Page 30 of Dragon Unleashed
“What?” I hiss.
“Hellhounds are a myth.”
“Not here, they aren’t. Though Bingo definitely knows he’s one-of-a-kind. The little beast acts like he owns the place.”
Aries just looks at me.
“Come on.”
I lead the way, and thankfully, Aries starts moving again. Sconces glow from the far walls, plunging the center into near darkness. Not that it matters. Every creature in this place has supernatural senses including heightened eyesight. Still, no one knows this place better than I do, and for once, I’m grateful for a childhood spent among the lonely stacks of the Athenaeum.
We make it through the shifter section and then straight back to the reference area. Tables are set up in an open space to allow for the review and study of materials. This is where guests tend to spend the most time, but with the late hour, the space is empty, and the lights are off. We skirt past with no problem.
Up ahead, the path forks. To the right, a narrow spiral staircase leads up to the alchemy section. “That’s where we’ll go next,” I whisper, pointing up at it. “First, we have to put this back,” I add, taking his book out from underneath my arm. “Ready?”
He nods.
Shit. Here goes nothing.
I take the walkway to the left which circles around the outside of the aisles, running all the way from front to back. I know from our times patrolling together, Blossom will have kept to the inner aisles to cover more ground, so this is our best shot. It’s also, technically, the most vulnerable option with no shelves for cover until we reach the winged creatures section. I don’t bother mentioning that to Aries.
It’s too late for second thoughts.
Halfway down, the back of my neck prickles, and I glance back. Aries meets my eyes, his brows dipping in silent question. My gaze darts past him, drawn to the second-floor landing where the alchemy section is swathed in heavy shadows. In the near-darkness, I swear something moves.
My foot catches, and I stumble, avoiding a face plant when Aries’ strong hands pick me clear up off the ground. My head whips back around, and I meet Aries’ wide-eyed stare, my chest heaving.
He sets me back on my feet, but his warm hands remain where they are, firmly planted low on my hips. It doesn’t help my effort to breathe, but it damn sure feels delicious.
“You okay?” he asks in a low, rumbly voice I want to bottle and sell to all the ASMR lovers in the world, then retire early.
“Yeah.” My breath whooshes out on the word.
Aries looks skeptical, but he finally releases me. My hips tingle where he was just touching them. Something about his darkening expression tells me he knows exactly what his touch does to me too.
I clear my throat before remembering I’m supposed to be stealthy right now. Son of a … I suck at ninja mode. “Come on.”
We start again, thankfully reaching the winged creatures section with no more incidents. I count the aisles until I recognize the one from last night. The only evidence of what happened is a small coffee-colored stain that’s barely noticeable, but still, I feel like there’s some sort of neon banner blinking overhead to announce it.
At least there’s no sign of Blossom.
“Okay, your book goes at the far end there,” I whisper. “I’m going to run down and put it back.”
Aries looks at me like I’m not to be trusted. “I wonder if I should be the one to do the running?”
“I tripped one time,” I hiss then realize that’s not exactly true. “Fine, two times. And one of those times, I unleashed a dragon, but that doesn’t mean I can’t do this.”
“Of course,” he says, his tone patronizing. “I only meant to help.”
I scowl and turn around to face the aisle in question. There and back. Quick and easy. Then we can go looking for answers.
I inhale a deep breath and then, slowly, blow it out again. With the book clutched in one hand, I bend my knees and pause, listening one last time to be sure we’re alone. With only silence surrounding us, I take off.
My legs pump, and my sneakers hit the carpet with barely a sound. In half a dozen strides, I reach the end of the aisle, and my eyes find the small, almost imperceptible gap between volumes. Lining up the cover to the opening, I push the book into its rightful place and then turn and run back.
I almost make it, too.
Above our heads, I sense movement. The distraction is enough to make me stumble the last step. Aries throws his arms out to catch me, but the momentum throws him off balance, and he is driven backward until his shoulders bump into the wall. One of the sconces comes loose and falls. The carpet mutes the sound of the iron hitting the floor, but it’s still plenty loud enough to bring a keeper running.
