'This isn't about a mental comfort session. I told you I'd take you to dinner.' His fingers hovered for a moment. Ever since Drake left, Emma's face kept haunting him. He couldn't stop thinking about her, nor could he even understand why. He just wanted to see her again. When she didn't reply, he typed another message. 'I've got plenty of fresh ingredients. Could you cook them?' She loved to cook. That would make her happy, right? Emma stared at the screen, frowning hard. What was that supposed to mean? He invited her to dinner but wanted her to cook it? What kind of ridiculous logic was that? 'No time. I'm busy.'She sent the message, opened her account, and calculated how many of the star coins Drake had sent her were left. Then, she transferred every last one back. 'Transfer complete. Sorry. I won't have time to cook for you anymore. Here's the rest of your money.' She hit send, deleted his contact, and powered off the lightcore. Then, she reached into her storage band and pulled out the black crystal Drake had given her. She handed it to Lucien. "Drake gave me this. Give it back to him. Tell him I owe him one mental comfort session. If he needs it, he can come find me himself." Her voice was calm, but her eyes held a spark of annoyance. She didn't want to see Drake ever again. He really thought she'd cook for him? Lucien and Edric didn't even let her lift a finger. She wasn't that broke, desperate girl anymore. She had star coins now. A home. People who loved her. Lucien took the crystal and studied it before smiling softly. "Alright. I'll have it sent to him right away." Emma smiled. "Good. I'm going upstairs to help Edric. Call me if you need anything." … Upstairs, Edric was sprawled on her bed, shirtless, his serpent tail curling lazily across the sheets. The moment Emma walked in, he grabbed the blanket and pulled it over himself in a panic. "Edric, why aren't you asleep yet?" she teased, walking closer. She sat on the edge of the bed, leaned down, and kissed him gently. "I couldn't sleep without you," she whispered. His tail glimmered purple as it slid out from under the blanket, wrapping snugly around her waist. "Emma," he murmured, voice low and uncertain, "I don't have a powerful family like Corvin. I'm not as smart as Silas. And I'm nowhere near as strong as Lucien." His gaze fell. "You won't ever get tired of me, right?" Poor Edric. Always comparing himself to the others. Always doubting his own worth. Emma threw her arms around him before he could speak. "I'd never hate you," she said, her voice firm but gentle. "If that's how it works, then I'm the most useless one here. Are you saying you'd hate me too?" Edric's eyes widened. He shook his head so quickly she almost smiled. "Emma, you're everything to me. I could never hate you." She looped her arms around his neck and met his gaze. "Edric, they all have something special. So do you." Her tone softened. "I love you. Not because you're powerful. I love you because you're Edric. You're mine, and I'm yours." Edric pulled her close, crushing her against his chest like he never wanted to lose her again. "Thank you, Emma," he whispered.She lifted a hand and pressed her fingertip against his forehead. Her mental power flowed into his mental consciousness, calm and steady, like warm water easing through still air. His mental consciousness was quieter this time. The storms had thinned, the chaos fading away. She finally let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. When it was over, she drank a rejuvenating potion and lay down beside him. She tucked herself into his arms, tracing lazy circles along his serpent tail until her eyes drifted shut. Her body already felt lighter. Stronger. One more potion today and she'd be fine again. She planned to rest for two days. Then, she would give Edric her blood. If her blood could help Lucien reach Rank 11, then maybe it could push Edric to Rank 10. …Across the stars, Drake sat motionless, staring at Emma's last message. She'd agreed to dinner before. Why had she changed her mind? He sat there thinking, unable to make sense of it. Finally, he typed a new message. 'Is something wrong? Do you need help?' Moments later, a system message blinked onto the screen. 'User is not your contact. Message cannot be delivered.' Drake froze, the silence heavy around him. Thero tilted his head, frowning. "Mr. Smith, what did Ms. Emma say? Did she agree to visit Aquadome?" Drake's jaw tightened. "She deleted me." "What?" Thero blinked, then nearly tripped over himself as he jumped up. "What did you just say?" His voice cracked with disbelief."Ms. Emma deleted you? Your huntress deleted you?" His face twisted with shock. What could Drake possibly have done to make Emma that mad? "Mr. Smith," Thero stammered, "what did you say to her? What happened?"