Chapter 35
Chapter
Thirty-Five
The library was pristine—untouched by the same decay that ate away at the fort’s facade.
Erinna stepped into a vast chamber bathed in gentle, golden light that filtered through enchanted windows, their panes showing no view of the world outside.
Iprix had frozen this space in eternal dusk, she realized, capturing that perfect moment when day softens into evening.
Dark wood bookshelves climbed the walls from floor to ceiling, their surfaces untouched and clearly cared for.
The room sprawled before her, magnificent in scale, yet somehow the sheer volume of knowledge threatened to burst its seams. Leather-bound tomes stood shoulder to shoulder with loose sheaves of parchment.
Arcane trinkets glinted from every available surface—crystal orbs, tarnished astrolabes, things whose purpose she could only guess at.
Above, wrought-iron balconies traced the perimeter of the chamber, accessible by spiral staircases that twisted upward like frozen smoke. A second story of books awaited there, promising even deeper secrets.
Blankets of dust coated the shelves and desks, but it was clear that the contents of the room were well taken care of. Precious tokens of a man who lived multiple lifetimes.
“This room is all for show. We won’t find anything useful here.” Afton started toward the door on the back wall that led them further into the library. Erinna felt dizzy scanning through the room, taking in the amount of information and lore that must be housed in one room of this library alone.
As her foot landed on the polished stone in the center, a crushing weight settled on her body, and bile rose in her throat. She collapsed unceremoniously on the ground. Her world swam with pain.
“What the fuck is happening?” Kane was by her side, trying to get her on her feet. Erinna pushed his hands away, preferring the cool stone against her cheek. If she stood, she would lose her stomach for sure.
She could hear Afton walking back at a pace that was slow and calm. If she hadn’t been so disoriented, Erinna would have taken offense. “It’s warded against people like her.”
“Like me?” she growled between clenched teeth.
“Aberrants. Give it a moment, and it will pass. Or her head will explode. It won’t take much longer now.”
She shot a panicked look at Kane, struggling to get on all fours. Perhaps if she could just move from that spot, head back towards the cellar. Strong arms grabbed her shoulders and pulled her to a seated position. Erinna tried not to use his frame for support, but stubbornness was exhausting.
“What do you mean her head will explode?!” Venom laced his words. As the seconds clawed by, she could feel slight relief as whatever ward around the place decided what to do with her.
“I mean what I said. If she’s considered a threat, her head will explode.” Afton crouched beside her as she worked her way through labored breaths.
“How do we make it decide she’s not a threat?”
“We can’t make it do anything.”
“You’re the Minor Apprentice, Afton. Figure. Something. Out.”
Warm hands brushed across her cheek as Afton assessed Erinna’s condition and moved her head gently from left to right.
She wanted to shirk away from his touch.
Her gut somersaulted in fear like a prey animal watching its hunter.
Afton was once a potential candidate for Chancellor, and she was everything they were supposed to hate.
Treason or not, he was still a product of the academy, and her secret was out.
Most of it at least. She was an aberrant; there was no use denying it to them.
Even Kane did not seem pleased with the mage’s proximity to her. He tensed beside her but knew better than to stop a mage in progress.
“Well, I would say it’s a good sign she hasn’t died yet.” He spoke like their entire predicament was something out of a story, that he could simply put down the book and walk away from it. Erinna supposed he had no obligation to care.
A warm liquid dripped from her nose and down her chin. The pain resided more, now a dull throb in her head, though her vision still blurred at the edges. She wiped the substance from her face, leaving a smear of near-black-red blood on her hand.
“What does this mean?” Her voice was hoarse but steady.
“Oh, good. You’ve been approved.” Afton stood up in one fluid movement and left his two companions in his wake.
“Give me a reason,” Erinna groaned, wondering how easy it would be to smack the mage over the head. Damien said that some powerful mages relied too heavily on magic and could quickly crumble beneath physical force. She wondered if Afton would fall into that category of arcanum user.
Kane let out a weak sigh and hauled Erinna to her feet.
It was so quick, Erinna blinked through lightheadedness and stumbled slightly on her first step.
She wiped the blood on her pants, grateful the dark color could hide the even darker stain.
If Mistress Fate were on their side, this would be the most difficult part of the journey.
“Why didn’t it affect you?” She shot a pointed look at Kane.
“I’m not an aberrant. At least, not the kind the great Iprix Hagan wanted to ward his chamber against.”
“That seems like a remarkable oversight,” she grit out, wobbling slightly on her feet for her first few steps.
Without thinking, she leaned against Kane’s sturdy form, grabbed his arm, and closed her eyes to let the rest of the dizziness fade.
Kane leaned in closer to provide more support, and Erinna was grateful for the assistance.
“Ready?” he asked when she finally detached. The dizziness was gone, replaced by a respectful amount of fear for the rest of the area.
“Ready.”
The opening chamber was nothing but a spectacle compared to the next room.
Rows of shelves lined the oddly shaped area.
Small hallways had been carved through stacks of volumes and paper.
A maze of information surrounded them. Artifacts dotted nooks and crannies, encased in glass or iron bars, or both.
Witchstone lights sparked to life upon their entry.
“Careful with whatever you touch.” Afton deftly plucked papers and books from shelves as he moved further through the stacks. “There should be two more floors. One above, one below. Stairs in the back corners and on the sides.”
Afton disappeared into hastily organized rows of books. Erinna swore the shelves would topple with one strong push, but the mage continued into the eccentric darkness.
The place was packed with knowledge, scrolls, diaries, journals.
It was like finding a needle in a haystack.
Erinna had no idea where to start or what to look for.
Afton and Kane, however, knew much more than she did.
And one of them could be magically compelled not only to help, but to give her answers.
Kane pulled her father’s notes, the index, from his pocket. The paper thoroughly crumbled. “Don’t do anything dangerous while I’m gone,” he said over his shoulder.
“Wait,” Erinna called after him. Kane paused but didn’t turn. “I want your help. I want more answers.” She balled her hands into tight fists, trying to choke down the feeling of helplessness.
“I’ve given you everything I can, Yarrow.” He took another step forward, nearly encased in shadow.
Erinna could read between the lines. Kane had given her everything he was willing to part with for free. The rest would come at a price.
She swallowed hard. “I want to make a deal.” Her voice echoed off the walls and paused Kane in his tracks. Erinna knew a deal would be risky. A binding vow had consequences, but the arcanum would ensure she could trust Kane to uphold his end of the bargain.
He turned and sauntered back towards her.
“I want you to show me everything my father asked you to get, and I want your help finding the most useful information on this curse.”
“Are you sure you want to do this?” He stopped a few inches in front of her, hands shoved into his pockets, a predatory gleam in his eye.
Erinna held her ground. She didn’t have the luxury of contemplation. It was here or now. “Yes. At least this way I can trust you won’t lie or withhold things from me.”
He let out a soft chuckle. “You’re nearly as bad as your father.” Kane wrapped his hand around hers, the ring on his index finger growing warm on her skin.
“Do you understand what I will take in return for this?”
She swallowed her nerves, and Kane took her silence for an answer. “For this, you will trade in magic, and a sliver of whatever it is that you are hiding will become mine until I decide to use it. Are you sure this is what you want?”
Erinna didn’t let herself succumb to doubt or second-guesses. “A deal’s a deal, Atwater. Let’s make it so.” It would be his problem then.
He pulled her even closer, turning her hand so that her palm faced up.
In a swift motion, he used a small blade to create a slight cut in her skin and drew a single drop of crimson.
He clasped her hand once again as if to shake on their contract.
Instead, the embrace was covered in a flame that went from red to blue before vanishing in a matter of seconds.
Erinna didn’t need a magic lesson to understand what had transpired. This was more than a deal; it was a pact. A cosmic agreement with repercussions. She had made a deal with a half-demon, and there was no turning back.
In the center of her palm was a bright red mark, like fire poking from beneath her own skin. She didn’t recognize the lettering, and soon it faded away, leaving nothing but a ghost of the fiery sensation. Kane closed his eyes and took in a long breath as if savoring a high-end spirit.
“That is a well-won secret. Even better than I thought.”
Erinna continued to stare at her palm and felt the arcanum twine invisibly around her hand.
Talent prickled in response, ice bloomed briefly within her veins, and Erinna could swear she felt a fastening tug between the two of them.
An invisible binding that united them. It was time to admit that maybe monsters still roamed the earth, and she had just made a deal with one of them. A half-breed. A demon.
When Kane opened his eyes, they were bright embers. Their gazes locked, the air tightening between them like a drawn bowstring.
“Any regrets?”
“Let’s get to work, Atwater,” Erinna grumbled, shaking away creeping doubt.
He ran a hand through his hair and gave her a sheepish grin. The previous heaviness gone—replaced by mild irritation on Erinna’s part.
“I can’t technically give you those books. Your father was clear that I couldn’t technically give them to anyone else. But I know a way around that.”
Her eyes narrowed to slits. If she were the one to grab a bit of his power, Erinna would have sent a scorching bolt at his face. “So help me, Kane.”
“Relax. It will work. Just give me time to collect, and I’ll meet you on the top floor.”
Erinna wanted to stop him, grab his coat, and force him to stay by her side. But the man slipped into the shadows with near inhuman speed. She was left to her own devices. To wander the shelves, waiting for help, feeling utterly useless.