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Lisette’s expression turned painfully neutral, as if she were locking down on very strong feelings before they could show “Is that what the runt labor?”

“Basically” Tori focused on the fine wire in his hands as he twisted it around the moon-bathed stone That was far easier to face The ain, built up like acid reflux He had to s hard several tireat-grandparents’ generation,born, and eneration My clan was livid about it, sure it was a sign of some sort We were basically bad oather eleic itself It was partially because of my math—at least that’s the excuse they loved to use—but because it wasn’t ics anyway”

Lisette lifted a hand “Back up I don’t understand that comment What about your math?”

He paused, hands stilling on the amulet “Uh, well, I haven’t seen anyone do it here I assu the eleht and power levels, I wasn’t allowed to do that I’m, uh, dyscalculic I tend to flip nu the necessary for to be an issue, I hope? I mean, you’ve seen that I can still work fine”

The , much like a lizard in shock “They Did What?”

Tori stared uncertainly back “They ht and power of an element before they use it? Don’t you do that, too?”

“We do a basic inspection, of course, especially if it’s an eleh every single ounce of it and measure it to death” Lisette shook her head in confusion “Part of a ift and talent is to draer as necessary frole focus Not drain the elee doesn’t work at all Wait, you’re telling ic because you couldn’t s?”

“Well, that, and you have to do the formula with the h power to work…” He trailed off as Lisette groaned loudly, her head flopping back “I haven’t seen any of you write down formulas yet, either”

“Because we don’t” Lisette blew out a breath, sounding like a dragon ready to spew fire “This is insane Why would anyone do that? It’s like they don’t trustit more like a chemical mixture”

That’s exactly how Tori had always felt about it “It sort of confusedused, but I thought it was because you’d done it all beforehand or because you’ve done this exact recipe so many ti was me”

“We have done those recipes ht a copy out for your sake” Lisette’s head came back down so she could look at hi is insanity It’s a wonder they get anything done, constantly second-guessing everything as they are But it begs the question, if you weren’t allowed to do anything but apprentice-level work, then how do you kno to do all this?”

“Reading,” Tori ad the amulet He just needed to make a paste of the elements and apply it to the stone He unscrewed the jar lids and started s out into a s books away froes in the clan I started with ht”

“Despite their attitudes?”

“When I was young, still in high school, I thought ical theory, I could sorained traditions When I turned eighteen, though, it beca I could do would ever make a difference They were too set in their ways I think it’s about hierarchy ”

“How the fees keep the rest in check?” Lisette’s eyes turned hard and flinty

“Why else would you deny er flared to life “I didn’t know better, not until I came here Not until I saw all of you in action and realized that this is what a clan of hteen that there was so That I shouldn’t be denied the talent I was born with At that point, I kept studying out of spite I was deterh that I could strike out on my own”