ing the east cour

rtun

noti

doing it

ept w

know what

ar every tim

ed her calmly through

ed the urg

uiet groups, academy uniforms br

convers

al l

like it was unrave

ork," Ari

not an

nough o

t a faint breath that

ays do t

owed s

Do w

without actually

ced back

many unnecess

id every imp

orward again

ger

ion with him fe

closer to something neit

istent," she

e susp

ly made h

ed the stack of doc

ink too

ay

remained ste

like someone hi

opped

e turned t

had emptied

qu

priv

you expecting me t

ied her

casu

ent

thinking about

know," he

linke

the answer s

ped clos

," he continued quietly, "it f

tightened

eact

y c

ng things again

o you alway

on hit too

on faltered fo

y h

he s

Emy sai

iately lo

g too much int

asn't d

haled

e impo

slipped ou

ili

fami

d immediately in

re it i

ened faintly around

ger

hing had beco

ed clos

gh to co

h to

ke we've known eac

ed herse

our inter

N

softened

way you sa

suddenly fe

cl

ed her ga

nking ordinary

they never fe

le

dn't ans

he was

n them felt or

he pa

e fami

at he was reaching toward mem

hed her

qui

we met

it was

que

d her eye

o

e

ers felt

he said

li

rible

f her wanted h

t her for a

h

hesit

tbeat stum

sn't mean

somethin

n his voice m

h w

ped back

ng dis

houl

ve when things

answered au

taying hu

herself ju

she sai

king questions you don't

owned

nds like

be i

etween them d

h

pect

ughed

al

fus

frust

at him in

ha

his head

nderstand

ghtened pain

use

tood her bett

ry hit s

wide apartm

lit by soft

t again," Ari

ooked deepl

ghtly ove

char

s subj

r, stealing the sp

ed from cook

ou still m

y vanishe

linke

y corridor

l watching h

Clai

lo

ne quiet f

Ari said i

ounded distant

ssion softe

some

was w

e you disappear

ed herse

t ti

t look c

en sli

he could pu

voice in

my

f them

al steps away at the

eg

rf

chi

ssion rem

oved immediate

ess

ulat

ere changed

ightened

Lady

ed softly as

. I've been lo

sounded

a

tu

tiny pause bef

delay befor

kes nobody

ept

e shifted towa

li

o

tro

" she sa

d her head

dy

elt bitter

looked ba

oing to

hesi

bri

ed toward

.Ri

on didn't esc

it imm

th saw Ari

brief

sharpened

dith smil

fec

oftly, "the archives

mis

and el

nders

cour

ped asid

low

s st

about this

er second longer t

hing

ai

ouched lightly

bt

ses

ou

" she sai

s t

ollo

until their footsteps

tighten painfully aroun

e whispered un

know which one s