It's true, he's not dead! Of course, there are so many things that are worse than death.

"What you want isn't impossible, but it involves a great deal of work on your part. There are easier ways to learn, and if you were to seek out other fae, they would be happy to make that trade with you, but the cost would be different." A little careful readjustment and Lan is sure she can steer this conversation back towards the sort of skills she can offer.

"I can offer to act as a muse. To help you learn to create on your own."