Page 31 of Dragon Compelled
She bites her tongue and settles back with a huff, crossing both arms.
“They are perfectly capable,” Aries replies. “But as you can see, it’s a large library.”
“Yes. Well. That was never an issue before.”
“No, but then Constantine showed up,” I say.
“Constantine.” Tawny glares at me. “That’s the second time you’ve spoken that name. Who is he?”
“He’s the man who took Hoc,” I tell her.
“So you say. What proof do you have of his guilt?”
“Other than all of us witnessing his crime?” I pause, but she doesn’t respond other than to raise her brows, clearly indicating she wants more information. I huff. “He discovered an old tunnel that led to a secret cavern beneath the library and had been hiding there as he stole books and released creatures without our knowledge.”
“How did he manage to do all of that without anyone knowing?” Tawny demands.
I tense because this is the part I have no explanation for—other than Constantine’s claims that he used my magic to get around the library’s detection. A magic I refuse to tell her about, mostly because it makes me look guilty as hell.
“He was hiding outside the realm of the alarm,” Blossom snaps. “Releasing creatures in a cavern beneath the library where there were no safeguards.”
“And how exactly did Constantine get into the library in the first place?” Tawny fires back.
No one answers, which only makes her narrow her eyes on me.
“He came through a book,” I say finally.
“You have got to be kidding me,” Tawny nearly shrieks.
“He posed as a legitimate guest,” I tell her through clenched teeth. “We didn’t realize until it was too late.” But even as I speak the words, I see she doesn’t care about the reasoning. Only the event.
Tawny mutters something under her breath. She turns to Oliver. “This is a mess,” she says then turns back to me. “You believe that this man still has Hoc?”
“I know he does,” I reply. “Which is why we’ve been searching the books that were around him when they disappeared.”
“You’re looking for him.”
On her face, I see something dangerously close to hope. But it disappears almost as quickly as it appeared, leaving her with the irritation I’ve come to expect.
“We’re going to bring him home,” I reply.
I brace myself for her to protest our efforts, but instead, the second flicker of true emotion flashes across her expression. Fear. “Do you know how dangerous that is?”
“We do,” Mag says, speaking up for the first time. “But we’re willing to risk it to bring him home.”
“You might be, but that doesn’t mean it’s what is right for the library. You are here to protect this place and all the worlds in it. Not go chasing after a glimmer of hope that could lead to the utter destruction of all life. Hoc is gone. It’s best to let that lie.”
I shake my head and take a step forward, refusing to let this one go. “We both know you don’t mean that.”
Her glare turns murderous. “If you so much as injure one of the creatures inside those books, you will remain trapped there as well. Or did Hoc not cover that in your training? You will be completely and utterly stranded, forced to confront the consequences of your actions.”
“Which is why we’re not doing that,” Mag snaps back. “We’re careful. Remaining undetected for the most part.”
“Except when it comes to sirens,” Blossom mutters.
“Sirens?” Tawny demands.
Mag’s face reddens.
