Page 69 of Dragon Unleashed
Aries.
He plants himself between me and Morris, and I gasp at the sight of him standing here for everyone to see. It’s both a disaster and a saving grace. Morris takes one look at the broad-shouldered, shirtless, sweatpants-clad man before him and flees down the stairs and into the central stacks.
Aries starts to follow, and panic unlike I’ve ever known squeezes my heart until it nearly bursts from my chest. If Hoc finds Aries in this library today...
“Clauseruntque!” I scream the word, more desperate than I’ve ever been, and the book’s lock finally slides back into place. Whatever was struggling to get free is silenced, and the book falls still beneath my hands.
I immediately go after Aries, managing to grab his arm just before he would have hit the stairs. “Wait!”
“He was going to hurt you.” His voice is barely more than a growl.
The skin of his bicep turns to scales, and my fear reaches new heights. “Aries.” My voice is hard enough to make him turn. “If you go after him, you will be discovered too. And they will take you away from me. Is that what you want?”
His eyes narrow, and the rage radiating from his skin heats it to near-burning. My palm heats, but I force myself not to loosen my grip on him. “I want you to be safe,” he says, trembling with the effort of remaining still.
“I am,” I assure him.
I let go of his arm and press my hands to his cheeks, forcing his gaze to remain locked on mine. “I am safe,” I repeat. “As long as you’re with me.”
He blinks, and some of the fire in his eyes dims. “As long as I’m with you,” he repeats quietly.
“Come on,” I say, pulling him into the dark corner of the stacks so I can put the book back where it belongs.
“Where are we going?” he asks as he follows my lead.
“To put this damned book back before it ruins my life. And hopefully, to figure out just what in the hell is going on.”
Chapter19
Paige
My mind is whirring. Thoughts racing faster than I can even begin to grasp them. At the top of the list? Why the hell was Morris holding a book from the Vetus collection that only Hoc has access to?
Followed closely with: Why the hell was I able to open it—and close it for that matter? Only the head librarian has the power to access that particular section. And for good reason.
“You should have let me rip his spine out,” Aries growls as I drag him toward the back of the stacks where I can return this book and we can hopefully get away from here unseen.
“Yeah, because that would be an easy mess to explain.” As soon as we reach the open glass cabinet, I stop. We’re far enough back that no one will hear us, so I release his hand and fold nearly in half as I suck in a deep breath.
The book remains firmly clutched in my hands, silent now.
“What’s wrong?” Aries demands. “Are you hurt?”
“What? No.” I straighten again. “How did you even get here? You’re supposed to be in the basement, waiting for me to come get you.”
He shrugs. “I decided to check on you.”
I stare at him. “That doesn’t answer my question.”
“I can show you the tunnel if you like.”
I shake my head, too overwhelmed with what just happened to lecture him right now. “Never mind.”
“What’s wrong?” Aries asks.
“I’m just trying to figure this out. He shouldn’t have been able to even touch this book,” I tell Aries.
His brow furrows as he studies the simple leather jacket. “What is so special about it?”
