Page 62 of Court of Wolves

“Shall we go in?” Isak asked in a taunting little voice, skipping up the library’s wide steps and trying not to gawk at the beauty of it. The building was made of huge blocks of a rare teal stone, with arabesque patterns carved from the base of the library all the way to the towers that soared above. Every window and doorway was lined with bright gold. The name that curved above the grand doors was picked out in similar gilding. THE GREAT LIBRARY OF SAINSA, it read. Isak had heard stories about this place, tracing all the way back through centuries.

Isak strode through the mammoth door into a haven of rustling paper, murmured conversations, and… peace. A reverent quiet hung over the place that made Isak itchy. He wasn’t well suited for quiet places; he always wanted to shout something filthy at the top of his lungs.

Just ahead of him, a fae woman with half-moon spectacles perched on her long nose glanced up when the three of them—plus guards—strode in. Her skin was covered in rich green moss, and branches towered above her head, decorated in places with delicate gold rings. She wore a flowing purple robe, exactly what Isak would expect of a fae librarian, and when her mouth thinned at the racket the guards made in their leather armour, the look was complete. He waited for her to shush them, and smirked when she did just that.

Textbook librarian. Really, he couldn’t ask for any better.

Isak approached her desk and hadjustopened his mouth when Harth strode forward and spoke over him. “Hello, ma’am, we’re searching for books on the saints.”

“No, we’re searching for books on ancient relics,” Isak bit out, shooting the prince a warning look.Hewas the one who’d trekked across two kingdoms and sailed a fucking sea to get here, to find information to save Jaro and Maia. This washisgoddamn quest, and he’d be damned if Harth would override him. He met the librarian’s disapproving gaze and explained, “I’m looking for a golden box, probably decorative and very old. It’d be extremely powerful. Do you happen to know any books about a box like that?”

She glanced away from him towards Harth in all his fancy military regalia. “Books on saints can be found in the back, near the grand window.” Isak was speared with her gaze next. “Do you want fiction stories about relics, or history?”

“History,” he said at the same time Anzhelika said, “Both.”

“Split up?” he suggested, meeting his friend’s eyes and not understanding how she was so calm. He was itching under his skin, impatient and urgent and—afraid. He couldn’t explain how he knew, but they were running out of time. The news of those bleeding ships didn’t help.

“We’ll meet back in an hour,” Harth said, clapping Isak’s shoulder and halting before Anzhelika. Her expression warned him against any touching and he wisely avoided her. “Thank you,” the general enforcer said to the librarian, dipping his head as he and his guards strode off.

The woman sighed, her moss ruffling. “History section is upstairs, floor three. Stories of magic can be found on floor one and seven, depending on if you want adult fiction or children’s.”

“Thanks, beautiful,” Anzhelika said with a sultry smile that made her almost friendly. Isak gave her a disbelieving look. She whispered, “What? You heard Sunny last night; we’re shopping for a third.”

Isak laughed under his breath, though the smile fell from his face at the thought of climbing three fucking floors. With a sigh, and a quick thank you to the woman because Viskae reminded him of his manners, he set off, gripping the worn wooden handle of his stick.

This could be it,he told himself as he began to climb. This could be how they found the box, destroyed the saints, and saved his family.

An hour later,Isak’s eyes burned, his leg pulsed in complaint at the stiff position he sat in in the chair in front of a bright window on the third floor, surrounded by books and silence. It made Viskae’s voice all the clearer as she nagged at him, distracting him every two damn minutes.

“Could I get some fucking silence?” he snapped as he finally finished his latest chapter, finding no hint of any box. He knew about a dozen different swords, daggers, keys, and statues, but no box. “Actually, better than that,” he muttered so the otherpeople up here didn’t hear him, “why don’t you tell me where that pull you felt is leading you?”

I can still feel it,she replied.This is exactly where we’re meant to be. Something is tugging at me, pulling me… down?

“Down?” he murmured, closing the book and sliding it back onto the shelf since it was time to meet up with the others. “What the hell does that mean?”

You asked. Don’t take huff with me just because you don’t like the answer.

Isak sighed, grabbed his stick, and stretched out his leg before dragging himself out of the chair. The walk down was much preferable to the trek up six damn flights of stairs—two for each floor, becauseof course.He was irritable at the lack of progress but he reminded himself it had only been an hour and the great library was huge. It would take weeks to search everything here.

Fuck, that was a depressing thought.

“Any luck?” he asked when he reached the bottom of the stairs and spotted the general enforcer standing stiff-backed beside a tall bookcase full of bright-spined, leather-bound books.

“There’s mention of a lightning bolt pin being linked to the Eversky,” Harth answered instantly, striding forward and opening a small book to show Isak a sketch.

Isak pinched the bridge of his nose and grimaced. “Abox.Do you know what a box is, you fucking imbecile? It’s a cube, six-sided, and doesn’t generally pin itself to one’s fucking clothes!”

“I see our first leg of research went well,” Anzhelika drawled, skipping down the last few steps to join Isak. “I found a drinking tankard shaped like Leovan’s cock, in case you were wondering. The handle is his hairy ball sack.”

“Delightful,” Isak drawled, the laugh that broke from him lessening the tightness straining his chest. “Out of curiosity, anyone know where I can buy one?”

She snorted.

“Could we focus?” Harth snapped, his stern expression cracking to reveal the pressure underneath. “My sister’s life is at risk every moment you stand here laughing.”

Isak jerked forward, baring his teeth, his shoulders hunching around his ears. “I knowexactlywhat is at stake. I know what she’s going through right this second, because unlike you I’velivedit.” He was breathing hard now, his hand shaking where he gripped his stick. “You want to talk about time wasting? How about instead of starting arguments with me, we keep researching until we find this fucking box, because it’s the only thing standing between my mate anddeath.Since you missed it the first time, we’re looking for a goldbox,not any other trinket. An ancient box.”

Harth’s hostility had muted. Now he raked a hand over his perfect hair and sighed. “I thought the pin could help us, but you’re right. And I apologise for undermining your fear.”

---