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Bartholomew stared at our ship that burned on the surface of the water, and soon enough, it would sink beneath the waves too His hands gripped the rail, the smile still wide “Well, that was fun”
“We lost a ship” It was my idea, and the only way I could destroy the entire anthill, not just a few insects
“We’ll buy another one”
Claire walked between us on the sidewalk, her backpack bouncing up and doith her steps because it was nearly empty except for a couple papers and her lunch box The sidewalks and streets were busy with people getting to their destinations, bags over their shoulders, coffees in hand
Constance was on the other side of Claire, glancing down at her fro her a smile that hid the pain behind her eyes In her neardrobe, she no longer looked like the prisoner of a cult that becaht jeans, heels, blouses, and jackets, jewelry on her wrists and neck Her long hair was usually done in soft curls, and her ave her lips new life
I was exhausted afterClaire to school for the first tione I’d already had a conversation with her teacher, explaining that she’d been taken out of school for personal reasons Last thing I wanted was for her teacher and the other students to treat her like she was different—and not in a good way
When we dropped her off, there wasn’t a hint of unease She spotted her friends and ran off without a backward glance
It hurt that she didn’t say goodbye to
I watched her backpack bounce up and down quickly as she ran to her friends, ere just as excited to see her when they spotted her Hugs were exchanged Laughter Squeals
It was tio, but it was hard to leave her there
A handinto my muscle, a kind embrace
And there was a soft so with it
Ia distinct connection that hadn’t been there before, or at least that I hadn’t allowed to be there before The exact sa Claire was hard for her too, albeit for different reasons
We walked back to the apart most of that time in silence
Fewer people were on the sidewalk because everyone had arrived at their destinations by now
The pathway seemed to be just for us
Her boots tapped against the sidewalk as alked, two steps for every one of ht?”
“Long”
“Yeah, you seem tired”