Page 107 of The Book That Wouldn't Burn

“He wouldn’t have come except for you?” Evar smiled. “An incurious fellow not to want to see this place.”

“It was full of monsters last time I was here,” Livira said.

Evar repressed a shiver at the memory. Somehow, the peace of the place had pushed thoughts of the Escapes to the back of his mind. He should be looking for them behind every tree, fearful one might drop out of the foliage. And yet he wasn’t. “He must be a very good friend to have come with you.”

“He is. I’m worried for him. What if the monsters are where he is? When he is.”

Evar spread his hands. “What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to go back to the library and use the portal again, but this time I’m going to want to join him. I think if I want it hard enough, I might just get there. Or then.”

“That seems... sensible.” Evar tried to hide the disappointment from his face, but it had taken him by surprise, and he didn’t think he’d managed. Probably because it felt closer to panic.

“Oh, I don’t have to go now,” Livira said. “That’s the beauty of it. Time waits for you here.”

Evar grinned and returned to his question. “So, what are you going to do now?”

Livira looked around. “This is the third time I’ve been here, and I’ve never tried any pool on my world line but my own.”

“I’ve tried two and seen more horror than you can imagine.” Evar shook his head. He was going home. Even the idea of trying to reach the day that Mayland had vanished on now lacked appeal. He didn’t want to see anyone else die. Especially not one of his brothers.

“But you let the portal lead you?” Livira held his gaze. “You didn’t say where you wanted to go. You didn’t try to influence anything?”

“True. The last time I was running from the Escapes. I just jumped in.”

“So, let’s go together. We can choose a pool to a time where we’ll both be ghosts. And ask to be taken to the day where we’ll enjoy ourselves most, or learn most, or would find most interesting.”

“I guess it’s worth a try.” Evar let the words be dragged out of him. He still didn’t want to jump into another pool. But on the other hand, he didn’t want to leave Livira behind. In fact, now that he’d found her again, grown and changed yet still indisputably Livira, he wasn’t sure he ever wanted to leave her side again. Foolishness perhaps, but the idea of leaving her with this undoubtedly suave and charming “Arpix” made his hackles rise. And they couldn’t just stand in the wood staring at each other. Actually, he’d be fine with that, but she might think it strange.

“Which one?” Livira crossed her hands behind her back and began to walk the line of pools leading to Evar’s own.

Part of him wanted to take her home. But maybe she’d be a ghost there and he’d be real, and they wouldn’t be able to see or speak to each other. Also, there were the others to consider. Evar didn’t want to share her with them. Not yet. He liked the way she looked at him. And although it was selfish and small, he wanted that to last, not bring her to his brothers and sister who were all so much better than him. In particular, Evar didn’t want Kerrol to dissect his feelings—feelings that he hadn’t even begun to figure out for himself yet. He’d never met a stranger before. Maybe it was normal to be this unsettled by them. To not be able to look away. It hadn’t been the same when she had been a child. He had—

“Come on then!” Livira stood four pools up at the water’s edge. She turned towards him, fists on hips, head cocked. “I like this one.”

Evar went to stand with her. “Why this one?”

“There was a guinea pig cropping the grass at the edge when I came this way to find you,” Livira said.

“A what?”

“Like a rat, only fat and slow with no tail. A sausage on legs. I saw one in a book. This was the first real one.”

Evar wasn’t sure about the “real” part. “So we’re choosing this one because of a lucky rat?”

“Well, not just that. Also because this one reminds me of a well I used to wonder about.” For a moment she looked sad.

“But they’re all the sa—” Evar looked down to find that she had slipped her hand into his.

“I lost Arpix even though we stepped through at the same time. Maybe if we hold hands we’ll stay together.” She looked up at him. “Also, we need to think the same thing. Focus on a time when there’s no fighting and not going to be any for a while.”

Evar nodded. He was still thinking about her hand in his. It had been a very long time since someone had held his hand for anything other than throwing him over their shoulder or hauling him out of danger. The Assistant had taken his hand when he staggered from the Mechanism. He remembered that.

“Ready?” Livira asked.

“No.”

“On a count of three. One. Two. Three. Jump!”

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