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I roll my eyes. "There's a difference?"

"There is."

Before I can protest again Caelen appears carrying another stack of maps. He takes one look at us. "Problem?" He asks.

"Eirea." Rhyven says simply.

Caelen sighs. "Again?"

"I'm working."

He sets the maps down. "No. You're pretending to work. You've copied the same line twice."

I glare at Nyra. She pretends she doesn't see me. "Nyra already told you?"

I hear her shift on her chair. "I have eyes." Traitor. Both of them. Caelen reaches for my notebook. I pull it away. "No."

Caelen looks at me. "Eirea."

"No."

"Eirea."

"No."

He looks toward Rhyven. "Help."

"I beg your pardon?" Rhyven calmly takes the notebook from my hands. I stare. "You two planned this." I accuse.

"No."

Cassian watches the exchange over the top of a book. "Should I intervene?"

"No." Four voices answer simultaneously. Mine included.

He slowly sits back down. "Understood."

"You need air." Caelen says.

I point accusingly between the two men. "This is bullying."

Caelen shrugs. "This is concern."

Rhyven is already walking toward the entrance. He doesn't even look back. "Come."

"Was that an order?"

"Yes." He continues towards the stairs.

"I'm choosing to ignore it."

"You can ignore it outside."

I open my mouth. Close it again. Gods. He's impossible. Five minutes later I'm walking beside him anyway. I hate that he's right. The cool evening air immediately clears the heaviness from my mind. We leave the Archive behind us. The Academy is strangely peaceful on a Sunday evening. Students drift between buildings carrying books beneath their arms. A few dragons circle lazily above the western cliffs. Somewhere beyond the gardens, someone is laughing. Life continues. Even while ours has been buried beneath centuries of forgotten records.

For several minutes neither of us speaks. We simply walk. Not toward anywhere in particular. Just...Away. I stretch my shoulders. They crack loudly.

Rhyven glances sideways. "Better." His voice is low.