Page 19

Chapter

Eighteen

A wave of relief washed over me as I stepped into the library.

The familiar scent of parchment and old leather wrapped around me like a comforting embrace.

It was a place that always felt like home, a sanctuary where the world outside could melt away, leaving only the quiet hum of knowledge waiting to be discovered.

But today, the comfort was tinged with an undercurrent of anxiety.

I was lucky to find Addie behind the desk, engrossed in another list. Seeing her there warmed my heart.

She looked up, and her face lit up with a smile that felt like the sun breaking through clouds.

“Hey, kiddo,” she greeted, abandoning her papers as she opened her arms to pull me into a hug.

Her hugs were the kind that made you feel safe, loved.

As if you were the most important person in the world.

I melted into her embrace, wishing I could stay there forever, forgetting about the weight of the task at hand.

“If you keep calling me kiddo and hugging me like this, you’re going to stop giving the impression that you’re a very serious scriba,” I teased, though I leaned into her touch, craving the comfort it brought.

“I can continue to scare others while giving you some needed attention.” She released me and moved back behind the desk, her eyes twinkling with affection.

“What can I help you with tonight? Or are you just here to see your favorite aunt?”

“You’re my only aunt, Addie,” I laughed, but it was a weak attempt to hide the knot of worry tightening in my chest.

“Ah, victorious once again,” she declared with a triumphant grin.

“I wish this were just a catch-up,” I admitted, my voice growing quieter.

“But I need your help.”

“Tell me what’s on your mind,” she said, leaning forward.

I took a deep breath, letting the words spill out—Magister Illerium’s lesson, the history of the Primals, the significance of Giaxia, and most importantly, the task we’d been given.

As I spoke, the anxiety that had been gnawing at me all day surfaced again, more potent than ever.

“I need to know what offerings have been favored in the past,” I finished, my voice barely above a whisper.

“I need to find the right gift. If I don’t, I’m afraid…”

“That you’ll be cast out?” she asked.

I nodded, biting my lip to keep the fear at bay.

“I need to be here, Addie. The thought of being asked to leave… I don’t know what I’d do.” I’d informed Addie of how Dad was doing, but had yet to tell her how I’d truly come to Azmeer.

“You know, Kadian’s mother, Elana—her great-grandfather was a member of the Eternal Court,” Addie said, her tone thoughtful.

I nodded again. “Elana always told Kadian that’s where the gold in his eyes came from,” I said with a small smile.

“These days, though, I think Kad hopes he ends up in the Court of Reflection.” I laughed.

“But that’s a story for another time.”

She gave me a curious look but let it go.

“I’ll fetch those records for you. It might take a few minutes. Feel free to look around while you wait. It’s quiet right now, one of the best times to experience it.”

I gave her a grateful smile as she disappeared into the back, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

The library was a labyrinth of knowledge, each shelf a doorway to another world.

The stained glass windows were now dark, the only light coming from the flickering lanterns.

Shadows danced on the walls, but instead of feeling eerie, it felt peaceful, like the books themselves were whispering their secrets to me.

I wandered through the stacks, my fingers brushing the spines of the books as I passed.

The weight of the task ahead pressed down on me, but beneath it all, there was a flicker of excitement.

I loved research, the thrill of diving into the unknown, uncovering truths hidden in the pages of ancient texts.

It was a solace I’d found in the darkest time of my life after my mother died.

The memory of her hit me like a tidal wave, overwhelming in its intensity.

She had been a beacon of light, of hope, guiding us through life with an unshakeable strength.

When she died, it felt like the sun had gone out, leaving us in a world of shadows.

My father and I were nearly consumed by despair, drowning in grief.

But then I found books—her books.

They became my lifeline, a way to stay connected to her, to keep her light alive.

They saved me.

As I wandered, I picked up a book without thinking.

The cover read The Seventeen-Year Drought: Surviving in the Alkadian Hills .

A faint sound pulled me from my thoughts.

Whispering, soft and distant but growing louder as I moved through the stacks.

Curiosity got the better of me, and I peered around a corner.

Two figures stood at the far end of the room, one seated, the other leaning close in conversation.

I strained to see them in the dim light, but it was difficult.

The lanterns seemed to be growing dimmer by the second, or maybe it was just my imagination.

Then I caught a glint of light reflecting off the hair of the seated figure.

I squinted, and my breath caught in my throat.

Dainan. And standing before him, her red hair almost glowing in the darkness, was Iona.

I should have looked away, but I couldn’t.

The way they stood, the way she leaned in—there was something intimate, something flirtatious about it.

I felt a pang of something sharp and uncomfortable, but I pushed it aside.

It wasn’t my place to judge or care.

Just then, the library plunged into darkness.

Every light extinguished at once, leaving me in a void.

Panic flared in my chest. I threw my arms out, trying to find something to hold onto, but there was nothing but empty air.

I was terrible at navigating on the best of days, and now, in the pitch-black, I felt lost.

A sensation brushed against the back of my neck, soft and cold, sending a slithering sensation down my back.

I whirled around, but of course, I couldn’t see anything.

My heart pounded in my chest, and I took a cautious step forward, trying to stay calm.

Then, a smooth, almost silky touch grazed my wrist. A low hissing filled the air, and I felt a surge of fear.

“Whatever or whoever is doing that,” I said, my voice trembling, “I’d like you to stop. It’s rude to touch someone without their consent.”

For a moment, there was only silence.

Then, a voice, smooth as velvet and laced with amusement, replied, “Has no one informed you that it’s impolite to listen to conversations that don’t concern you?”

My stomach dropped.

Dainan. Of course, it was him.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, trying to sound nonchalant, but the tremor in my voice betrayed me.

The darkness around me began to lift, dissipating like fog in the morning sun.

And there he was, standing before me, arms crossed over his chest, his eyes glowing with something I couldn’t quite decipher.

He looked…angry. And yet, there was something else in his gaze, something that made my heart race even faster.

“Nothing to say for yourself, Brida?” His voice was calm, but there was an edge to it, a challenge.

Don’t back down . I took a deep breath, steadying myself.

“It isn’t my fault you two were being loud in a library .” I retorted, my voice gaining strength.

“Anyone would’ve been intrigued.”

“Does Scriba Velin know you’re here?” His eyes raked over me, and for a moment, I thought I saw something flicker in his expression—something almost like surprise.

But it was gone before I could be sure.

“She’s fetching something for me,” I replied, trying to match his calm.

“How studious.” His tone was light, but there was a tension in the air between us, something unspoken yet undeniable.

His stillness, the way he seemed to control the very space around him—it was unnerving and yet…

captivating.

Trying to break the tension, I blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

“Were you reading?”

He raised an eyebrow, amused.

“I was. Were you?” He gestured to the book still clutched in my hands.

Before I could respond, he took it from me, his fingers brushing against mine.

A spark of heat shot through me, and I pulled my hand back, hoping he didn’t notice.

He glanced at the title, and a slow, wicked smile spread across his face.

“I didn’t think you’d be interested in irrigation, Brida .”

He took a step toward me, his grin feral, “Are you experiencing a dry spell, Brida ?” His voice lowered.

Not realizing there was little space behind me, I’d backed myself into a shelf lined with ancient tomes.

Any of these would have been better than the one I’d chosen .

“ Uhm ” was the only thing that came out.

I had no idea why, but my brain and my mouth ceased connecting at this very moment.

He took another step and stood directly in front of me.

He placed his right arm on the shelves behind me, supporting himself as he lowered his head close to my neck, “I could help you with that, should you need it.”

The whisper of his words, his breath on my neck, shivers ricocheted down my spine.

I could feel my heart beating, my blood thrumming.

His eyes fixated on me, gleaming with a predatory intensity, ablaze with fire and shadow.

They were alive with an unmistakable hunger.

“It’s not something I’ve experienced before, no.” I weaseled my way out from beneath him as his other hand was making its way towards my hip.

“And I’m managing just fine. If you want to keep that,” I gestured to the book as I pushed my hair behind my ear, “it would be useful information for a prince. You know how to help keep his kingdom prosperous and fertile.”

He adjusted his stance, maintaining a pleased look on his face.

He knows he’s making me uncomfortable.

Gods, why’s it so hot here?

“You are just full of surprises.”

My face heated.

“Yes, well,” I stammered, at a loss for words.

Gods, why did I pick this book?

He took a step closer, his presence overwhelming, and leaned in, his voice dropping to a whisper.

“I look forward to discovering more of them.”

My breath hitched.

“That’s presumptuous of you,” I managed to say, my voice wavering.

The air between us crackled with tension, thick enough to choke on.

I could feel the heat radiating off him, the subtle scent of smoke and citrus making my head spin.

“Oh?” he asked, his tone teasing, but his gaze was intense, piercing through the walls I had carefully constructed.

“We’ll see.”

He stood up straight, eyes glinting with mischief.

I was about to respond, to say something—anything—when Addie reappeared, her footsteps echoing through the library.

Dainan stepped back, a playful smirk on his face as he noticed her.

“I should let you get back to your research,” he said, his voice smooth as silk.

He gave me a knowing look before turning on his heel and disappearing into the shadows.

“Brida?” Addie called out, concern in her voice as she approached.

“Are you all right?”

I nodded, forcing a smile.

“Yes, just…deep in thought.”

She handed me the records, her eyes searching mine for any signs of distress.

“Here they are. Be sure to bring them back in a few days.”

“Of course,” I said, taking the papers from her.

“Thank you, Addie.”

As I made my way out of the library, I couldn’t stop my eyes from flicking back to where Dainan had stood.

It felt like his presence still clung to the air, a dark, electric charge that buzzed beneath my skin.

My chest tightened just thinking about the way the world seemed to shrink in on itself when he was near, the way my pulse thundered whenever he looked at me.

I hated how I lost myself around him.

How everything I thought I knew, everything I was here for, blurred the second he entered the room.

I didn’t understand why I reacted like that, why my body betrayed me with every glance, every breath.

He unnerved me, intrigued me, made me feel exposed in a way I couldn’t quite explain.

I clenched my fists, forcing myself to turn away.

I was here for a purpose, and it wasn’t him.

It wasn’t whatever this pull was or the strange heat that lingered between us.

I was here for my father.

For his life. I couldn’t let myself forget that—not now, not ever.

But as I pushed through the doors, my heart still racing, I couldn’t deny the truth—the part of me that wanted to know more, that wanted to feel that pull again was stronger than I wanted to admit.

And I didn’t know if I had the strength to resist it.