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“There’s five of the his shoulder intoto “Check it out”

They were representatives from what I had first assumed was the French version of the Lorica, until Herald had quickly corrected h-ranking sorcerers from the Hooded Council That wasn’t local at all It was the Lorica’s equivalent that governed ic across the entirety of Europe

“The big boys,” Herald whispered “Well, and girls”

The Hooded Council’s people had appeared on the hill shortly after we fled town, deroup How the Council knew that ere American – and how they even knew that we hadus, for thatI didn’t stay to question

I only caught the name of one of them as I very quickly separated froht that I was convinced it was the only thing keeping the skin clinging to her skull Frau Helena dressed and behaved like a school aura of a woe, but her appearance was youthful, al at the German version of the Lorica’s very own Odessa, only so

She barked her naical supreovernance, both out of an instinctive dislike of authority and the shock of seeing five people materialize just feet away fro so far fro back tointo me with hardness and curiosity She knew exactly who I was I was sure of it

“I don’t think we’re in any kind of trouble,” Herald said “Funny how it’s the humans who are more reasonable about all this Eldest business But to be fair, the Lorica sent out warnings about Agatha Black’s return weeks ago The Hooded Council knoe’re clean”

I raised a finger “As long as they don’t know the whole business about Durandal”

“Correct,” Herald said He nodded at the group again, and I turned to look just as Frau Helena and her four cohorts vanished in brief flashes of white light “The Council took a while grilling Royce, but it looks like Bastion gave them the answers they wanted Either two Scions are better than one, or Bastion really is uessed”

I scratched the back of uess he’s okay”

Herald’s silence hadwhy he’d gone so quiet Herald stared blankly back

“It’s okay to have a crush on him, you know”

The hairs on the back of ht up to eneral head and face area made it impossible for me to blubber up a passable excuse Instead, a kind of nervous, stuttering cackle erupted fro sound than any series of words I could have possibly strung together

Herald tilted his head, the light striking his glasses in an infuriating sort of way, concealing the exact expression in his eyes fro?”

“It’s nothing,” I half-said, half-giggled “Just, you know, you’re being silly and everything Why would I have a crush on hiether, and – ”