21. Leaves
LEAVES
Irene
The palace was a maze of long corridors, courtyards, and hidden stairs leading to other corridors.
To go from the west wing where I slept to the ground floor, Alex and I didn’t round any corners, but kept walking along the endless hallway.
I hadn’t explored the gardens yet; they were a mystery with their tall hedgerows, hills, and thick trees.
The footmen and maids Alex and I met moved aside to let us pass. Or rather, to let him pass. Curious glances followed me, but I cast curious glances around as well.
The servants’ auras showed different shapes and shades of bright colours.
I moved closer to Alex, and he stiffened immediately.
“The servants, what are they?” It sounded impolite to ask, but some of their auras didn’t look human.
“Wizards and witches who lost their powers or who aren’t skilled. They offer their services here in exchange for a salary, food, a room, and protection.”
Alex went downstairs and along another corridor flooded with sunlight. He walked right through it.
“You must be glad that sunlight doesn’t bother you.”
“It weakens me, and if I spend too much time in the sunshine, my skin blisters. Instead, rogues might be killed by sunlight.”
“Rogues?”
“If a vampire lets the thirst take over, he becomes a slave to the blood and starts killing and drinking at will. The more you kill, the more sunlight burns you.”
My arm brushed his. “And what—”
He leapt back in a dark blur.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
He’d meant it when he’d said no one was allowed to touch him.
He gave the slightest shake of his head, but I didn’t miss the tremor in his hand. “I really can’t touch anyone. I can’t.”
As vague as his explanation was, one thing was clear—he didn’t like physical contact.
We entered a wide hall with windows overlooking the garden and with no furniture. There was enough space for a hundred people.
I tilted my head up. “Every room in this palace is big. I wouldn’t say that from the outside.”
“It’s a spell.” He twirled a finger in the air.
“The mansion looks smaller from the outside not to attract attention. Humans don’t know about us.
There was a time when the royal family was aware of our existence, but after King John wanted to regain Normandy with the help of the wizards, the courts decided to lurk in the shadows.
Our powers shouldn’t be exploited by the government. ”
“I agree.”
A wizard would be a highly coveted weapon for the queen.
Not far from the front yard, Raven Lake shone in the sunshine.
“Miss Harlowe!” A green-eyed man came forth. His multicoloured aura glowed brightly and widely.
“You already know Darius,” Alex said with a hint of pride.
Darius? Like Alex, he’d grown broad and tall, but I recognised him easily. His features hadn’t changed. But then again, Alex had gone through a complicated transformation, and Darius’s aura meant he wasn’t undead.
“I’m so happy to see you.” Darius bowed.
“The first time I’d seen your aura, I knew it was different. You’re a wizard.”
“Mage, if you don’t mind.” He beamed. “Miss Harlowe. You’re a vision.” He made the gesture of shielding his eyes. “You must be a bonfire because my heart is melting.”
I laughed, my first laugh in a while, but Alex exhaled through clenched teeth.
“That should tell you everything you need to know about the mage.” Alex didn’t crack a smile. “Miss Harlowe needs training. I’m sure you’ll be professional and do everything to help her.”
A prick of guilt stung me. He must have been hurt by my hesitation when he’d asked me if I wanted him to train me.
But while the tug in my chest suffused calm within me, I had trouble trusting people.
Alex had been nothing but kind to me, yet between what had happened in my house and the big changes in my life, my sense of safety had been challenged.
“I thought you would be more comfortable with Darius.” A strained note crept into his voice.
He gave me a bow of his head before leaving.
He strode across the hall, his dark suit adding a layer of menace to his persona.
“He’s sorry for what he did to you.” Darius beckoned me to follow him. “He won’t tell you, but he is.”
“Actually, he apologised and told me how sorry he was.”
He skidded to a stop, his halo glowing with the colours of sunrise. “He apologised? You made an Englishman talk about his emotions while sober. I’ll be jiggered.”
After we crossed the hall to go to the garden, I asked, “Are you going to teach me how to handle knives and guns?”
“Not now. A wili kills with her mind.” He touched his temple. “You must master your inner power before anything else. There we are.” He sat on a marble bench under a tree. “Take a seat.”
The sun warmed my cheeks, the water in the fountain behind me trickled gently, and the soft breeze carried the scent of roses, but I didn’t deny I found it hard to enjoy the nice weather.
“See the leaves on the path?” He flourished his hand, and they floated in a circle before falling. “I would like you to focus on them as if you wanted to see their auras. Your gift as a soul searcher is an excellent starting point.”
I concentrated on the dry leaves, but aside from catching Darius’s quiet feelings, nothing happened.
“What should I see?”
“Nothing. The leaves should catch fire and turn to ash.”
“What?”
“Don’t be alarmed. That’s why we start with dry leaves.”
An hour later, an ache pounded in my head, and the leaves were still intact.
I slouched back. “It’s tiring.”
“The first time is always the hardest.”
A tall woman dressed in black walked down the gravel path. Her shiny raven hair was gathered in a perfect chignon, and a dark veil covered her face. She turned her head towards me. My skin pebbled.
“My lady.” Darius waved at her, but she ignored him. “Are you enjoying yourself today? Beautiful weather, innit?”
She faced straight ahead.
“Who is she?” I asked.
“Carabosse, a witch.” He scratched his chin. “She avoids me. She avoids everyone. She isn’t popular in the mansion.”
“Why?”
“Myrtha hates her because Cara cursed a girl over an argument with her parents who hadn’t invited her to the girl’s birthday party.
Cara hates Graves and his werewolves because of something that happened a long time ago.
Alex isn’t fond of her, and witches in general don’t like vampires.
She hates me because I’m more powerful than she is.
” He flashed a charming grin. “Envy is an ugly beast.”
“The people who live here don’t seem to care for one another.”
“No. It’s a miracle that we don’t kill each other in a bloody fight.” He sighed as if he wished that. “Do you want to try one more time?”
I released a breath and focused. I’d never had friends, but at least in Harlowe House there had been Papa. Living here, where everyone hated everyone, would be a challenge.
Smoke rose from the leaves, and two of them caught fire.
“My goodness.”
Darius drew symbols in the air until the water in the fountain rose in an elegant swan shape and splashed on the leaves, extinguishing the flames.
“Excellent!” He pulled me into a hug, but instinct took over.
I leapt away from him, my chest heaving.
“My apologies.” Blue tendrils of sorrow disturbed his aura.
I cleared my throat. “It’s all right.” But it wasn’t, and I’d behaved just like Alex. “You did nothing wrong. It’s me. I’m still a bit jittery.”
“Is there anything I can do for you?” He rubbed his hands together.
“May I see the library?”
He became serious. “No, you may not. It’s dangerous.”
“I can’t be in danger with an extraordinary mage like you.”
His expression softened. “That’s true, but no one is allowed—”
“Please. I would love to see it. Just a peek. I trust your magical skills completely.”
When he sighed, I knew I’d won.
My eagerness faded after we climbed up long flights of stairs for twenty minutes. When we arrived at a landing, I was wheezing.
“That’s it.” Hands on his hips, he stood in front of a set of double doors. Ravens were carved in the rich oakwood, clutching a book with their talons. “Stand behind me.”
In a library?
He drew a few symbols, and the doors inched inwards.
Draughts hissed out of the opening. As I tiptoed inside, a strong wind cried in my ears and blasted against my face, forcing me to squint.
Dust thickened the air, drying my mouth.
It was like a sandstorm. I caught a glimpse of a room as large as Westminster Abbey where books flew in a vortex, lifting dirt and chairs.
“That’s the library!” Darius shouted over the howling wind ruffling his hair.
“My goodness,” I yelled back.
When a heavy tome missed my head by an inch, I bolted out.
Darius locked the door. “Terrible, isn’t it?”
“What was that?” I brushed the dirt from my clothes.
“This is undoubtedly the largest library in the world. It holds over two hundred million books, give or take, distributed over fourteen floors, maybe more.”
The shock robbed me of words.
He wiped dust from his mouth. “The former duke couldn’t care less about it.
When I arrived, the sections were a nightmare.
Magic was mixed with mathematics, and literature was scattered around without order or reason.
Different languages were lumped together.
A revision was needed. I initiated a spell to organise the books into proper sections, but it was slow.
I sped it up, and…” He waved towards the doors. “That’s the result.”
“Can’t you stop it?”
He tilted his head right and left. “It’s not easy.”
“How long has this spell been going on?”
“Two years.”
I gasped. “You’re destroying two hundred million books.”
“No, no, no. Everything will be fine when the spell stops. I promise.”
For the first time, I doubted him.