[MAGNUS]“I have to go before she comes in,” Elara announces with urgency as she pushes herself off the bed, her eyes darting to the secret doorway. She doesn’t have to go, I think to myself. But then I recall the ruse I must play. I do not care for her—and I have to make them believe it. And yet, I reach out and catch her arm, stopping her just as she's about to leave. Her eyes find mine, and there’s something in them that makes me pause, making me forget that I have a voice, momentarily. This moment is senseless. I’m not being myself. Daphne looms outside my chamber, a danger to us if she spots us together, but here I am struggling to let go of Elara’s arm. ‘Fool,’ Creed echoes in my mind, finally sounding like himself. I tear my gaze away briefly, breaking the trance before I tell her, “I’ll call you back.”She nods, and I notice the way her expression softens. “I'll be waiting,” she replies softly, her words hanging in the air as she walks away, leaving me alone. I feel the n
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