Page 69 of Must Love Libraries and Libations
As I watched Erasmus talk, I considered Zarina’s words. I hadn’t fixed Erasmus at all, I had just loved him, and in the end, that was all he needed.
An hour later, the crowd assembled outside the library for the grand finale of the event. On the other side of the reflection pool, one pink firework shot up into the night, indicating the show would soon begin.
“I’m still not sure about this,” Erasmus said nervously. “The bookwyrms can be temperamental about sound.”
“Don’t you trust me?” I asked him, taking his hand and meeting his gaze.
His expression softened. “I trust you.”
Then, the show began. Master Tinkerton showed us all then what a true master he was. With a soft pop, the rockets drifted into the night’s sky only to explode with a soft melodic chime, which was followed by a dazzling display of fireworks in pink and gold. And then another, and another, one after the other, the fireworks launched, but the boom of explosion was replaced by the soft chimes of harps and bells, and the effect was…
“It’s music,” Erasmus said, echoing the sentiment sweeping across the crowd. “Just…music.”
“Wait…” I added.
The breeze picked up, and then, we all smelled it: the scent of gentle wildflowers mixed with the undeniable scent of parchment, wood, binding—the scent of the library. The combination was an enchanting perfume that smelled like Moonshine Hollow Library itself.
“The perfume witch couldn’t quite get the scent of the Wyrmwood blossoms, but this is about as close as we could come,” I told Erasmus.
The crowd let out soft “oohs” and “aahs” as the complete experience washed over them, the dazzling fireworks, the gentle music, and the sweet smell of the library itself.
“Magical,” Erasmus whispered. “You are pure magic, Primrose Windsong. In my five hundred and eleven years, I’ve never met anyone as wonderful as you. And you were worth the wait.”
“Five hundred and eleven years?”
Erasmus inclined his head to me.
“Then you…”
“Today is my birthday. The first shovel went into the ground to build the library on my birthday. The librarian chose the date as an honor.”
“Erasmus,” I said in surprise. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I was too busy annoying you.”
I laughed. “Happy birthday, Erasmus,” I said, taking his hand. “From here on out, may all your birthdays be joyful, filled with fireworks, cake, music, food, friends, libraries, and libations.”
“And you.”
“And me. From now until the end.”
He kissed me on the forehead. “Until the end.”
CHAPTER 24
PRIMROSE
Finally, the evening came to a close. The last of the lanterns had been extinguished, the final guest had departed with promises to visit the library more often, and even my parents had made their way home—though not before my mother managed to corner everyone we knew to tell them about “my daughter the businesswoman and the library guardian.” I’d lost count of how many times she’d said it, but the pride in her voice had made my heart warm each time.
With a satisfied sigh, I cast my cleanup spell across the grounds. Tablecloths shook themselves free, then folded themselves for laundering, tables closed and stacked neatly, chairs arranged themselves in orderly rows, and the flower arrangements gently floated into organized bundles that Winifred could collect tomorrow. The spell worked like a gentle breeze, sweeping away crumbs and straightening everything that had been lovingly disheveled by a night of celebration.
“Handy magic,” Erasmus said, appearing beside me as the last of the debris swirled away.
“One of my more practical skills. Though I have to admit, I’m rather fond of the glow enchantment I put on my dress,” I said, swirling the skirt.
He stepped closer, his golden eyes taking in the subtle shimmer that clung to the pink silk. “I noticed. You looked…” He paused, as if searching for the right words. “Radiant doesn’t seem sufficient. Like pink starlight.”
Heat rose in my cheeks. “I’ll take pink starlight.”
