Chapter 39
Ceri
Awhoosh sound rushed past my ears, and I wobbled on my feet, blinking as my surroundings became clear.
Shelves upon shelves of books surrounded me, the morning light shining in through the pink and purple stained-glass windows. The smell of paper and fresh ink filled the air, comforting and familiar.
“The library?” Meera asked from next to me. “This is where our trial is?”
“Well, hello, lovelies.” Marsten stepped up next to me, wearing a yellow sundress.
I turned. “Where did you get that?”
“I found it in my mother’s wardrobe. Some of her old clothes that we didn’t get rid of after she passed.” He stuck out his leg and struck a pose. “What do you think?”
“It’s fabulous. I think you’ve found your new style.”
He straightened, eyes alight with excitement. “I think so too. My legs were made for short dresses.”
“I volunteer to disappear,” Meera called out. “End the trial now. Take me.”
Marsten rolled his eyes. “Oh, stop being so dramatic.”
His gaze veered to me and narrowed. I shifted on my feet. “Someone had a good night.”
“She was with the prince, so I highly doubt it,” Meera said.
Marsten’s mouth stretched into a smile. “Yes, do tell about your night with the prince.”
“No.” I raised my chin. “I can’t. It’s too filthy for Meera’s delicate ears.”
Marsten clapped and squealed. “I knew it. I knew you two had feelings for each other.”
“I’m not delicate,” Meera said, ears perking. “I just don’t feel the need to tell everyone everything. Do I go into detail about my intimate interactions with other cats?”
“No, but I’d actually be okay hearing about that,” Marsten said as Meera glared.
I patted Meera on the head. “I’m sorry, but, well, you two are my friends, and that’s what we do with friends. We tell them things.”
“What positions?” Marsten ticked off his fingers. “Where? Oh! And how big was it?”
Morton cleared his throat from where he sat on a cushioned bench by the window. “That was ten minutes of my life I will never get back.”
“For once I agree with the bookwyrm,” Meera mumbled.
Morton spread out his wings behind him. “Welcome to trial number five, which happens to take place in my favorite room of the castle.”
“Please don’t eat a book in front of us,” Meera said.
By this point in the trials, Morton must’ve been used to all the jabs because he didn’t even blink; he just continued on as if Meera hadn’t spoken.
“Your trial today will be simple.”
Marsten rolled his eyes. “Yes, that sounds completely true.”
“Knowledge is power,” Morton said. “It’s also the key to unlocking the past. Today you’ll be searching for a book, one where true love’s kiss breaks a curse.”
I wrinkled my nose, unable to think of any books off the top of my head that fit that description.
“A book?” Meera asked. “What does that have to do with being queen?”
“Can’t we just declare Ceri the winner?” Marsten asked. “She definitely won last night,” he murmured, and I elbowed him.
“Unfortunately, that is not how these trials work. You must find the book because a good queen is not just the heart of the people but the soul.”
With that, Morton disappeared, and we all turned and looked at each other.
Marsten dropped into one of the armchairs sitting in front of the shelves. “I’m just going to relax. Ceri is clearly the one meant to win this all and become our queen. Might as well just let her.”
Meera hopped up onto the chair. “I agree. I don’t even care if I disappear at this point. Besides, I’m fairly certain everyone will return once the competition is over.” She gestured at me with her paw. “So go on. Go find whatever you’re meant to.”
I planted my hands on my hips. “You’re not going to help me at all?
I have no idea where to start.” I gestured around the space, to the rows and rows of tall shelves looming over us and the spiral staircase that led to a second level full of even more books.
“There are thousands of books in here. It could take me days to find the right one.”
Marsten let out a dramatic groan and pushed himself out of the chair. “Fine. I will help. But I better not break a nail.”
“I’ll help if you promise me fish.” Meera flashed her teeth.
“Okay. Sure. Fresh fish. I’m sure I can find a stream somewhere on the mountain.”
They both began wandering down the aisle between the shelves, and I ran to catch up. “Morton said something about the past. So maybe we need to look in the history section?” I suggested.
“See?” Marsten stopped in front of the shelves labeled History. “You don’t even need us.”
Meera walked between the rows of shelves, peering at the books. “Maybe we are supposed to find a book about the history of queens and read it?”
Marsten picked out a book and stared at it with a tilted head. “Or maybe one on queenly duties? Do those have anything to do with breaking curses?”
I bit the inside of my cheek and shook my head. “It’ll have to be more obvious than that. Not just a random book but the one that Castle wants us to find.”
“You know, I always hated reading,” Marsten flicked the spine of another book.
“Somewhere in this castle, Morton just fainted from shock,” I said to him.
“You should be happy you were taught to read,” Meera said.
“You weren’t?” Marsten asked.
Meera huffed. “Honestly, you humans know nothing about the Fair Folk.”
I bent over to peer down at a row of books.
“To be fair,” Marsten said, “up until two years ago, I thought you were just a children’s bedtime story.”
“Well, you’d think after living with us for two years, you’d make more of an effort to learn about the Fair Folk.”
I straightened, remembering something Niamh had mentioned during one of our book club meetings. “Is it true that Fairwitch destroyed all the books and literature about the Fair Folk?” I asked. “So that when the godwitches went to the Otherworld, humans would slowly forget about your existence.”
“Yes,” Meera said. “But Fairwitch wouldn’t have destroyed the books. The godwitch of knowledge wouldn’t have allowed that. Fairwitch would’ve hidden the books somewhere no one could find them.”
“Wow, whoever stumbles upon that will have the find of the century,” Marsten said as we reached the end of the aisle and wandered into another one.
“I don’t understand why Fairwitch went to such lengths to punish all of you. Surely they understood you’d fight back against slavery.”
“Fairwitch didn’t care about that,” Meera said. “Many of the godwitches were setting their faerie slaves free, letting them live their own lives. Fairwitch allowed it.”
I stopped in front of a book about the history of kings and queens in Aubergn. I touched it to see if anything happened, but I got no reaction, nothing to tell me I was on the right path.
“I thought that was the whole reason Fairwitch hated your people. Because you rose up against them.”
“No, Fairwitch didn’t hate us. Fairwitch hated Aoife.”
“The faerie queen?” I asked, running my fingers along the spines of the books. At this rate, we would never find what we were looking for. “Are you telling me the entire reason Fairwitch cursed you was because of your queen? I thought they had her killed.”
“They did,” Meera said, tail flicking behind her. “But Fairwitch wanted to teach all of us a lesson. We embarrassed them with our uprising, humiliated them when we almost won our freedom.”
The cruelty of Fairwitch was horrific. “I’m so sorry, Meera. For how much your people have suffered.”
“Yes, well, we’ll find a way to free ourselves yet. We found all of you. Brought you to our mountain. I think there’s a reason behind all of this.”
Marsten and I shot each other looks.
“I might not like shifting to my human form, but I do still recognize your little silent looks.” Meera blinked. “What was that about?”
“I just think it’s the first time I’ve ever heard you be something other than cynical. You were being very uncynical.” Marsten wrinkled his nose. “Is that a word?”
We got to the end of the aisle and turned into the next one. Here, the spines of the books were decidedly thinner.
I groaned. “Well, we’re out of the historical section. Now what?”
“Ooh.” Marsten skipped toward the middle of the aisle, pulling out a thin book with golden lettering on it. “You know, I might not like reading, but this was one exception. I read this story over and over when I was little . . .” He trailed off. “Wait, why is it glowing?”
I gasped. “True love’s kiss. That’s the name of the book. Of course. I read that book, too, as a child. Actually, Papa read it to me and my sister at night. Brea was obsessed with the story of the cursed maiden statue and the child who’d saved her with a kiss.”
We’d re-enact it and fight over who got to be the hero, and because I was oldest, I usually won.
“Do you think Castle wanted us to find that book?” I asked. “A children’s book?”
Marsten scoffed, trying to put the book back. He shoved it toward the bookshelf, but golden swirls rose up, blocking his attempt.
“I’d say that answers that question,” Meera said.
“Marsten found the book,” I said, stomach dropping as the floor disappeared from under us and we began to fall.
I didn’t even have time to let out a scream before we were dropping into the throne room, all of us landing on our feet in front of the dais.
“Ceri!” Arms wrapped around my shoulders, and a familiar scent of cedar washed over me.
I leaned into Cillian’s touch, not even realizing how much I’d missed it in the hour we’d been apart. I’d only experienced one night in Cillian’s bed, and yet it seemed I was now addicted. I inhaled deeply.
“We’re fine, too, thank you for asking.” Marsten waved.
“Congratulations to the winner of today’s trial.” We all turned to see Morton at his usual place on Cillian’s throne. “Marsten, you found the book.”
Marsten held it in the air, giving a strained smile while shooting nervous glances toward me. “I didn’t mean to,” he said. “Ceri was supposed to take it, but note to future self: glowing books are not normal. Do not grab them.”
“Unfortunately, that means one of you will be eliminated today.”
Cillian tightened his hold.
“If it’s me,” I started—
“I won’t let Castle take you,” he said, voice fierce.
I turned to face him. “If it’s me, Cillian . . .”
He swallowed thickly and nodded. “I’ll take care of him.”
“The person eliminated today is Cerriwen Morgane.”