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"Do you need to head to school?"

"Not yet It’s finals week, so I have free study periods first and second"

Without needing to look, I text Toet Ellie to school--he should er and there’s a flash of lightning in the gray sky

"Is there so ill from the rain

"I know a place" And her little hand wraps around h the stone arch of the Metropolitan Museu over the entrance steps in a hundred little rivulets Inside the marble-floored foyer, it’s wars out her long, multicolored hair and I catch her scent It’s sweet--peach, orange blosso me and Olivia here all the time"

I reach for my wallet, but Ellie flashes a student ID and slides two vouchers to the ticket taker "I have guest passes," she says, "and they have early-access hours for students"

I’ve never been to a museum--not as a patron, anyway The royal faalas than I can count, but my attention wasn’t on the exhibits I walk beside Ellie from one cavernous room to the next, and she chatters away the whole ti

"Did you alant to be a bodyguard?"

"No," I grunt

"What did you want to be?"

"So up at uard?"

"I was in the "

"Like, Ja like that, yeah"

Ellie’s head bobs as she thinks Her golden hair is drying now, and there’s a soft wave to it She stops in front of an Egyptian display, and the reflection of light off the sarcophagus casts her features in warm-toned shadows

"Have you ever killed anyone?"

I’m careful with my answer "What amendment in your Constitution protects people froo with that Final answer"

She’s not at all put off by , pale lashes blink at me curiously "I don’t think I could ever kill someone"

"You’d be surprised what you’re capable of in certain situations"

A few steps later she asks, "If you had killed soue over the inside of ht come off "No, I wouldn’t There are so, Ellie"

I open the door for her and she huh--into a fashion exhibit roo and seductive red walls

"So what’s with the dark clothes?" she asks as alk down the hall "Is it like a uard School?"

I look down at her "You ask a lot of questions"

"I like to know things" She shrugs "I’er the navy tie around hts have armor; we have dark clothes We’re supposed to blend in"

"Inconceivable! You’re way too fuck-hot to blend"

I hold back a s; she doesn’t kno to hide her feelings, and wouldn’t even if she did If Ellie were older, if ere different people, I’d be giving serious thought to flirting back I like to give as good as I get, in all things

Out of curiosity, I ask, "What do you want to be? When you’re done with school?"

She sighs, long and deep