Chapter 25
Istop in front of the Library entrance, wondering what I’m getting myself into. It’s not just about breaking into the Restricted Section. If only it were.
I’ve spent the afternoon assaulted by the flashes of him bending me over the bench in the gym — being all bossy and taking his sweet time making me come over and over again — and trying to figure out why I let it all happen again.
I mean, there’s no denying that I’m seriously attracted to him, and he obviously knows exactly how to use that against me, but come on…
It was only yesterday that I decided this is not the kind of complication I need in my life right now.
Then again… We’re only two people taking what we want in the moment, right? And if he doesn’t think it should be more complicated than that, why should I?
It makes me breathe a sigh of relief when the thought pops into my head for the first time. Like any physical attraction, this has to have an expiration date. At one point, I’ll get it out of my system, he will too, and we’ll both move on with our lives.
It’s just as the clock strikes midnight that I give myself a determined nod and step through the entrance, all my focus instantly shifting onto the dreaded task at hand.
It’s with a buzzing mind and sweaty palms that I show up in front of a colleague at the Service Desk, handing her the book I’ve brought with me.
Almost as soon as I start turning left — trying not to even glance at the Restricted Section and wondering what the hell I’m supposed to do next — I spot Bane standing between the bookshelves, motioning for me to come over with an open book in his hand.
It surprises me, to see how relaxed he is. Quirking an eyebrow at an illustration he has the book open to, he asks, “Is this the kind of thing that made you become a Librarian?”
I frown. “You’re dead wrong if you think I can focus on that right now,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady. “So, what’s the plan?”
He looks up at me, closing the book shut. “So jumpy,” he quips, obviously amused.
I shoot him an angry look.
“Fine,” he says with a low chuckle, putting the book back.
Then, to my surprise, he takes his jacket off and slings it over my shoulders, taking a second to observe the result. “Now you smell like me. When Derek opens the door for me…” He gets in my face, turning dead serious. “Go for it, no hesitation, got it?”
Then he goes back to being annoyingly relaxed and starts turning in the direction of the staircase.
What the… “That’s your plan?” I demand as I come to block his way, fighting to keep my voice down. “Me darting through the door and past the vampire trained to guard it?”
His lips curl into a smirk. “Well,” he drawls as he comes to press himself against me. “I believe I already told you you’d have to be very quiet.”
“What kind of magic will you be using?” I ask as I take a step away from him.
“Magic?” he echoes, his eyebrows shooting up and lips curling into a smile. “No magic, Novak.”
“No way,” I say with a shake of my head. “Come up with something else or we’re not doing this.”
He shakes his head, but he’s still smiling as if this is all just so amusing to him. “No magic is the only way I can pull this off without leaving a trace. You have five minutes, not a second longer.”
It makes me put on a smug smile, when it hits me. “I don’t think so,” I start a little mockingly, “because even if I could do what you’re asking me to do, how do you plan on making Derek just open the door for you?”
“Why don’t you leave that to me?” he says with a mysterious wink.
I just blink at him for a second. It’s through gritted teeth that I say, “You’re crazy.”
“Do you want my help or not?” he asks with a shrug.
I blow out a frustrated breath. “Fine.”
“Perfect,” he says, “now go your separate way and position yourself near the stairs.”
I shake my head, but I do as he says.
I start aimlessly browsing the books in the Mind Magic section, the one closest to the stairs.
Fuck, I definitely will not be able to do this. So if I fail, should I just pretend I’d had a nervous breakdown or what?
But it doesn’t take long for me to hear his voice. “Derek, my man. How’s it going?”
My ears pricked up, it makes me grab a book, open it and lift it up high enough so I can keep my eyes on the stairs.
“Not exactly an exciting shift, I have to say,” I hear Derek reply with a smile.
“Yeah, I can imagine. Saw you up here and I was like, what would we do without people like you?”
Flattery? That’s his brilliant plan?
“Come on,” I hear Derek chuckle, definitely not sounding like he minds, “it’s not a big deal.”
It makes me frown, the very thought of him pulling it off.
“You know,” Bane starts again, that contagious mysteriousness in his voice, “I’ve always wondered what goes on in there.”
“Yeah, I get that a lot,” Derek replies.
Well, he’s messed it up now, I think, already breathing a sigh of relief, because it’s over, right? If he goes any further, it’ll seem very suspicious.
I think I hear him take a step closer to Derek. “I’m sure you do,” he says in an even more enigmatic voice. “But of course, you’d never put your integrity on the line for, what?” He pauses for a second before he adds, “Spending time alone with curious strangers?”
It makes my eyes round. He’s flirting with him? And I know Derek’s gay and it’s not like it’s just girls pining after Bane, but…It’s still a terrible idea.
Then I hear Derek almost start stuttering. “It’s not that I, um, I’ve never made an exception.”
“Really? How interesting,” Bane drawls.
“Yeah, and well, if you’re really that curious…”
“I am.”
Quickly, I put the book back. Holy hell, he’s done it. I hold my breath and start climbing, as silently as I can, up the carpeted stairs, and I hear Derek let out a soft laugh and open the door.
My heart starts pounding like crazy.
“Let’s see what dangers lurk behind,” Bane lingers to say just as the two of them appear in my line of sight, and motions for Derek to lead the way, giving me a chance to dart through the door and glue myself to the wall to the right.
Bane closes the door behind him, his large frame hiding me in plain sight. I keep holding my breath. I see him leading Derek deeper into the room.
I’ve done it, I think with a sigh of relief. It’s only when I’ve already breathed out that I realize what I’d done.
“What was that?” Derek asks, suddenly all serious, as he stops and moves to turn around.
Blood curdles in my veins, my entire body preparing for a sprint.
It all happens before I can move a muscle. Bane lifts his hand up, the light in the room gets sucked into his palm, I hear Derek curse, and then there are only sounds of struggling.
There’s this flood of fear and anger that starts coursing through me, and it feels like it’ll be lights out for me again, but then the light goes back on, as suddenly as it disappeared.
I find myself standing a few steps away from the wall, frozen mid-movement and staring at Bane towering over Derek’s body on the floor.
There’s horror in my eyes when they back up to Bane.
“He’s just unconscious,” he says with a shrug. Then he quirks an eyebrow at me. “Still, maybe you should get moving.”
I don’t wait to be told twice. I force my legs to work and I start running through the bookshelves until I’m turning the corner with the door into the Lexarcanum.
There, I come to a screeching halt and open the door as gently as I can, all the while trying to ignore the pounding of my heart. I keep standing there with the knob in my hand, my eyes getting immediately drawn to the spot all the way up on the left, the image of the book struggling to fly out of the shelf having been etched into my mind.
It’s in the same spot that I see it. The sigh of relief I let out makes me realize I was secretly afraid I would find out it had been stolen, even despite the Lexarcanum magic only allowing the books to be moved by people they are intended for.
“Novak,” I hear Bane growl a low warning.
Right. Making myself shake it off, I let go of the doorknob and move to step inside.
Only to have this blinding burst of energy send me stumbling back.
“What was that, Novak?” I hear Bane demand in a voice still low but much more forceful.
“I’m fine,” I grit out, my eyes fixed on the entrance.
Damn it. They’ve tightened the security.
“Tick tock,” I hear another low snarl in warning.
Gritting my teeth, I let out a muffled curse, turn on my heel and rush back into the first room, where Bane is waiting for me, holding out the biggest book I’ve ever seen.
“Once you’re out of here, I want you to go straight to bed,” he tells me. “Now, hit me like you mean it.”
I open my mouth to say no way in hell, but then a sound comes from Derek’s unconscious body and I grab the book in my hand.
And I hit him with all my strength, but I only make him grimace as he turns his head to the side. Still, he seems pleased.
He takes the book out of my hand and sends me on my way with a sharp tip of his head that brooks no discussion.
I rush out of the Restricted Section, trying to be as silent and nonchalant as possible on my way down, despite my heart pounding so loudly, I’m sure it’ll give me away.