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“Ugh Like shifting a car straight froroaned

Cort scratched his jaw “I’ve got to admit I’ve never driven a manual I’ll have to take your word for it”

Lucien shook his head, but he was starting to feel a little lighter Well, ry Gio’s words werea hell of a lot more sense now that he’d spoken to Cort “What are they teaching kids these days? You shift and skip all those other gears, the car is gonna sputter, cough, and die Like Calder, Gio, and ht”

“Gotcha Yeah, that sounds about right Fro from him, Gio does care about you and Calder, but way too ht He retreated to safety”

Lucien nodded Ithier He hadn’t been thinking clearly Not one of his best moments even if he had a valid excuse

“What do you think I should do now?”

“First step, you go talk to Calder, and what I really ”

Lucien gave a hard shake of his head “You’re notany sense”

“He’s hurting and feeling rejected, but I’m sure he doesn’t want anyone to know it Whether you realize it or not, Calder looks up to you”

Lucien’s mouth fell open for a second That couldn’t be true “He does not!”

Cort scoffed at him “From the first ed there You’re always confident with your powers, with any probleured out that half the shit out of your uy, and he’s attracted to you”

“Shit,” Lucien muttered He’d never shown Calder that he was someone the Water Weaver could lean on, could confide in No wonder Calder had looked at hi the th “I’ll talk to his were already fucked up with Gio He wasn’t going to fuck up what little progress he’d made with Calder too