Chapter 29
Twenty-Nine
Jasper
Ichuck the tin at Dakari the second he strides into the Rotunda.
“You need to do something about this,” I complain. “Ma’s still baking things for my ‘saviour’.”
Worst of all, this tin had a pink Post-it stuck to the top with his name on. The whole family knows what that means.
Stealing one of whatever is in there will get you a walloping with whatever Ma happens to have on hand at the time. Spoon. Slipper. Magazine. Thank magic she doesn’t know that Kyrith can eat now. Otherwise, the Librarian would be drowning in sweets too.
Dakari shrugs—apparently not bothered by the fact that I’m being neglected by my own mother—opens the tin, and plucks out a shortbread with a grin.
“Stars bless Mama Dee,” he mutters under his breath, shoving it into his mouth in one go before holding out the rest to me.
“Don’t mind if I do,” Pierce says, as one floats free of the tin and over to the reading desk he’s taken over.
“Oi!” North snaps. “Mind your fucking manners.”
The Ackland heir looks exhausted. Dakari must agree, because the moment I’ve taken one he shoves the tin at him.
“Thanks,” North grunts, joining us in leaning against Kyrith’s desk as he raises his eyes to the ceiling
It still looks the same, but that’s only because of the illusion covering it. Kyrith did something this morning that closed off the Gallery above from the rest of the Library. Turning it into a kind of meeting room.
It’s so heavily warded that a bomb could go off up there, and we wouldn’t know.
Now she’s trapped inside with Isidora Carlton and the rest of the parriarchs, while the rest of us wait down here. Thankfully, the Arcanaeum is closed until the meeting is over. Otherwise, there would probably be a whole bunch of nosy busybodies loitering alongside the rest of us.
Even Leo is holed up in here, leaning against one of the shelves while three books hover around him, their pages turning at different rates.
Wait… “Where’s Lambert?”
North rolls his eyes. “He took Eddy shopping. She wants to get a head start on buying Easter decorations, and he’s decided that the kitchen is under-stocked for the brownie ice cream cake he wants to make.”
Why couldn’t they just order the food and conjure the decorations rather than putting themselves at risk by leaving the Library? I’m about to point that out when the doors open and the two of them burst into the room.
“He’s insane,” Eddy complains, hopping up onto Kyrith’s desk with a huff, dropping her shopping on the floor at her feet. “Someone, please deal with him. Tell him she won’t allow this.”
I gape at Lambert. “Is that a—”
“Isn’t he cute?!” The Winthrop heir raises the raggedy kitten up with both hands like he’s in the Lion King, and it hisses pitifully. “I found him on the street, and I just knew Kyrith would love him!”
It’s hideous. It has the most obvious underbite I’ve ever seen, so pronounced that its two lower canines stick up like tusks and its tongue protrudes oddly.
Does it have ears? It’s hard to tell. The yellowed fur, that might once have been white, is matted in weird places, and the eyes—shit.
Its eyes are bulging like they’re trying to break free of its squished skull.
Honestly, it might be kinder to put the thing down.
Then, to make matters worse, he thrusts the damned creature at me.
“What the—”
“Heal him. Quick. He needs to look his best when I present him to the boss lady.”
“No way. Get that thing away from me.” It’s clawing at my arms like it isn’t impressed with me either. “Why in magic’s name do you think she’s going tae want a mange-ridden orc cat?”
Lambert looks at me like I’m the one who’s lost my mind. “Have you ever met anyone who was so obviously a cat lady in your life who didn’t have a cat?”
“He’s got a point,” Pierce mutters.
“She won’t want it around the books,” Dakari points out.
“I don’t want it around me,” North says. “Where the hell did you even get that thing?”
“He found it on the side of the road,” Eddy supplies. “Picked it up and decided it needed a new home without even asking a vet to check for a chip.”
Silently, I concede that maybe Lambert was right not to. If, by some miracle, this cat isn’t a stray, the owner should probably be arrested for animal cruelty.
“I wonder what she’ll name you,” Lambert croons, keeping hold of the flailing feline’s scruff and wiggling his finger in front of its ridiculous jaw with a sappy expression on his face. “Lambert Junior? It kinda has your eyes, North. Maybe—”
“If you think I’m sharing a name with that thing…” North trails off, lips pressing into a thin line. “Get rid of it before she banishes you for bringing it in here. There’s got to be a rule about pets somewhere.”
Kyrith is actually rather lenient with the rules around us, but I don’t point that out. I don’t want to encourage him.
“Leo, back me up.” Lambert turns his attention to the ó Rinn heir.
Galileo has been pretending he isn’t listening, but the pages of his books stopped turning a while ago. Now, he eyes the ball of dirty fluff with a grimace. “She doesn’t have time to take care of a cat. She’s already running around after your ungrateful asses.”
He glares at North as he says it.
Unfortunately, Leo’s words don’t seem to have the intended effect on Lambert. “I know! Which is why it’s lucky we’re all in the Arcanaeum polycule. I’ll ask Kyrith to add a clause about sharing cat-daddy duties.”
“Absolutely not.” Pierce snaps his own book closed, and I scan the title absently.
Covenants: Their Limitations and Loopholes. I raise both brows. Is he trying to get out of the covenant? If so, it’s a wee bit daft to read about it in the Library. Kyrith will know exactly what he’s up to.
He continues, “The first person who suggests I clean out a litter box is going to get—”
Whatever he might’ve threatened us with is cut off as the illusion over our heads shatters, dispersing like a cloud to reveal a plain white ceiling that breaks apart.
Six triangular panels retreat into the walls like they were never there, leaving the Rotunda exactly as it was before the mysterious meeting began.
Lambert shoves the cat behind his back. Since he’s facing away from me, I’m treated to a good view of the creature scratching him. It’s batting at the tiny blond braids swinging just out of its reach.
Kyrith glides down, illuminated by the stained glass above in a way that makes her difficult to see properly. She’s pinching her brow like she’s developing a headache.
That cannae bode well.
“No luck?” Pierce asks.
Kyrith lets out a long sigh, drifting past him with a pointed tap to the cover of the book, before reforming beside Dakari, who grabs her shoulders and kneads them slowly as she returns to her physical form.
My hands itch to do the same, but I console myself with the reminder that she agreed to my date. I’ve almost got everything ready.
Not knowing whether she’s read my contract is making the anticipation worse. My mouth is dry just thinking about it, and I search for some clue in her expression, but she’s still focused on whatever happened in that meeting.
She takes a deep breath and announces, “The parriarchs failed to reach a consensus.”
My gut sinks. “I should’ve been there.”
They were relying on my testimony, but Aunt Halinor and Kyrith both insisted I should stay out of it beyond my written statement.
“It wouldn’t have helped. Isidora was on a mission to cast doubt on everyone and everything. In the end…it was my impartiality that doomed the meeting.”
What?
Even Pierce’s eyebrows have risen. “How so?”
Kyrith’s head lolls forward on a moan as Dakari reaches a tense spot. When she looks up again, there’s a slight flush to her cheeks, like she’s embarrassed to be caught so off guard.
“The parriarchs had differing opinions on how the situation should be managed, or whether there was a threat at all.” She shrugs out of Dakari’s hold and paces back and forth in front of her desk.
“I should’ve summoned everyone except Isidora and the rector and been plain with them.
If I’d been completely transparent rather than expecting them to trust in vague threats and nameless dangers, we might’ve gotten somewhere. Instead…”
The parriarchs argued, Kyrith had no allies, and nothing was done. I’m not exactly shocked.
“And then, to make matters worse, the rector pulled out a list…” She grumbles even as a table appears behind her, squarely in view of the main doors. “The nerve…trying to dictate what books should be allowed in the Arcanaeum! Honestly.”
Two dozen books start arranging themselves on the table, setting up a display.
I’d bet every bit of money in the McKinley coffers that those are the very books they wanted banned. My lips quirk. Stubborn lass.
“I’m afraid I might’ve lost my temper,” she admits under her breath. “Which certainly didn’t help matters.”
“I’ll speak to my grandfather at dinner,” Leo says. “You have better things to be doing than arguing with a bunch of doddery old fools.”
His books snap shut loudly, folding themselves into a haphazard pile on the cart behind him.
“I’ve made some progress on the runeform,” Kyrith says, meeting his hawkish gaze without flinching. “But there have been other things on my mind.”
“Clearly.” Leo shoves away from the shelf he was leaning against and stalks towards the door. “I’d appreciate a copy of whatever you’ve managed. I’ll be in the tower.”
Dakari’s near-silent exhale stinks of judgement as the ó Rinn heir disappears. “Idiot.”
“Why did your family curse his, anyway?” Eddy asks.
Dakari opens his mouth to answer her, but the mutant kitten behind Lambert’s back lets out an almighty yowl—probably because the scamp has somehow ended up upside down and is clinging to the back of his t-shirt like it might die if it lets go.
Everyone freezes.
Kyrith’s expression goes curiously blank as she turns towards him and raises a brow. “Lambert.”
“Boss lady.”