Page 46 of Dragon Compelled
“What if my magic is only capable of destruction?” she blurts.
“That’s ridiculous,” Blossom tells her. “Magic is neither good nor evil. It’s a tool. Its outcome is determined by the wielder’s heart, and your heart, Paige, is the purest I’ve ever known.”
Paige looks at her with fear written plainly on her gorgeous face. “What if you’re wrong?”
“I’m not,” Blossom says firmly. “But you have to decide for yourself.”
“Blossom’s right, Paige,” Mag says. “You can do this, but you have to open yourself up to it.”
“And if I can’t?” Paige whispers, eyes filled with tears that make me want to rage against something—anything—if only to take away her pain.
For a moment, no one says a word.
Mag lets out a groan that shatters the silence and honestly reminds me of the dramatics my brother, Leo, will resort to if given the opportunity.
“Now what?” Blossom demands.
“We can’t hunt anymore,” Mag says dismally. “That’s my fault. I’m sorry.”
“It’s no one’s fault,” Paige says. She pins me with a look before I can argue. “But you’re right; we can’t hunt anymore. In fact, tomorrow, first thing, I’m taking all of those books out of the basement and putting them away.”
“Whoa, you can’t—” Mag starts.
“I can and I will, especially if it means protecting you. Because that’s my job,” she tells him. And while her grief is written clearly on her face, her determination is stronger than I’ve seen in weeks. “And thus far, I’ve done a shitty job of it, but I’m correcting that now. This is my library, and your safety is in my hands, so I’m pulling the plug on your hunting expeditions. Mag, you’re staying here in Blossom’s room until you’re healed. No patrols—”
“I can at least patrol the stacks,” he protests.
“Absolutely not.” Paige’s expression is set as she stands over him. “You’ll have round-the-clock care too.”
“I’ll stay with him tonight,” Blossom says.
Again, I see an intimate look pass between them, and I know Paige doesn’t miss it, but she doesn’t mention it either.
“Good,” Paige says simply. “The gnomes and Bingo can cover patrols tonight and tomorrow. Now.” She turns to me. “Aries, promise me you won’t go into those books alone.”
“Paige.”
“Promise me.” She all but whispers it. “Aries, I can’t lose you, too.” I want to refuse. Want to insist that I will be fine, but the pain in her eyes is breathtaking, and I know I would agree to literally anything if only to bring her a moment of peace.
So, I nod, fearing what this will cost her before it’s over. “I promise.”
Chapter13
Paige
The zombie hand Blossom severed is gone when I arrive in the basement the following morning. I have no idea whether the gnomes removed it and disposed of it or Bingo made it a meal. Either way, I decide it’s best not to think about it and instead focus on the task at hand. Somehow, the stack of books in the basement looks even more imposing than it did before. I stare at them, as I have been for the past ten minutes, all but willing Hoc to pop out of one of them. Thankfully, tears elude me now.
I’m all griefed out.
Seeing Mag bleeding out all over Blossom’s couch cemented the fact that Hoc is never coming back. Risking the library and its keepers is not something he would ever want me doing, which means our search ends here and now.
It has to. Even if doing so tears my heart out.
I step forward and run my fingers over the covers of the books we collected when Hoc vanished through that portal. He’s somewhere inside one of these worlds, and now I’ll never know which one—or what truly became of the man who was the only father I ever knew. Looking up, I all but will the Athenaeum to appear.
To show herself and deliver me the answers I seek. But I know she won’t. Deep down, I know that I am on my own with this even if I am surrounded by friends.
The door opens and I glance over as Blossom stops in the doorway. Her eyes are puffy from lack of sleep, her white hair up in a bun on top of her head. She already has a massive cup of coffee in her hand, and I’d be willing to bet it’s not her first one of the night.
