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“Easier said than done”

“We don’t have a choice,” he said coldly “We do soht I knew there would be casualties along the way, but – not like this”

I placed my hand on the back of his I didn’t knohat else to do Bastion stiffened, but he didn’t draay

“We’re just sitting here loudly agreeing with each other,” I said, “e both know the answer We have to suck it up and carry on What the hell else can we do? It’s not like we can just give up”

>

He nodded, his hand sliding up to squeeze mine briefly, quickly across the wrist Then he retrieved it, folding his hands in his lap I only really reesture I would have used with a friend was suddenly so different, so accidentally ht, as he to me, anyway?

“I never even once iined that the trip to find Durandal would end this way”

I looked up at the sound of Herald’s voice His glasses glowed blue, then red, then white, alternately reflecting the sirens and the stars On instinct,into my pocket as Herald sat to my other side to join us

Bastion sighed “You and ure this out”

Herald leaned lightly against h Even through the denim of my jeans, it felt warm, familiar, and correct

“I hate to put it this way because it’s so stupid and cheesy, but the world is counting on us,” Herald said “They don’t know it at all, but they are”

“Speaking of which,” Bastion said “I should go join the others It’s not a good look for the Lorica that I’m not over there with them”

He cla off the back of his jeans, even though it was too dark for anyone to find grass stains there anyway Just Bastion being Bastion I followed his figure as he walked off to the other end of the hill, joining Royce, Romira, Prudence, and – the others

The Boneyard boys, , had kept to their own little huddle, sitting not too far fro to each other in hushed tones Sterling kept to hiarette Near theently snoring

But the others, the Lorica people – I didn’t envy them They had business to attend to