Faouzia didn’t wait for formalities when she arrived at Margaretta’s chambers the next morning. She burst through the door, her astronomancy humming faintly as her gaze scanned the room. The salt residue was fainter now, but it was still there—clinging to the windowsill, the floor, even the air.

Margaretta, seated at her vanity, looked up sharply. “Faouzia,” she said, her voice edged with surprise. “What are you doing here?”

“I need to talk to you,” Faouzia said, her tone firm. “It’s about him.”

Margaretta’s expression tightened, and she turned back to the mirror, brushing her hair with deliberate strokes. “What about him?”

Faouzia stepped closer, her voice lowering. “He’s not who you think he is. He’s dangerous.”

Margaretta laughed softly, though the sound lacked humor. “Dangerous? Faouzia, he’s been nothing but kind to me.”

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“That’s how it starts,” Faouzia pressed. “But I’ve seen the signs, Margaretta. The salt, the heat, the way the light bends around him. He’s not mortal.”

Margaretta set her brush down with a sharp clatter, her gaze snapping to Faouzia’s reflection. “And what if he isn’t?” she asked, her voice cool. “What if he’s something more? Does that make him unworthy of love?”

“It makes him untrustworthy,” Faouzia shot back. “You don’t know what he’s capable of.”

“I know he’s capable of seeing me,” Margaretta said, standing abruptly. “Of loving me without conditions, without judgment. Can you say the same about anyone else in my life?”

Faouzia flinched, her jaw tightening. “This isn’t about love, Margaretta. This is about your safety.”

Margaretta stepped closer, her dark eyes blazing. “My safety? Or your control? Because from where I’m standing, it seems like you’re more afraid of losing your grip on me than of what he might do.”

Faouzia recoiled as though struck, her chest tightening with a mix of guilt and anger. “You’re blind,” she said finally, her voice trembling. “He’s using you.”

“And you’re using fear to manipulate me,” Margaretta retorted. “At least he’s honest about who he is.”

The words hung between them, sharp and unyielding. Faouzia opened her mouth to respond but found she had nothing to say. Without another word, Margaretta turned back to the mirror, her shoulders tense with finality.