Page 57 of Dragon Compelled
At my words, Mag’s cheeks flush with color. “That asshole deserves a slow death.”
“No argument from me. But in the meantime, we need to figure out how to turn off Hoc’s tattoo.”
“How do we do that?” Blossom asks. “I mean, isn’t that up to the library’s discretion?”
They glance around as if the library itself might answer us, which only I know, obviously, she could. But she doesn’t.
“You know the library’s magic wasn’t always so autonomous,” Mag says, and both Blossom and I swivel to stare at him.
“How do you know that?” she asks.
“Hoc talked about it once. I mostly tuned him out because it was boring history that had nothing to do with me, but I remember him saying the library’s magic came from a collective.”
“You mean it was created by a group of people?” I ask.
He shrugs. “I guess so. Anyway, if that’s the case, maybe we can find whoever it was and get some answers about how the alarm keeps being overridden in the first place.”
“And they can help stop the council from voting me out,” I say.
“Where do we find that kind of history, though?” Blossom asks.
“I don’t know.” My shoulders sag. “The Vetus collection contained the only history older than the library, and since it’s gone...”
“Is there anything in Hoc’s personal journals about it?” she asks. “He was kind of obsessed with the history of this place. Maybe he wrote something down?”
“Maybe.” I turn on my heel and start toward the office. Blossom and Mag follow quickly, and I can tell we’re all hoping there’ll be something worth finding.
After sitting behind the desk, I open up my computer and click on the folder labeled simply Athenaeum History.
Scanning quickly, I look for anything about who or what created the magic the library now possesses.
“What does it say?” Blossom asks impatiently.
“According to Hoc’s notes, the Athenaeum dates back over a millennium and was once part of a thriving city called Atlantis. The city was destroyed, and now all that remains is this library, which preserves all worlds that exist in all universes and dimensions so long as the library’s magic continues to withstand any forces that come against it.”
“Damn, so like, we’re the center of the entire universe in here?” Mag asks.
“Do not make this about you being the most important being in the world,” Blossom warns.
“Hey,” Mag tells her with a wink. “You’re important too, sweetheart.”
“Guys,” I say, waiting until I have their attention again before continuing, “In order to protect and preserve the connection to all worlds, the library was gifted a well of magic from the last remaining survivors of Atlantis—a coven of mages whose power, combined, serves as a renewable power source for the library’s heart.”
“What do you mean? How can a building have a heart?” Blossom asks.
“It just says whoever possesses its heart rules the Athenaeum,” I say, scanning the notes.
“What about us, though?” Mag asks. “What does it say about protectors of the library and all that?”
“What did I say about making this about you?” Blossom asks.
“Not for me, for Hoc,” he says, rolling his eyes. “For our tattoos.”
I scan until my eyes snag on the word “tattoo” and then read it aloud. “Looks like our tattoos are gifted by the library upon the beginning of service, through a spell conveyed by the mages at the time they created the library, and removed via the same spell as soon as your term is up.”
“In other words, when we expire, so does the spell gifting us our ink?” Mag asks.
“Mag,” Blossom hisses.
