3. Aries
Aries
W ith arms crossed, I stand before the piles of books stacked in the basement of the library. They don’t make a sound or so much as tremble as we pass. If anyone from the outside of this library were looking at them, they’d think them nothing more than lifeless tomes.
Books containing fictional worlds where you can let your mind wander and not be at risk of losing life or limb.
I know better.
For the last two weeks, I’ve spent my days venturing inside them one at a time in order to hunt for Hoc Novensile. I glance at the stack of those we’ve already searched and groan. It’s not even a quarter of what we have left.
Still, as exhausted as I am, I know that Paige will not rest until he is found. Which means I cannot rest until she is whole again.
My thoughts sour as I think of her mood when she finally came to bed last night.
Even now, I can sense her pain though the mate connection between us remains un-solidified.
In fact, Paige still has no idea my dragon has chosen her as its mate.
But it’s something I can’t even begin to consider bringing up, given everything already on her plate.
Mainly because I know she can’t choose me. Not while her world is in turmoil. Losing her is not an option either; therefore, I don’t allow her to make that choice.
The only time Paige finds peace is wrapped in my arms each night.
If only being in my arms could heal what is hurting her heart.
In all my years, I’ve never felt more inadequate than I do right now.
Even back home, waiting for a mate I never thought I’d find, I still managed to feel like I could do something.
But now? There’s no enemy I can fight. No army I can destroy.
I have to search and hope that I find the one person who can put Paige’s mind at ease.
My dragon snarls at me to take her out of this place, to remove her from the threat, but there is nowhere in the world she can escape the pain of losing her father. I know that better than most. Instead, I remain by her side, committed to her even above my own kingdom.
Wondering about the state of my world, and my family, brings a darkness to my thoughts I try to avoid.
Shoving thoughts of home aside, I study the books we collected from the floor around the site where Hoc disappeared, trying to select the right one for today’s hunting trip.
If I choose correctly, maybe we’ll find him.
Even better, maybe we’ll find Constantine.
The monster who took Paige’s family away from her.
My hands tighten into fists at my sides.
He deserves to die a very slow death, but if I must choose between delivering torment or bringing Hoc home, I’ll make it quick.
Either way, I’ll relish killing him when the time comes.
Behind me, Bingo, a hellhound who serves as one of the Athenaeum's protectors, lifts his head from his giant paws and looses a low growl. His gaze is aimed toward the door, and I tense, but a moment later, the door opens to reveal Mag, the male keeper who has been my companion each day. His sandy blond hair and human-looking flesh make up only one of his forms. The other is a stone gargoyle with impenetrable skin and unending strength. Over these last couple of weeks, I have come to appreciate that strength at my side for these missions—not that I’ve told him so.
His personality is another matter. He’s as cocky as my brother, Leo, which means he doesn’t need any encouragement. And he’s insufferably grumpy about not being able to kill anything we come across on our hunts. As am I, though I don’t feel the need to constantly gripe about it.
“It’s just me, asshole,” Mag tells Bingo, who bares his teeth in response but otherwise falls silent.
“Good morning,” I offer as Mag closes the door behind him and steps up beside me.
The basement is sealed off from the rest of the library’s systems, which makes it a better location for coming and going from all of the portals we’ve opened these past weeks. Bingo is here to make sure the books don’t get any ideas about trying to open themselves.
“Is it a good morning?” Mag asks, arching a brow. “Wait. Ugh. Don't answer that. I don’t want to hear about you and Paige.”
“Good, because a gentleman would never tell.”
“Guess that makes two of us then.” He winks, but I decide I’d rather not press further for details I’ll regret hearing. “How is Paige anyway?” Mag asks. He gestures to me, adding “I mean aside from... all that.”
“She’s trying,” I say on a sigh. “But I don’t know how much longer she can hold it together.
” I leave out that I had to force her to eat last night.
Mainly because I was successful. I have Blossom looking out for Paige while I’m away, and with any luck, she’ll be able to get Paige to eat something warm for lunch rather than one of those disgusting granola bars.
“We need to find Hoc,” Mag says, a shadow crossing his features. “He’s the glue in this place.”
I nod, knowing Mag and Hoc have a history. While they didn’t seem overly close, I can see that Mag respects the former head librarian—and partly blames himself for losing him. Honestly, I think we all feel as though we shoulder some of the blame.
“We need to move faster,” I say, nodding at the large stack of books that remain before us.
Even after two weeks, we’ve only checked fifteen books.
There are at least five times that still here.
Splitting up would be smartest, but my status as honorary keeper did not include a tattoo of my own, so I’m forced to rely on Mag for transport through the portals.
Mag frowns. “If we move quickly, maybe we can keep doing two or three a day.”
I nod. “I can start doing fly overs to scout the area before venturing into populated areas.”
Mag shakes his head. “I don’t know. We can’t risk the creatures of these worlds spotting you. Especially if that world doesn’t already have dragons.”
“And I told you, my concern for Paige is greater than my concern for a world discovering dragons exist. All that matters is finding Hoc and putting an end to Constantine.”
“Look, I want to kill that asshole as much as you do, but as for anyone else we come across, I can’t violate the oaths I swore as a keeper, and one of them is to do no harm to a creature while I’m in its home world.”
“Just remember, I didn’t swear any oaths to anyone but Paige.” A perk of being an honorary keeper rather than an indentured servant.
“Believe me, I haven’t forgotten. But if you want to make it back here to her, you’ll abide by this rule.”
“Is that a threat?”
“It’s a disclosure,” he says. I’m ready to tell him to fuck off when he adds, “The library has a protocol in place should we fail to adhere to its rules about doing no harm.”
“What kind of protocol?”
“The kind that says, if you harm a creature while in its home world, your portal access is rescinded.”
“What does that mean, exactly?”
“It means you’ll be stuck in that world forever with no way to get back here—or anywhere else for that matter.”
My eyes widen. “You’re just now telling me this? I’ve been searching these books with you for weeks now.”
“Right, but you’ve never considered breaking the rules before.”
I glare at him. “Is there anything else I should know about protocols ?”
“No, that’s about the gist.”
I consider knocking him sideways one good time, but in the end, I decide to table the urge for later. When we have more room and less important shit to do afterward. I’d hate to blacken both his eyes so badly he couldn’t see the portal he’s conjuring in front of him. “Let’s fucking get this done.”
“One more thing,” he says.
“Now what?”
“About Paige. I have a duty to her too, pretty boy, so if you do anything to upset her, I’ll have to cut your balls off and feed them to Bingo.”
At that, Bingo lifts his head and snarls at Mag.
It’s the first friendly gesture the hound has made toward me, so I toss Mag a smug smile. “Looks like I have an ally on my side after all.”
Mag rolls his eyes and turns his attention back to the stack of books. “Animals tend to support other animals. You pick today's winner yet?”
“Have at it.”
He grabs the top book off the closest stack. “This one’s as good as any.” He sets the book down on the floor between us and opens it to the middle. Then he straightens and faces me.
“Ready?”
“Let’s go.”
He raises his hand, flashing the dark ink of his keeper tattoo, and begins reciting words in a language I don’t know.
The library responds with magic of its own, and a moment later, a swirling portal opens between us.
Even after seeing it so many times, it still jolts me to know there are worlds upon worlds out there and this library has access to them all.
“Let’s just get this shit over with,” Mag says, clearly unimpressed by it all.
He gestures for me to go first. I step through the opening into whatever world awaits us, only to feel the ground already falling away beneath my feet.
I barely manage to yank myself back from a cliff’s edge before I would have toppled over the side.
My scrambling feet send small pebbles slipping over and disappearing into the foam, but I manage not to send myself over too.
Far below me, an ocean crashes against craggy rocks, and the smell of salt lingers on the air.
Behind me, Mag arrives on solid ground, and the portal closes.
“You good?” he asks, noting the way I’m still recovering my balance.
I scowl. “Fine.”
Together, we survey the world we’ve entered.
Despite my rough arrival, the view atop the mountain where we stand is breathtaking.
As far as I can see behind us, rolling hillsides dotted with wild heather give way to more hills that end with mountains rising in the distance.
Below us, the ocean crashes against the high cliffs, but to my right, the hillside descends and levels onto a rocky beach where the land meets the sea lapping at its shore.