"Don't tell them that," Sera said, rolling her eyes as Luci made quick work of the piece of jerky before looking back at the Depot clerk with a puppy dog face.
"Oh, I intend to," Mae replied, sliding the candles into the basket she was getting for Sera. "Someone needs to keep them humble."
Sera allowed herself a small smile, faint but real.
She liked Mae's ease—the way she filled silence without forcing it, the way she seemed entirely unbothered by the world's broken edges.
When Mae moved again, the light from the doorway caught her gloves and the frame above them, turning both to quick, gold flashes.
"You said went north," Sera repeated. "To Country N. What's there that would take her away from here?"
Mae shrugged, still cheerful. "Depends who you ask. Some say nothing. Some say everything worth finding." She glanced sideways. "You're going north too, aren't you?"
Sera shook her head. "We're going south, hopefully we'll get to Region L before too long."
