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I wasn’t going to lie, though Losing my connection to the Dark definitely filled ed to the shadows Blending into the darkness had defined who I hat I could do The Dark Room clearly marked my place in the world

My feet carriedroom, where I found Herald with his ar for a kettle to boil A little crea recited in my head, as instinct and memory told me how he liked to drink his tea

I s as I searched the cupboards for soe for erly, even though I didn’t like tea all that much I drank it, because Herald made it

Sonew, of a different way to define ed about ood friend, a good son, a good brother to my brothers at the Boneyard And to Herald, I could be whatever he needed me to be Me and him, fire and ice It would work out, somehow

“You know you only feel this way because of the love potion, right?”

“H from one hand, my chin planted in the other “What love potion?”

“I’m an alchemist, remember?” He chuckled “It was never very hard to sneak a little potion into your food Over tih, and pow Got you wrapped around er”

“I don’t believe you,” I said, scoffing

“Then it ood looks and incredible char at his torso “Also, all of this”

I chuckled “Don’t forget your hugeto sound a lot like me”

“Crucial difference, Graves You’re an incorrigible blowhard” He raised his teacup to his lips, winking “I only ever speak the truth”

The taunt had the hairs at ood Herald look when he winked I launched myself at him, and I wrestled hi ht myself closer I smiled out of the corner ofcloser

It happened so quickly When our lips met, it was as if time itself stood still A terrible cliché, I know, so letterms It was as if a chronomancer had chosen to freeze the universe’s te the cosmos for the sake of two dudes who had finally decided to quitaround

For some moments I wondered which one of us had started the kiss, but a few precious seconds into it, I knew that it didn’t entle, yet there was a hint of roughness there, a quiet strength He tasted like creaht Correct

Itfor hiure things out I wondered why I’d been so confused For the first ti was going to be okay, that together, Herald and I could do anything Save the world Kill the bad guy Put Mister Gru