Chapter 28
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
REGAINING POWER
My eyes are closed, and my breathing is slow and steady. Though Orion’s bed is so much more comfortable than mine I can’t fall asleep, and every time Orion moves, my heart races like I’m being chased.
I’ve got an overload of adrenaline in my system, making me feel like I’ve done nothing but drink coffee for twenty-four hours straight, despite being exhausted.
If I were in my room, I’d sneak out and run laps around Nomina House or something else to drain the excess energy. But I’m not alone, and it’s not fair to Orion if I keep waking him up.
So I lean over and whisper in his ear, trying not to wake him but not wanting to sneak out either. “I’m okay, stay right where you are, but I’m going to get some fresh air.”
“Only go where I showed you,” he mumbles, his eyes opening to small slits.
“Go back to sleep, I’ll be fine.”
He stares, not answering me for a few moments until finally lifting his arm and letting me escape his bed. “Promise you won’t get into trouble.”
I twist around, brushing the hair off his face until his eyes close. “I promise I won’t go chasing trouble, and I’ll be back before you know it.”
He scowls, even with his eyes closed, which I read as a sign he’s kind of okay with me leaving. Before he changes his mind, I pull up his blankets, cocooning him in bed.
Putting on a pair of sweats and one of his hoodies over my pj’s, I can still feel the cold seeping through.
I hope I’m not being stupid. With a last look at Orion, I slip out the door and into the dark hall of the third floor.
I force myself to wait, to make sure there’s no one else wandering in the dark, waiting for me to appear.
To say that the residents of Nomina House were livid about everyone being forced to attend the full moon party is the understatement of the year.
I tiptoe at a snail’s pace past the other dorm rooms to the fire escape. Then I push on the unmarked door next to it and step out quickly, shutting it behind me.
Originally, the small space was used to house the air-conditioning units and electrical services for Nomina House. All the machinery has been removed, and Orion claimed the space, adding a milk crate as something to sit on.
The area is covered, safe from the weather, and the half-height walls mean you’re mostly hidden from anyone below because they can’t see you unless they use the old maintenance stairs.
Orion says it is a good place to reflect, and I trust him on that, but if I had to choose, I wouldn’t have picked this space.
I stretch Orion’s hoodie over my knees to keep warm, then I wiggle around to get comfortable but also to find the best angle so I can see the stars. It is why I’m here. My view of the sky is blocked as Bugby swoops in from the shadows to land on the crook of my elbow.
He makes lots of low clicking noises, his head twisting from side to side as he looks me up and down.
“I’m okay,” I offer.
He caws back before looking up at the night sky.
I follow him and instantly know I’m where I need to be; seeing the stars is as healing as sharing secrets with Orion.
There are hundreds of them tonight, twinkling like reminders of where I’ve been and promises of what is to come.
They’re the link from my past, anchoring me to better times.
Mr. Kenney’s voice stirs my memories. Take the time to look up at the stars.
They’re the same ones I’ll be looking at, the same your parents always did too.
I miss him and my parents so much; there’s a physical ache in my chest. What happened at dinner was beyond shitty for so many reasons.
I can’t believe the level of shade thrown at me by my fellow Noms. How am I to blame for the other students at Thales treating them like shit?
And then to top off my dinner, I also had the brothers publicly humiliate me.
The actions of every being involved could be used in bullying awareness programs, but out here, looking at the stars, it brings a perspective of hope and highlights a major weakness.
I landed in their world knowing the government back home was responsible for horrific atrocities, and in doing so, I disregarded anything negative to do with the others.
Naively, I saw the others as victims, and not the predators they are.
Under us a twig snaps, and I climb to my feet, catching only the literal tail end of the source.
The shock of black fur in the night is only visible because of the shimmering aura that accompanies it.
Cane. I wait for him to reappear in asshole professor form and yell at me for being outside, but it doesn’t happen, and when the nighttime insects and critters restart their chatter, I sit back on my butt.
His intrusion on my private time outside is purposeful. As is the direction of my thoughts. Both are confirmation of what I’ve just now realized but can’t ever afford to forget—do not underestimate the others.
Without question, I need to find a way to survive in their world. I need to be better armed, and to do that, I need information.
“Feel like a quick trip to the library?” I ask.
Bugby swivels, the moonlight catching the intelligence in his golden eyes.
I swear I also see them roll, as if he’s saying, took you long enough.
I know I’m on the right track; “know your enemy, know your sword” is a quote that’s been around for a very long time for a reason.
The cornerstones of the concept include researching the enemy’s capabilities, resources, and history; knowing your own strengths and weaknesses; then assessing the environment and conditions. I know myself, but I don’t know them.
I check my pocket, feeling my Thales ID card tucked safely inside. I’m sure if I had to go back to Orion’s room to find my card, I wouldn’t go.
With a new direction to focus on, the flailing sense of failure that’s been riding my ass since I arrived lessens. I move so quickly, Bugby takes flight. I twist the door handle to get back inside, but nothing happens when I go to pull it open.
Panic flares until I remember Orion telling me about a wedge he uses to keep the door from locking. It’s no one’s fault I forgot, and it’s not the worst thing to happen to me today by any means. However, I now need to use the rickety maintenance ladder and evade Cane’s wolf.
I walk over to the hole, and feel somewhat better being able to see the ground.
It’s still a long way down, but I’m comforted by the oversized bushes directly under it.
If I fall, landing on them would have to be better than on the ground.
But the noise will draw the wolf back, making a shitty situation a slightly perilous one.
After triple-checking no one is around, but before I chicken out, I grab the top of the old steel ladder and hover over the gaping hole.
My imagination conjures a hundred different scenarios, a lot of those involving me breaking bones or getting trapped on the ladder by an other—aka Cane—but the drive to get to the library is stronger.
The metal bars are icy cold, and the entire ladder sways as I step onto it. I narrow my world only focusing on one step at a time, making good progress until the ladder starts swaying like a pendulum. I cling on for dear life, squeezing my eyes shut and not moving.
As soon as the ladder stills, I lift my foot to place it onto the next rung, and the world falls from under me.
I drop the remaining distance, which isn’t far at all, and thankfully the bushes do what I hoped they would, cushion my fall.
Before shock can set in, I sprint to the tree line, driven faster by the presence behind me.
The Thales grounds might appear deserted, but I no longer trust what I see. I stay off the main pathways, racing from tree to tree in my attempt to outrun the shifter stalking my every step, eventually making it to the library in one piece.
The final hurdle is unlocking the door, which, if you were watching a horror movie, would be when shit goes south. Considering where I am and who is getting closer, it could still happen.
Thankfully, getting inside the door is as simple as using my student card. Holding the door open wide enough for Bugby, and once he’s through, I firmly shut it to seal us inside. Then I hope like all hell that Professor Cane’s wolf doesn’t have the ability to open doors or carry an access card.
I wait. And wait some more.
I nearly faint when I sense his presence so close I hear him snuffling through the heavy library door. Time stops, as does my heart. Fear bounces around my insides, making me question what the hell I’m doing.
Bugby caws softly, grounding me and reminding me of my purpose. I am where I need to be, and I am safe. After a few more drawn-out minutes, the heavy press of the wolf’s presence fades, which is my sign to hurry the hell up.
I turn, seeing the library for the first time.
“Fuck off,” I whisper, stunned by pretty much everything in view.
My attention is pulled in a million directions, and I’m completely spellbound in seconds.
Soaring ceilings and architectural intricacies that scream of a bygone era are impossible to look away from.
Without question, history buffs and tourists alike would flock to visit, given half a chance.
While the honey-rich-colored parquet flooring and the rest of the architectural features deserve more attention, it’s the sheer number of books and bookcases that steal my focus.
Bookcases line the edges of the walls and jut out into the body of the library, reminding me of the ribs of a giant whale, if whales were the size of an Olympic swimming pool.
And while the scale of the library is enormous, the space looks decidedly like a scene out of a fairy tale, with spiral staircases leading up to floating mezzanine floors that hold even more volumes.
Running down the center of the library are wing-back chairs, velvet chaise lounges, and a collection of glossy deep cherry timber desks and tables.
I can’t even count the number of library lamps dotted around, glowing invitingly.
I don’t think I’ll be able to study in my room again, and I’ll risk running the bully gauntlet daily if this is where I get to be.
A soft chime echoes through the library and brings back the reason I’m here in the first place. I walk toward the help desk, as even though it’s late, there’s a light on in one of the offices, and by the time I’m at the desk, a librarian is there waiting.
“You must be new,” she says, her voice soft but easy to discern.
“I’ve been at Thales now for a few weeks, but this is my first visit to the library. I’m Maya, and I know it’s late so I don’t want to bother you, but I was wondering if you could point me in the right direction.”
“And what were you looking for?”
“Anything on the origins of Quin-state. I don’t know enough about Thales or the members of Quin-state. And I should.”
She watches me carefully, listening to every word I say before smiling at me.
It’s not predatory; it’s genuine and sweet.
“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.” My eyes flare at her very human reference, but she ignores my reaction and goes on.
“While you know little of Quin-state, Maya Ellis, we know a lot about humanity. We have a wide selection of both fiction and nonfiction from inside the wall, should you ever get homesick.”
I trail after her, wondering how much more she knows about me.
She walks over to a spiral staircase tucked away from view, stopping at the bottom.
“My name is Shalah, and if you need me, all you need to do is call. The position of librarian in any of the provinces of Quin-state is one that has been passed down from generation to generation in my family’s lineage.
Librarians are impartial to the ways of others.
Our sole allegiance is to the preservation of the written word. ”
Again, she has me at a loss for words. The sparkle in her eyes suggests she knows it too.
What keeps me off balance is the lack of any kind of aura around her.
I’m not sure if it’s because she’s a librarian or if the library is shielded.
I’m also not sure it’s any of my business, which in some ways confirms I’m right where I need to be—in the epicenter of information.
“Any other books you need before I leave you, Maya Ellis, to discover the wonders of our library and the history of your fellow students?”
I finally find my words and blurt them out before I lose my nerve, or Cane appears. “Books on alignment, and anything on the concept of fated mates.”