Page 54 of A Kiss From Death
“And if you don’t know the exact title of the book, then what?” I ask.
He ponders my question for a moment. “I have every title memorized, so I’m not quite sure. I would assume if you were to think about a specific topic, maybe it could call to you. But you have to factor in that there are many similar books in here, and that could turn into chaos quickly, so I wouldn’t advise.” He leans back in his chair, bored of this topic, and dives into his new book.
Thinking this over, I return to my hunt for answers. I snag a few books along the way that may be promising, books about the history of Lunaria and the limits of magic. They are all factual and to the point, but it couldn’t hurt to flip through them later. There could be a detail in one of them that can lead me in the right direction.
I let out a big yawn, about ready to retire to my room, but I decide to try something first. Closing my eyes, I call to the books around me and recite the riddle in my head. I wait and wait, but nothing happens. No books fly through the air or spark my attention. Trying again, I decide to change tactics. Calling to the books again, I simply ask them for answers.
Nothing happens at first, but when I go to leave, my feet won’t let me move. It’s like my body is pulling me away from the door. Closing my eyes, I reach inside myself, feeling around for that pull again. Like an invisible rope, I latch on to the feeling, and my body takes over, dragging my feet across the room until I’m standing in front of a bookshelf hidden in the corner.
My eyes search the shelf and catch on a row of brown, leather bound books with no titles on their spines nestled at the bottom. They’re uniform in size; there has to be at least twenty of them pressed together.
Looking over at Hade, I make sure he isn’t watching me as I snag the first one off the shelf. Peeling it open, I realize it’s a journal. There’s a name carved into the front, but it’s so weathered, it’simpossible to read.
I briefly flip through the pages, noticing handwritten entries each dated by age. I’m not sure whose journal it is, but I know there must be something inside to help me. I slide it under my cloak to hide it away. I know Hade is okay with me taking a few history books to read, but I don’t think that applies to someone’s journal collection that is obviously important and hidden for a reason. I’ll start with one and slowly trade them out so he won’t notice.
Walking back over to Hade, I tap his shoulder. “Thank you,Death Reaper. It’s always a pleasure.” I fake bow, mocking him with as much sarcasm as I can infuse into my tone. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll get out of your hair and leave more room for your giant ego.”
I go to walk away, but his hand darts out, tightly gripping my wrist. “I’ll walk you back.”
“I’d rather you didn’t,” I grunt, trying to pull my arm from his hand.
“You make it sound like I was giving you a choice.”
I go to say something snarky, but I decide better. Schooling my features, I nod to him once. He can’t possibly know I stole one of the journals, but it’s not smart of me to push his buttons right now and possibly out myself—or even worse, drop the journal in front of him. My body loves to turn to mush when Hade’s involved, and I’d rather not have to explain myself out of that one.Oops, sorry, sir, I didn’t notice there was a journal stashed under my arm. How silly of me. Yeah, no thank you.
I rip my arm away, making him chuckle as he strides in front of me to open the door. I sarcastically curtsy to him, and I swear, I notice the slight curve of his lip in a genuine half-smile. I commit it to memory, loving the ease at which it bloomed across his face. My little heart pounds like a drum from the simplest things this man does, force feeding me little parts of himself I want to stash away like a hibernating animal. It’s confusing and infuriating.
I try to put as much distance between us as possible, hoping I can blend into the shadows and sneak back to my room. In three large strides, though, he has caught back up to me with ease. Grunting, I keep my face forward and pretend he’s not there.
He lets out a breathy, soft laugh. “Brat,” he says in an amused tone.
Spinning on my heels, I turn to face him, which only makes him run right into my chest. “I only agreed to let you walk me back to my room, I never agreed to acknowledge you while doing it.” I have to crane my neck to look into his eyes.
He takes a step forward, making me take a step back to match him. “Forgive me for being a gentleman,Nyxi.”
My stomach erupts in a cascade of butterflies, light as a feather, floating through the wind. No matter how many times this man says my full name, it always seems to catch me off guard. He makes it sound like a prayer rolling off his tongue, like I’m his salvation, the answer to all his problems. Even though he’s fed up with me, no matter what, he always says it in the softest tone, handling it with care.
Nyxi, the girl made of glass.
He’s still staring down at me, and I realize I’ve zoned out thinking about this man calling me by my damn name. Nothing is ever all sunshine with Hade, though, and it’s something I’ve grown accustomed to.
“Would you have liked me to treat you like the brat you are? Throw you over my shoulder like old times and march you back to your room? Parade you around the hallways for everyone to see? Showing them you’re my little play thing? Or, more accurately, my personalnightmare.”
Yes!my brain shouts without thought, and I’m stunned. This man is not nice; he’s not even good, and he’s certainly notTheo. I shouldn’t get excited over his threats, but my mind also takes note of the fact that I’mfeelingemotions again, something I thoughtwould never return to me. Unfortunately, Hade happens to be the one drawing me out of that very dark place I’ve expected to rot in for the rest of my existence. It’s too confusing for me to understand, and so all I can do is continue in ignorant bliss.
I turn around and continue to walk again before my traitorous body does something dumb, like kiss enemy number one. If I stayed there one moment longer, I’m not sure how my body would have reacted. I’m not sure my heart is ready for the consequences. I slow my pace this time, looking over at him every few steps to show I’m not entirely ignoring him anymore.
He just chuckles and keeps pace with me, halving his strides. “I thought so,” he says, making me roll my eyes. I can play nice and not ignore him, but I also don’t have to be sunshine and rainbows.
Instead, I decide to ask him something that’s been sitting at the back of my mind since the ball, attempting to change the mood. “Who is Aire?” I question. He looks confused as to why I’m bringing this person up and how I even know who they are. “The Empress, when she walked out on us in the garden, she said you were to inform Aire of the details of the first round of the Crucible.”
He nods in understanding. “He lives in the castle and runs Lunaria for the Empress while she is in Fallout. She spends a lot of her time down there, keeping the peace, and so when she’s gone, Aire steps in and acts as interim Emperor, basically.”
That was not what I was expecting. “Why have I never heard of him then, if he’s that important?”
“The Empress likes to be the face so they don’t get confused on who’s in charge or try to rebel. Aire likes to stay in the shadows and control things in the background. He likes to remain a secret so he can move about Lunaria without drawing attention. He is a powerful player in the Empress’ pocket and has more sway than you would think.”
Now, I’m just plain confused. “Why tell me this, then, if he’s to remain a secret?”
