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Chapter One

Three archaeology p

rofessors sat before ive rant of ainst my hand

The wolasses “Why Ireland? I see you’ve done your most recent fieldwork in Latin America”

The male professor beat ue, but not so close that I couldn’t overhear him “She studied under Jeremy Anderson”

All three professors eyed led to keep my smile in place Fake s them ever since my mother first toddled h, everything about e as I spoke “While I did study with Professor Anderson, this proposal is based off e harbor”

She nodded, and then looked at the others

If they granted rad student in the world I wouldn’t write snarky comments in my field diary and I would hter and I would, I don’t know, contribute to charity and recycle more

The woenuine, but she could be the kind of person who thought happy faces softened bad news “We’ve decided to fund your proposal”

The clenched fingers arounds flailed with the increased oxygen I took a startled gasp, and giddiness rushed through h led with relief and delight It swirled in my stomach, brushed the back of lea “Thank you Thank you so much”

This time when I smiled, it was real

Ireland

I danced all the way down Broadway New York in May was always beautiful, if heavily perfus near Colureen-tinted vision turned it into the Emerald City In Ireland, it would be past 10:00 p Jeremy

My best friend worked in a sports bar one long block away I skipped pastup tiny children in navy uniforms White flowers bloomed heavily on the trees that lined the street, and petals tury Laundromat woman and the same four men who sat on the stoop of 402 and harassed students every afternoon, and then I reached Amsterdam and Cam’s bar

A heavy curtain draped over the entrance, keeping the air-conditioning trapped inside I pushed past it and nodded at Charlie, the ed door face and grinned “Take it it ell?”

I laughed

Inside, two-thirds of the patrons turned Behind the bar, Cam poured a shot of preparatory vodka and placed it beside a foil-wrapped bottle of chane, apprehension clear on her face