. “You’re not going alone.”

“I’m not asking you to come with me.”

“There’s more going on outside these Trials. King Mattias is at the Nightwell trying to send the water into the canals. Runt has been compromised with a Bane. Militairen are attacking Sven’s camp.”

“What?” Had I been in the Trial that long?

“Right now, the Well of Talents is the only hope any of us have to combat what’s coming. I’m pretty sure King Mattias’s entire army now has Banes. Which means he can control them with a single word.”