Chapter 76: A Revelatory Encounter.

Chloe walked mechanically through the busy market. She had hoped all the bright colors and raw chatter of the vendors would spill over her with some joy. Her mind was elsewhere. The events of the last months had left her emotionally wrung out, and she still could not quite deal with the fallout from Midnight's escape—something that had made her feel she had been healing. As she walked around the small, tight aisles of the market, her eye caught a little dusty bookshop somewhere in one of the corners. Almost from nowhere, she felt a surge of curiosity and stepped inside. The air was warm, carrying the scent of old books—so much to her liking. She threaded her way down the narrow passages among ancient shelves, and the place was jemmied with some lights, which made her feel like it was almost magical. Walking down between the narrow aisles, Chloe twined her fingers along the spines of their varying volumes, getting a stirring sense of calm from the simple action. She stepped toward