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“No,” Ria agreed. “Not directly.”

She leaned forward. “But children don’t just listen to what we say. They watch what we do. They notice the expressions we make, the subjects we avoid, the things that make us uncomfortable.”

Asterion remained silent.

“Think about it,” she said softly. “Not as a member of your clan.” She tapped the cover of the book absentmindedly. “Think about it as someone who has magic.”

He frowned.

“What would it feel like to grow up believing a part of yourself was…wrong?”

The question settled heavily in Asterion’s chest. If Korinnae’s magic continued to grow, what message was he sending every time he frowned at a spell, dismissed magic, or spoke of witches with suspicion? He had always believed he was protecting her, but perhaps all she would hear was that a part of who she was should be feared or hidden. That was harder to accept than he wanted it to be.

Bollach.

He had been so determined to protect her from magic that he hadn’t considered what it would mean if the magic was part of her.

“I still don’t like magic.” Asterion shook his head.

“Wouldn’t expect anything else.”

“I probably never will.”

“We’ll see.”

“But…”

The word surprised even him.

Ria waited.

“…I’ll try.”

“For Korinnae?” Her smile this time was warm and genuine.

He nodded once. “For Korinnae.”

“That’s all she needs.”

Asterion studied her for a moment before asking, “How do you know so much about children?”

“What do you mean?”

“You aren’t married.” He shrugged. “You don’t have children of your own.”

She laughed. “No, I don’t.”

“So how do you know all this?”

“I used to babysit for family friends when I was younger.” She adjusted the sleeve of her sweater before continuing. “And one of my closest friends works in a special education school. She’s studying to become a teacher, so I hear stories all the time. We end up talking about her students, what works, what doesn’t, and all the creative ways she keeps them engaged.”

“Hmm.”

“I’ve picked up a few things.”

Asterion nodded slowly. It wasn’t the answer he’d expected, but it made sense.

“So,” Ria gave him a look.