Page 21 of Liminal

She shoots me a look that’s half distrustful, half unbelieving. “You’re actually here to do your homework?”

Levelling my most guileless charming smile at her. “Is that such a surprise? Hey, will you tutor me? I bet you’ve read all these books a hundred times over. I’m amazing at transmutation, but everything else is…” I wave a hand over my head.

She stops short. “You?”

“Me?” I don’t follow.

“Youhave somehow mastered transmutation magic?”

Oh. That.

“Are you going to sound so surprised when I tell you I can read, too?” I ask, curiously, shoving up my sleeves to show off the runeforms across my biceps. And if I flex a little, can anyone really blame me?

Okay, I get it. I’m not as nerdy as Leo, and I might prefer to spend my time on the magiball court rather than shacked up between bookshelves, but I’m not completely dumb.

She harrumphs a little and drifts between the shelves of the plant-covered hall. Some of these plants are so rare I’ve heard professors trying to bribe her for samples rather than go out and find them themselves. Lazy suckers.

“I’m sure you’ve used it plenty of times,” I offer as she leads the way between two shelves.

She turns and glares at me. “On other objects, yes. But I can’t exactly get a tattoo now, can I?”

Oh, yeah. Shit, my insensitivity is off the charts today. “Sorry.”

She waves off my comment and points above us. “It’s up there.”

I reach past her, trying my hardest not to accidentally press through her in my quest for this book. There’s precious little space in this cramped corner of the library, and I think she notices too because her lips purse. She even floats back into the shelf a little to avoid any accidental contact.

She has a unique scent, like ice and lilies, and I wonder idly if that’s a ghost thing, or a Librarian thing.

“So,” I say, stepping back with the too-thick book in my hand. “Are you going to tell me your name yet? Calling you ‘Librarian’ seems pretty dumb.”

She hesitates, and for a second, I think she’ll refuse me. “No one has said my name in centuries,” she whispers, almost to herself. “The last person who did…killed me.”

A chill skates down my spine. Killed her? She was murdered?

“You can pick a new one, if you like?” I offer, swallowing back the automatic offer of retribution.

“No.” She shakes her head. “It was a good name. My mother picked it for me before she died.” Her lips part, like she would take a deep breath if she could. “Kyrith. My name was Kyrith.” Her shoulders steel. “But you should address me as ‘Librarian’, as is proper. I’m only telling you because I’m thankful for your assistance with removing Professor Goodberry.”

Kyrith. It suits her, all mysterious and powerful.

Hot, too. I can imagine groaning it against her pretty neck when I come.

Shaking off that thought quickly, because she’s still a ghost, even if she’s hot, I offer her another pleading smile.

“Are you going to tutor me then, Kyrith?”

I need it. I really do, and not just because ofThe Plan.

Leo has tried, but he’s too busy searching for a way out of his own problems to really help, and North knows less than I do.

Neither of us had fancy private tutors like most of the adepts. In my case, it’s because the Winthrop family cut my dad off the second Mom was in the ground, with a cruelty born from stupid ideas of adept superiority. In North’s, it’s because Josef didn’t see the point in providing such a prestigious education for his bastards—or even acknowledging them—if they weren’t going to be his ticket back into the Arcanaeum.

But the Librarian is the smartest arcanist in existence. If she teaches me, I’ll be able to keep my grades high enough so that I don’t fail the year…again. I have to stay on UAA’s magiball team if I’m to make it to the professional leagues when I graduate.

I’m so caught up imagining my name on the magiball world cup, that I almost miss her curt “No.”

“No? Comeon, boss lady. I’ll be the best student ever, and I can make it worth your while.” The offer slips out without thought, and I freeze.