No pressure there. Miles is both pleased and utterly intimidated by her admission that she’s sought out him and only him so far. How can he possibly turn that down? Which both his guardians realize in an instant, both turning to look at him. They know how this ends just as surely as Miles himself does. Sigh. Surely some part of this is also due to intel she’s gathered about him personally. God he kind of hopes so.

Anyway. The conclusion is forgone, already won by Lakshmi this morning. And if she hadn’t won him then, she surely would now. “I suppose I must accept, then,” he says with a soft sigh. “Very well. You have my determination, then. And all my cleverness. God help us if that isn’t enough.”

But he thinks he can do it. Just maybe.