Page 102 of Hidden Kingdoms

“I don’t know.” Calloway swallowed, eyes darting to Blair’s back and cringing a little. That primal part of her magik knowing instinctively that Blair was something different, something unknown.

Blair turned then, head tilted at a slight angle as she faced Calloway who leaned away slightly, despite the fact Blair had come no closer.

My lips pressed into a tight line, smothering the smile that didn’t belong here as I—once again—was witness to how utterly creepy Blair could be without an ounce of effort. Sometimes I wished she knew she was doing it so we could laugh about it together later. But she didn’t, because then she wouldn’t be Blair.

“I’d like to see her room.” It had been searched already, but I doubted it had been thorough.

Calloway’s eyes swept over me then, assessing. Whatever she saw must have gone in my favour as she nodded, gesturing to the stairs outside the small sitting room.

“It’s the first door on the right,” she said, sighing heavily. “I… I haven’t been in there yet.”

I stood, heading for the stairs and leaving Blair to do… whatever it was that she was doing. The steps groaned under my feet as I reached the landing, four doors leading off it.

Marina’s name hung in navy letters on a plaque nailed to one. My magik trailed over it. Over the handle, the wood. The carpet outside.

When nothing of interest was found, my shadows pushed at the door, and I stepped into her empty room.

39

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

ELODIE

The soft thud of the closing door echoed around me, disrupting the quiet that lay thick like its own blanket over the space I was now in. Untold amounts of books lined the walls of the circular room, stretching up high into the vaulted ceiling. A series of walkways at least a floor apart followed the curve, allowing access to the tomes out of reach.

A glass window, so high up it looked no bigger than a tyre, let in rays of sunlight that miraculously landed on the grey marble floor. The light shining onto gemstones that had been embedded there, fractures of light casting off them in a kaleidoscope of colours.

Ahead, a dark, wide corridor lined with more books led away, the faint glow of stone lights held in brackets illuminated its entrance.

Made sense to omit the flames from a place like this.

I moved forward, filled with a sense of wonder as drops of rainbow light fell across my skin. The floor was cold here, compared to the rest of the palace, my soft shoes making barely a whisper as I took in everything around me. As I soaked in the silence, there was no holding back the smile on my face.

This was nothing like I had been expecting. Had the prince really meant for me to come here or was this Alouette’s doing? I found I didn’t much care because here I was, surrounded by all the knowledge, all the answers.

I had to admit, I had no clue where to start; this place was vast. I turned slowly on the spot before crossing to the nearest shelf, slowly enough not to disrupt the silence that felt as if it was its own presence. Some entity held here to guard over this treasure. A shiver ran down my body at the thought before I dismissed the idea, eyes already wandering over the titles in front of me.

Thick tomes bound in old leather lined the shelf, their spines cracked with age yet well cared for. Running my fingers along them, I waited for something to grab my attention. Most seemed to be in a language I couldn’t read. I pulled a heavy red one from its place and opened it, staring down at words I couldn’t make sense of. Sighing, I slipped it back, touching my fingers over the spines at random.

It was no good having access to books if I couldn’t even read them. Giving up on roaming the shelves, hoping for something recognisable, I walked towards the corridor. I felt that tug on my heart that had begun to feel familiar, and my feet stepped forward on their own volition. I let it guide me, pull me onwards, each light flaring and dimming as I passed.

When I reached the other side, the library opened up before me. Ten times as big as the room I had come from, the ceiling just as high, except in here there was no glass ceiling. No windows disrupting the thick tapestries that lined the towering walls. No light except the stones that cast a dim glow through the space. It was enough for me to make out a short distance through the tall, dark shelves lined with books that stood in rows ahead of me, though beyond that sat in gloom.

The nearest light grew brighter as I passed, my magik reaching towards it. I kept moving and soon lost myself wandering quietly down the rows of books. The smell of paper and leather wrapping itself around me as I scanned for any sort of markers that would clue me in on what was on the shelves. Trailing my fingers across the cracked spines that sat in neat rows, I felt their energy tease at my skin, and smiled wider than I had since I had landed in this crazy place, finding comfort in the silence.

Each one held the possibility of an answer, the promise of knowledge I needed desperately. But they also held the promise of questions, ones that I knew could change everything if I were willing to ask them.

I carried on, row after row. The lights responding to my presence as I moved, not paying much attention to the titles, marvelling at the sheer volume that surrounded me and how I now had access to it all. So far, I hadn’t noticed anything familiar but given the amount of books in here, that was hardly surprising. The language had changed now, and I could read most of the words my eyes passed over.

Something began teasing at the edges of my mind, a soft caress that grew more insistent with every book I touched. My magik reached for it, pulling it with the barest tug and images began to flick through my mind. Too fast for me to make any real sense of, though I caught a glimpse of a large snow-capped mountain, and I pulled my hand away from the books with a sharp intake of breath, the jingle of my bracelets slicing through the stillness.

Hesitantly placing the lightest of touches on the book, images again flooded my mind, slower this time as I concentrated on steadying my thoughts.

The mountain was there again, its peak covered with snow, a pine forest sweeping up its sides. A chill crept over me as if I hadbeen standing on its summit and not in a library surrounded by books, and I pulled away again.

Desperate for the words to be in a language I understood, I checked the cover. Breath held as I read the cover,Rutagian Peaks – Where Not to Step.

How was that possible? Frowning, I took the book from the shelf, opened it and skimmed through the pages. I found it to be a guidebook for a mountain range I had never heard of. In quiet disbelief, I placed it back in the space it had been in.

---