"Really," Eliot says, fascinated. He'd expected disclosure of an STD, or something. This is so much more interesting that it breaks Eliot partway out of his playful mood and back into the seriousness of the situation. This may not be his world, but it is a real world, with real consequences.

"Off-putting? No way. I have to try it." Recklessly, he takes Aleksander's hand, and with the other, begins shaping a light spell.