"Not here," Zeke says. I can only agree.
We return up, and I sit down on a stone step that leads to the church's altar. Zeke lowers himself down nearby—he doesn't sit, but just folds the lower part of his body until our heads are on a similar level. It looks like he's half-submerged into the floor.
"Can you fly?" I wonder, looking at his movements. "Or are there a dozen tentacles under that shadow?"
"Hm?" Zeke blinks. The movement is slow and deliberate, and I realize that this is the first time he ever did so in my presence. "The power of flight is harder to harness than it might seem. But with your help, I'd be able to. You are curious about magic, aren't you, my Maya? If you free me, I can share with you its secrets."
