Page 40 of Sun, Moon & Shadow (Fate of Aemoria #1)
Nova burst into the library fresh off a training session with Lucan, an excitable energy crackling just below the surface of her skin.
She’d gotten him on his back, the tip of her blade pressed against the hollow at the base of his throat.
She paused for an instant as a celebratory smirk tugged at the corners of her mouth.
Lucan struck her sword with his own, sending it flying from her hand and skittering across the polished floor.
“Where’s your killer instinct, Nova?” He rose to his feet as he scolded her. “You cannot hesitate when the opportunity presents itself. If you do, even for a heartbeat, your opponent will take advantage.”
Nova knew there was a kernel of pride buried somewhere underneath his criticism.
She was eager to tell Nox all about it, but, once again, she found the library empty.
The door to her uncle’s study was closed, and she didn’t find him there when she knocked and eased the door open a crack to peek inside.
Nova spun on her heel, the fabric of her gown swishing across the floor as she entered a shadowy aisle between the towering stacks.
Immediately comforted by the calming presence of thousands of books, Nova ambled along, running a finger over the creased leather spines.
Pausing in front of the familiar section of botany and herbology, she rested her hands on her hips and scanned the titles.
Only a few remained that she hadn’t yet devoured.
Perhaps, she thought, it was time for something new.
A soft thud sounded in the still air, coming from somewhere behind her. Nova twirled and ducked slightly, peeking into the next aisle through a narrow gap above the row of stacked tomes.
“Hello?”
Her voice startled her, the sound jarring in the quiet.
She’d overheard Lucan and Nox discussing rumors of spies and whispered threats against the Lunar Throne a few days past. As far as the commander was concerned, the rumors were just that and nothing more.
Still, Lucan had increased the number of guards posted throughout the Estate, their presence simultaneously reassuring and unnerving.
A moment passed with no other noise. Nova chided herself and blew out a sharp breath, turning her attention back to her search and striding farther into the stacks.
She was absentmindedly perusing the faded section labels when a thin shaft of faint light near the floor of the darkened aisle caught her attention.
On closer inspection, she found the light came from a crack along the base of the wall. Nova ran her hands over the smooth surface; it was solid. Laying her palms flat, she gave a gentle push, letting out a gasp of delighted surprise when a panel popped open to reveal a hidden room beyond.
Nova poked her head through the opening, noting a single central aisle with several smaller aisles branching off of it. She took a small book from a nearby shelf and used it as a makeshift doorstop. Throwing a quick look over her shoulder, she entered the dimly lit space.
The low ceiling was stone, not glass like the rest of the library.
The air was cold, and the only light came from dust-covered orbs of moonstone mounted on the end of each row.
The farther she went, the older the books became, a thick film clinging to the cracked leather covers and delicate cobwebs strung up in every corner.
Some shelves held dozens and dozens of scrolls of aging parchment, piled haphazardly on top of one another.
Nova chose one scroll at random, unfurling the crinkling paper and holding it out in front of her.
Faded lines crisscrossed the surface, but she immediately recognized the map of Aemoria.
Each territory’s boundaries were slightly different than a present-day map would show.
Raven’s Isle was noticeably absent, which meant the map had to be more than two hundred years old, at least.
An unfamiliar landmass north of Silvergard caught her eye. She brought the map close to her face, squinting to decipher the text. While time was responsible for dulling the majority of the ink on the map, the writing on the landform appeared to have been intentionally rubbed out.
“ C-y-r ... ?” She couldn’t make out the rest.
A rustle startled her, and she dropped the map on the floor. Kneeling, she hastily rolled up the scroll and tossed it back onto the pile. She wondered if there were bats in Silvergard, and, if so, whether some of the creatures might be roosting in the dark, forgotten section of the library.
“Is someone there?” She laid a hand over the swift thump of her sprinting heart.
The unmistakable sound of boots scraping against polished stone sent her rushing deeper into the stacks. She risked a look over her shoulder when she reached the end of the aisle, slowing to round the corner. Nova cried out as she collided with a solid mass, and something took hold of her arms.
Drawing back, she recognized General Idrian at once.
She hadn’t seen him again in the week since his arrival.
Eyes wide and nostrils flared, his face was a mask of alarm she was certain matched her own.
His gaze flicked down to where he clutched at her bare skin just below the capped sleeves of her gown.
He dropped his hands to his sides, the ghost of his warm touch vanishing within seconds in the cool air.
“Apologies,” he said, glancing down at his boots. “I only meant to keep you from falling.”
“It’s nothing,” she said. “I’m sure there’s no permanent damage.”
She stepped back and placed a hand just below her collarbone, willing her breathing to slow. The action had the unintended effect of drawing the general’s attention to her heaving chest.
“I thought I was trapped in here with a horde of bats,” she said, dropping her hand as a nervous giggle bubbled up from inside her. Her laugh trailed off, the sound dampening as it reached the stone ceiling.
General Idrian didn’t laugh.
“And I thought I heard a little mouse scurrying around between the stacks.”
A mischievous smile crept across his face, which Nova had to admit was rather handsome. He was clean-shaven with a proud, if slightly blunted, chin. His full brows gave him a youthful appearance.
“What are you doing here, General?” She shifted from one foot to the other, unnerved by his quiet observation of her, as if he were assessing her. Trying to see through her somehow.
“Call me Idrian,” he said after a moment, his voice low. “And, to answer your question, I was simply searching for some records.”
His eyes flicked to a nearby alcove where a hefty book lay open atop a lectern. Nova breezed past him, the bare skin of her arm brushing against the metal studs dotting the sleeve of his black leather tunic.
“Did you find what you were looking for?” she asked, dipping her head to read the small script looping across the book’s frail pages. It appeared to be a record of Noble lineage. A ledger detailing the branches of an ancient family tree.
“As a matter of fact, I did.” Idrian came up close behind her and shut the book with a resounding thud, sending dust motes swirling into the air and dancing in the light of the moonstone.
“We shouldn’t be here,” he murmured, his mouth hovering close to her ear. “This is where they hide the records documenting Silvergard’s dark history. An archive of conquest and bloodshed.”
Nova shivered at his breath on her cheek and pulled away. His playful expression disarmed her, and she flashed a thin smile, pushing aside the flicker of unease sparking in the pit of her stomach.
“Is war your preferred subject? A bit predictable, don’t you think?” she asked, clicking her tongue. The corners of her mouth went slack when she saw the intensity with which he regarded her.
“It’s an occupational interest. But, I’m an avid reader with varied tastes. What were you looking for?” he asked, eyeing her.
“Actually, nothing. I found myself here by accident. Though I am on the hunt for something new.”
“Perhaps I can make some recommendations.” He motioned toward the exit at the far end of the central aisle.
Nova walked ahead of him, the sound of their footsteps overlapping as they approached the hidden door. Idrian caught her elbow before they reached it, and Nova inhaled sharply.
The general’s mannerisms reminded her of Callan’s, his straight spine and his habit of clasping his hands behind his back.
But while being close to Callan immediately put her at ease, with Idrian it was wholly different.
Being close to him felt like standing near the edge of a cliff—thrilling but dangerous.
“I meant it when I said we shouldn’t be in here, Mouse. The Noble Lord might overlook your transgression. You’re family after all. I’m afraid he might not be so forgiving toward me.”
Nova bristled slightly at his mention of her relation to Nox. Had he been looking for evidence of her in the ancestry records?
“Nova?” Her name on his lips pulled her from her thoughts.
“Your secret is safe with me, General,” she whispered.
“I told you to call me Idrian."
“Of course . . . Idrian.”
Nova pushed the false wall open silently, looking both ways before stepping out into the main library. The general exited after her, sealing off the secret wing with a quiet snick behind them.