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I chuckled “Yeah Good thing”

Borica was the name Herald had started to fondly call the queer little alliance we’d formed between the Boneyard and the friendlier bits of the Lorica – Prudence, Bastion, and all the others The jury was out on whether Tearoup It felt right, either way

“We’ll figure this out,” I said “If we don’t find so in the old stories, I’m sure that the others will”

Herald nodded “What’s encouraging is that we know a lot of them are true, or at least partially so”

“More like all Every encounter we’ve had with ht be wrong, but there’s always a grain of truth in there somewhere There’s a reason those stories exist”

“Because they’re rooted in so” He reached over, squeezedhis books And I knew I should have done the sa, too difficult to do that with Herald so nearby, being so fundamentally – well, Herald

The way the sunlight streah the s, how it struck tiny motes of dust that rose from clothbound books as Herald spread thelint and glea for research It was Herald in his ele I could capture in my mind, to hold and to keep

I watched him work, and stayed co his ie into ht than poring over dead, ancient to the na the answerthe solution onlythis, and the dust, and sunlight, and hi the afternoon to last forever

He looked up at , and a puzzled expression passed over his face His forehead and his nose crinkled, then he grinned

“What the hell are you staring at?” he said softly “You big dope”

I shook , and joy, and grief “It’s nothing,” I said “Nothing at all”

Herald rolled his eyes “Well, I’ve got so I think we have a lead”

I perked up, leaning closer to look at what he was reading My eyes scanned the pages, but all I could hear was Herald’s voice

“Pack a suitcase,” he said “Looks like we’re going to France after all”

Chapter 15