17. Chapter 17
Chapter 17
I don’t stay disheartened for long. Once I’m done with training, I grab a quick breakfast and head straight for the Library. The closer I get, the more excited I am. I’m feeling less distracted by what happened with Dryden and going straight to obsessing over what the fae told me back in the lab.
She’s in Nasgard. The words ring in my ears as I make my way from the ground floor classrooms up the gallery steps to Level One.
I just know it — if only I manage to figure out what that was all about, we’ll finally make some actual progress when it comes to defeating Baldur.
And since I don’t exactly have a list of current residents of Nasgard, the first logical step is to learn everything I can about the infamous prison itself.
But once I arrive at my destination, the sight before me makes me stop midstep, my jaw dropping open.
The Library looks as if it was demolished just yesterday. I step inside and look around for a bit, my frown only growing deeper when I see the remains of the bookshelves, only one left intact, with a couple of dozen of absolutely useless books.
I walk outside and head straight for the Main Hall to ask for an explanation. “What happened to the Library?” I ask when I come across Jaeger in the Entrance Hall.
She frowns. “What do you mean?”
I blink at her. “It’s in ruins, and there are barely any books left.”
“Oh.” She scratches her head. “Well, Baldur doesn’t exactly like it when people have free access to information. Before he left this place, he burned all the books and cursed the Library itself. No matter what we do, we can’t repair anything in there. The same happens to Libraries everywhere he goes.”
For a moment, I just stare at her in shock. Then, just as she moves to walk past me, I remember to ask. “Is there a way to find information on Nasgard?”
“Nasgard? Actually, we do have some books on that particular topic.”
Yes. “Where are they?”
“Nuala keeps them in her quarters.”
Goddamn it. “I see. Thank you so much. I’ll see you later.”
I head straight for her office, but not without hesitation. She’s still mad at me about yesterday and I haven’t had a chance to apologize. Now it’ll seem like I’m only apologizing because I need a favor.
But this is more important than my image or her feelings towards me. We have the meeting tomorrow and my intention is to have a plan to present by then.
So I press my lips tight and force myself to knock on her door. “Evening, Emberlord,” I greet as soon as she calls me in.
“I’m busy,” she says when she sees it’s me. She doesn’t stop her work.
Great. “Alright. Then I’ll talk to you later, but now, can I just get the books on Nasgard? Jaeger told me they were with you.”
She looks at me for a second then shakes her head. “No.” And she keeps working.
“Why?” I ask, although I think I know.
“The books you’re looking for, people have literally died for us to get them. I don’t just hand them out to anyone who asks for them.”
“I don’t believe it could be said I’m just anyone . Besides, if people have died for them, doesn’t it make more sense for someone to get some use out of us having them?”
“That someone won’t be you,” she says coldly.
“I see. Well, I thought I’d do this tomorrow, since you’re so busy today, but I actually wanted to apologize for yesterday.”
“Whatever for? You only made a fool out of me and put us all in mortal danger.”
“You’re absolutely right, but that wasn’t my intention. I’d like an opportunity to explain myself and—”
“Oh there’s absolutely no need for anything like that ,” she cuts me off, finally putting the pen down and turning all her focus onto me. “I know exactly why it is you did what you did.”
I raise my eyebrows. “Really?”
“Yes. Do you know how I came to be the leader of this particular cell?”
“No, but I’d like you to tell me.”
The look in her eyes grows distant. “When he rose to power, I’d just given birth. It was the happiest time of my life — my husband and I had started renovating this run-down old house we got for next to nothing, my friends were starting to accept the fact that I’d married a Scion, and the baby was…” Her expression grows hard. “In the blink of an eye, listening to the news was becoming deeply unsettling, my vampire friends were starting to turn on me, I was being summoned for interrogations simply for being a shifter… Until they arrested me, for real, and started processing me. It was only thanks to some old, powerful friends from my Academy years that I got released and initiated into the Resistance. I know my husband and child are still alive, but it’s been thirty four years since last I saw them.”
My eyes well with tears. “I’m so sorry to hear that, Nuala.”
She shakes her head. “That was just the beginning. You’ve had the fortune of going missing for the last thirty three years, Aurora. You weren’t here to see it with your own two eyes, what he spent decades doing to us. So you’re still a romantic, aren’t you? You think it’s possible to save everyone everywhere you go.”
My jaw clenches. “This is not my first life, Emberlord. I may not remember things like I remember things in this one, but the last time I breathed air on this planet, what Baldur did to people was just as bad as what he’s doing now, and I witnessed all of it. It’s one thing to be an unrealistic romantic. It’s a whole other not to let the bleak state of things stop you from believing in love, kindness, and the potential of people to change things for the better.”
She lets out a scoff, but I think I catch discomfort flashing through her eyes. “Those are all fine words, Aurora. But they don’t change the fact that this is not a world in which we can put our faith in love . Right now, there’s only duty and perseverance. We need to act as one, otherwise we’re all doomed.”
I think for a second and decide not to challenge her view, mostly because I understand exactly where she’s coming from. I choose to reassure her when it comes to my character instead. “I apologize, sincerely ,” I start, looking deeper into her eyes, “for going rogue and putting you all in danger yesterday. I can’t promise it won’t ever happen again, but I can promise it will never happen for reasons that are less than majorly significant for all of us.”
She takes a moment to observe me, giving me a tight-lipped smile. “Is that why you need the books? For reasons that are majorly significant ?”
“I’d rather disclose that once I’m done with them.”
She blows out a soft laugh. Then she reaches inside her desk drawer and slams a few books on the table. “You have twenty four hours and then I want the books back.”
I smile. “Alright, thank you,” I say as I rush to grab the books. “I won’t be taking up any more of your time. I’ll see you at the meeting tomorrow, Emberlord.”
With the books under my arm, I leave the office. It would fill me with sadness, to try to do my research back in the Library, so I head for the Main Hall instead.
There, I curl up next to the fire, and open the first of the four books, filled with hope.
But it dies down very quickly, because this is all information I already know about the prison.