Page 37 of Touched

Repacking my books, I begin the walk home, ignoring my tail, my thoughts reeling over Callum.

What could our future be if the past wasn’t what it was?

He and I have a connection, there’s no denying that.

I felt it. He felt it.

Callum is my Kindred.

He is the one.

I don’t care if he’s Sylph. I’ve never felt anything like the things he stirs inside of me. No Fae has ever made me long for a touch… for a single kiss the way Callum has.

I need to find him.

I need to find a way back to him, and the Archives might just be the way for me to do it. The entire Fae history is tucked away somewhere on those shelves. I will find a way for us to be together.

I just need to get rid of these prying eyes.

Away from my parents.

And through the ward reinforcements.

The sky is deep onyx with only the light from the moonbeams allowing me to see. Listening carefully, I make certain I hear nothing before slipping out of my bedroom window. My escape is muffled as I land on the moss-covered ground beneath my sill. Pausing for a scant second, I again listen for any hint of a sound. Hearing nothing, my eyes quickly rove through the darkness.

No one is about. Everyone is asleep. Hugging the shadows, I make my way through the colony to the Archives beside the castle. The insects, frogs, and nocturnal animals are my only companions.

Within minutes, that seem like hours, I arrive at the heavy wooden doors of the Archives. It’s off to the side of the castle, and seeing as we’re behind wards, there are no sentries at this entrance. Reaching out a clammy hand, I grasp the gnarled cypress knot knob of the heavy door and attempt to turn it.

Oh, hells.

What am I doing?

This is insanity.

Stop it, Aeris… the answers I need are behind these doors. I know it.

They have to be.

Holding my breath, I carefully twist the knob. It opens with zero resistance.

This is too easy. It can’t be this simple to get into the Archives.

Right?

Not that I’ve ever even thought about trying before.

Peeking through the slight opening, I carefully scan the interior. No one is about inside either.

Quickly slipping through the door, I silently close it behind me and tiptoe across the packed dirt beneath my feet. The moss and algae also help to conceal any sound my steps make. My heart races in my chest, and I feel as though I’ll pass out at any second.

Every few steps, I stop to listen intently, making certain no one else is around. My eyes scan every door I pass, reading the delicate letters carved into the heavy wood indicating what is concealed inside.Ancestry… Conflicts… Kindred… Historyand finally, on the last door along the vine-covered wall,Protection.

This is it!

The secrets to slipping through the wards completely undetected must be within that room.

Taking a deep breath, I look around once more before carefully opening the door and slipping through the crack. Then, I quietly close it behind me. Leaning back against it, I take several deep breaths and close my eyes to stop the room from spinning. My nerves have me lightheaded. Within a few seconds, I’m semi-calm again.

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