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"She's got a point, you know," Ektolaf said when Azrikam told him about his niece's demands. "We shouldn't have lied to her."
"I didn't decide by myself," Azrikam pointed out.
"And I was wrong," Ektolaf admitted. "Trust is critical, especially in our situation. Amy just joined the family. She's sensitive to lies, even — especially — those that are for her own good. With everything that happened to her mother—"
It had taken a lot of time — and patience — to get Amy to open up about her past. They knew the rough details from the beginning, of course, but her day-to-day life, how growing up magical in a non-magical world was — Amy had to tell on her terms.
It had only been six months since she joined their family, after all.
Magic brought them close, imposing feelings that were proba
