Page 83 of The Library of Second Chances
Chloe glanced to the kitchen, where Harry was laughing about something. ‘They have,’ she said, her voice soft. ‘Tremendously.’ She opened the book. ‘Let’s send you home.’
‘Aw, already?’ Gwen had appeared in the archway, a cup of tea in each hand. ‘Won’t you stay for tea?’
‘Thank you, Miss Gwen, but I’m needed elsewhere.’ The nobleman rose to his feet. ‘Miss Chloe, I thank you for your help and your advice.’
Harry and Eric appeared, and they all watched as Chloe confidently read aloud the nobleman’s last line in the book. Sure enough, he faded, and the glow on the book did, too.
Gwen sighed slowly, setting down the teacups and collapsing on the couch. ‘Looks like we’re done.’
‘Where’s Mrs Cook?’ asked Chloe, realising the elderly lady hadn’t joined them.
‘Still outside.’ There was a smile in Eric’s voice as he peeked through the curtains. ‘Look.’
Mrs Cook was still chatting with Joe, both of them laughing about something. Chloe had never seen Mrs Cook look so flustered. Joe said something that made her giggle, her hands over her mouth.
‘Well,’ said Harry, joining her at the window. ‘Who would have thought it?’
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
CHLOE COULDN’T EXPLAINit, but now they had finally sent the last character back into their story, the books they carried with them now unremarkable and not glowing, she felt a shift in the air. A sudden absence of something in Wellbridge. It was not a melancholy loss, but more like a noticeable lack of . . . something. Magic, perhaps.
‘It’s done,’ she said to the others. Even if she hadn’t known it, she would be able to feel it. ‘Do you feel that, too? Like the magic is gone.’
‘Gone?’ Harry looked stricken.
‘Hopefully not gone from the library itself.’ Chloe thought it would be awful if the moving bookshelves, glowing books and personality of the library were gone for ever. ‘There’s only one way to find out, isn’t there?’
They fetched Mrs Cook from outside. She seemed surprised that they had sent back the last character already, and Joe gave them a cheerful wave. They went back to the library. It was already evening, but Harry went to the Brew House, open late for dinner, and bought them all lattes and sandwiches. They rested in the library lobby as they sipped and swapped funny stories about their adventure, how they’d narrowly missed being caught.
‘Do you think there are videos of you being carried through the air on social media?’ Chloe asked, anxious as she pulled out her phone.
‘I checked already. There’s nothing.’ Gwen sounded a little disappointed.
‘That’s a good thing,’ Chloe reminded her sister. ‘Though I suppose people would have just dismissed it as fake orAIgenerated.’
‘Maybe no one seeing it was part of the library’s magic. Or just a happy coincidence,’ Harry remarked, scratching his chin. It was the first time Chloe had heard him say the word ‘magic’ aloud, and it made her tingle all over.
Chloe took a bite of her egg salad sandwich, trying not to stare at him too much. Their kiss in the chapel still lingered, and now that their task of helping the library was complete, she allowed herself to think about it.
‘Chloe, you’ve got egg on your chin,’ said Gwen.
Scowling and wiping away the mess, Chloe glanced around. ‘I suppose we should close the library tomorrow so we can get this mess cleaned up.’ She sighed as she took in the fallen bookcases and scattered papers. There were hundreds of books on the floor, but at least none of them were glowing any more. It would take hours to get everything tidied up. But the characters were at last all back in their stories, and that was the most important thing. There were no more mischievous poltergeists or enchanted animals or talking lions.
‘Who was that guy with the tattoos?’ asked Gwen. ‘You know, the one who could—’ she cleared her throat, ‘uh, fly. He was here earlier. He had a huge wingspan, and his eyes were . . .’ She trailed off, looking dreamily in the distance.
‘Why? Are you going to ask him out?’ asked Chloe with a smirk.
Gwen shrugged. ‘Maybe he’ll want to come out of his book now and again.’ She looked confused. ‘That is such a weird sentence. Whowashe, Chloe?’
‘Maybe you should read the book and find out,’ said Mrs Cook, her eyes twinkling. Eric snickered into his coffee.
‘Yeah.’ Gwen laughed. ‘Maybe I should.’
‘I still can’t understand how this all happened,’ said Mrs Cook. She glanced around the library, a look Chloe now knew meant she was thinking about the library herself, trying to understand it. ‘Did your magic . . . break?’
Something fluttered in the library’s lights, a rush of cold washing over them. ‘Hmm. That means no.’ Mrs Cook tapped her chin.
‘I think I know.’
