Page 59 of A Fate in Flames

A man approached, his presence stirring the air like a change in the wind.Mira greeted him with familiar warmth.

“What are you after today?”he asked, smiling at Mira.

His skin was so pale it seemed to glow under the light.His icy white hair flowed past his shoulders, with a thin braid circling his head.He moved with an easy grace, his dark-blue robes draping over his broad frame.Before Mira could answer, his gaze slid to me.His eyes were the lightest shade of blue and filled with something rare in this place: kindness.

“And who might you be?”

I stammered, suddenly tongue-tied.Mira filled the silence before I could embarrass myself.

“This is Elira,” she tapped my arm, then gestured behind me.“And Theo and Tavrik.”

I didn’t need to turn to know they had moved closer—too close—like overprotective shadows.

He inclined his head in a slow, graceful nod.“A pleasure to meet you all.I am Belshin.”

I wasn’t sure how to respond, so I offered a smile.

“I was just showing them around,” Mira added, then turned back to me.“Belshin oversees the library.Protecting the books.Keeping everything inperfectcondition.”

“You flatter me, Mira.”His voice was formal.Polite in a way I wasn’t used to.It was… refreshing.

“It’s a beautiful library,” I said, my eyes trailing over the countless shelves.“I’ve never seen anything like it.”

I adjusted the weight of the books in my arms, placing them on a nearby wooden table before curiosity got the better of me.“How do you protect these books exactly?”

Belshin stepped closer, a small smile gracing his lips.“Books are fragile things,” he said.“A change in air flow can mean the slow destruction of ancient texts.”

“I… don’t really follow.”

He chuckled softly.“I have power over the air,” he explained.“I can shift breezes, control humidity, and adjust the environment to ensure these books remain untouched by time.”

My jaw slackened.I had never heard of such a thing.

He walked to the books on the table, his pale fingers grazing the covers before lifting them.

“There is only a small window of time these texts can remain outside the library.”

I opened my mouth to ask if I was evenallowedto take them, but before I could, he was already placing them back into my arms.

“You may borrow them, though I will need them returned in three days.”

I nodded.“I’ll take good care of them.”

“I hope so,” he responded with a kind smile.“Enjoy your reading.”

Mira had selected a few books of her own, balancing them in her arms.She leaned into me, her voice dropping to a whisper.“I like the romance ones.”

I arched a brow.

She squinted, searching for the right word.“They’re quite…detailed.”

I supressed a grin.I was definitely coming back for those.

Before we could leave, the doors swung open with a heavy thud.

The transformation was immediate.Heads bowed low.The silence was instant.

My stomach twisted into a tight knot.