Chapter 26
“A fter me?” Paige asked, her heart skipping a beat. “Why? I don’t know anything.”
“I’m not certain that matters,” Drucinda said, with a shake of her head. “Haven’t you stopped to ask yourself why you’ve been sent on these very dangerous missions right away?”
Tightness surged in Paige’s chest as indignation rose. “Because we’re good at what we do.”
“Darn right,” Dewey said. “We’re the Best Library Team.”
Drucinda rolled her eyes before she rose and sauntered across the cabin to refill her drink. “I’ll admit you have talent, but it’s raw. And it’s hardly at the level some of us operate on.”
“I resent that.”
“Of course you do. Let’s face it, though,” Drucinda said, spinning to lean against the wet bar, “you manage to get the job done, but you bumble your way along through the entire operation. Give me one instance when you’ve tracked an artifact that hasn’t gone off the rails.”
“We have had some…setbacks, sure, but…”
“You tried to get the Wand of Division but ended up in a fairy tale for half the mission.”
“Umm, to save my life thanks to the deadly scratch from Devon.”
“Why does that have to come up every single time?” Devon said, throwing his hands in the air.
“Because I literally could have died from what you did, and now I’m being accused of bungling my cases because I was trying to save my life.”
“Okay, fine,” Drucinda said, throwing her arms in the air, “the Chaos gem. You flubbed that, too.”
“Devon kidnapped me!”
“Sure, it’s always my fault.” Devon pushed to stand and stalked to the wet bar to pour himself a drink. “I’m just here trying to save your life constantly, but sure, blame me.”
“Enough,” Thorn said, “we all can agree you two are noobs. While your success may be due to some hidden skill, you are still very green. You must admit at least that.”
Paige slicked a lock of hair behind her ear before she waved her hands in the air. “Okay, fine, we’re green. So, why would anyone be after us?”
Drucinda pulled herself away from the bar and stalked forward.
“I would have explained if you wouldn’t have jumped down my throat.
They are trying to rid themselves of you.
For some reason, you have been requested for missions you never should have been sent on.
Why? They are hoping you foul up, and they can be rid of you. ”
Paige’s face fell, and she stared at her lap as she tried to make sense of what sounded like a blatant insult.
“I’m not saying you have no talent. Get over your own feelings for a moment and think logically, not with your emotion. It’s because you have talent that’ll likely develop into something quite formidable that they are doing this.”
Paige swallowed hard. “But why? Okay, I was insulted when you implied I had no talent, but let’s face the facts. I’m just Paige Turner. I’m not special.”
Drucinda’s ponytail flicked back and forth as she shook her head. “I don’t think that’s true.”
Paige wrinkled her nose as she stared at the woman. “Is this one of those weird, touchy-feely moments where you tell me I’m special because you’re my special aunt?”
Drucinda rolled her eyes. “No. I’d never do that. I’m not the touchy-feely type. I’m saying you’re special because I believe you are. There is something about you, something about your mother that makes you special. They sent her the message about the thefts for a reason.”
“Maybe lots of librarians got them.”
“No,” Drucinda said after another sip of her drink, “there is no evidence of that. Which suggests your mother was targeted for a reason. Surely, it’s not because she was the only librarian with a conscience.”
“Maybe she was?” Paige answered, with a shrug.
Drucinda stalked to the couch and plopped down next to her. “What is it with you? You take offense when I say you’re not special, and now when I say you are.”
“I’m just trying to figure this out. But there’s nothing special about me, really. I’m a plain old human who manages to bungle things at every turn. Was my mom like that?”
“Klutzy?” Drucinda asked. “No. Not very.”
“Guess I get it from my dad’s side.”
“Doubt that. He was an extremely impressive agent for the library. I don’t know where you get it from.”
Devon returned with this drink, reclaiming his seat next to Thorn and staring ahead with narrowed eyes. “How did Paige’s dad die?”
“Accident,” Drucinda answered. “He was flying to investigate a potential asset when the plane experienced an issue.”
“He died in a plane crash?” Paige asked.
“No,” Drucinda said, with a wince. “He leapt from the plane before it crashed. His parachute didn’t deploy.”
Paige’s stomach turned over. “What?”
Dewey’s tiny paw patted her shoulder as the upset washed over her.
Devon tapped on the side of his glass with his fingertips. “And no one thought this was suspicious?”
“They did a full investigation and found nothing,” Drucinda said. “It all checked out. It was just bad luck.”
“Or he was killed to isolate Reed,” Thorn suggested.
Drucinda flicked her dark eyes to the dragon. “I spent over thirty years in prison pondering that exact thing. Too many strange things have happened. Though there wasn’t much to argue over when it happened.”
Paige flopped backward into the cushions, overwhelmed. “Someone took both of my parents away from me before I was even born.”
Silence filled the space as emotions welled inside Paige, ranging from grief to anger.
Drucinda twisted to face her. “And I think it’s high time we found out who and brought them to justice.”
“I agree. I’m in.”
“Good. We’ll start right after we secure the ring. I know just where to go.”
“Wh–” Paige began when the pilot announced their imminent landing over the PA system.
Drucinda bolted from her seat and stalked across the cabin to her backpack. “That’s our cue.”
“How do we know where to go once we get there?” Paige asked.
“I’ve got a few leads,” Drucinda answered as she zipped a compartment shut. “We should get you two sorted with clothes and bags. Come on.”
She waved for them to follow her down the hall past the bedroom and bathroom toward a set of double doors. She swung them open and stepped inside. Lights bloomed to life overhead as she flicked the wall switch.
Paige furrowed her brow as she stepped inside. “Seriously?”
“Never travel unprepared.” Drucinda crossed to a display of weapons and ran a finger through the air before she grabbed a small gun from the mix. “This ought to work for you, little man.”
She held it out toward Dewey.
“Is that a Lightray P-fifty-two?”
Drucinda nodded, eliciting a gasp from Dewey as he took it in his paws, staring down reverently at it. “Wow.”
“Careful, Dew,” Thorn said. “That packs a lot of punch for a little–”
“I’ll be fine,” Dewey said, fluttering into the air. “Gimme a holster.”
“Thorn, get him what he needs including a snowsuit.” Drucinda spun back to the wall of weapons and pulled down a larger gun. “This is for you, darling.”
Paige stared down at the odd-looking weapon, with its thick cylinder.
“Automatic stacker. Just aim and squeeze the trigger. It shoots a continuous barrage of wooden stakes.”
Paige reached for the weapon when Drucinda pulled it back. “Can you handle it?”
Paige poked at her glasses. “Doesn’t seem that hard.”
Drucinda arched an eyebrow.
Paige swallowed hard. “I can handle it. Although…”
The eyebrow rose higher.
“Why can’t I have the gun you used earlier on Caleb?”
“Oh, darling, you couldn’t handle that kind of power. Stick with the staker for now.”
Paige wrinkled her nose as Dewey pointed his weapon and struck an aggressive pose across the room. Thorn returned with clothes for him.
“Did you grab clothes for Paige?” Drucinda asked.
“I’ve got everyone’s.” Thorn distributed the clothing to everyone.
Paige held up the thick snowsuit before wiggling into it. “I hope I can even point the weapon in this thing.”
She tugged the stovepipe-like snowsuit up her legs before she slipped the straps onto her shoulders. She zipped the top before she tottered across the room to retrieve the thick jacket.
The plane bounced as the wheels hit the makeshift runway. Paige struggled to pull on her gloves, feeling like a sausage stuffed into a casing.
“Heya, buddy,” Dewey said as he tugged his goggles from his eyes onto his forehead. “I’ll be warm in this. These clothes are top of the line!”
Paige studied his small snowsuit, complete with wing covers. The small gun Drucinda had given him fit snugly against his leg in its holster.
“I doubt I’ll be cold, but I hope I can move,” Paige said, bouncing her arms at her sides.
Dewey eyed her up and down, a chuckle escaping from him. “You look like a little kid in a snowsuit.”
“Thanks, Dewey. I hope I can get my boots on.” She tried to bend at the waist, finding the task difficult.
“I’ll help you,” Devon said, grabbing the thick footwear. “Just slide your foot in.”
Paige blindly shoved her foot into the first shoe as Devon pulled the laces tighter. “Ow, leave some blood flowing, would ya?”
He fastened both boots for her. She tromped across the room like a zombie to collect her weapon. “Where do I put this?”
“Oh, there’s a holster on your back,” Dewey said, waving for the weapon. “I’ll stow it for you.”
Paige handed it off, stumbling back a moment later as the weight tugged her backward.
“Are we ready?” Drucinda asked as she returned to the room and struck a pose. The woman stood in a form-fitting, white snowsuit trimmed with fur. Her ponytail poked from the top of her wool hat and weapons were strapped in various places.
Paige wrinkled her nose, trying to cross her arms in the thick gear. “How does she look that good in snow gear?” she managed to eke out.
“Ready!” Dewey called out as he landed on Paige’s shoulder. “Whoa! This is hard to hang on to. Why couldn’t you get a slimmer coat like Drucinda’s?”
“Same question I have.”
“You can ride on me, Dew,” Thorn said as he waddled in with his gear on.
“Okay,” Dewey said.
Paige screwed up her face. “Who are you?”