Page 104 of A Drop of Anguish
The breath catches in my lungs. I don’t even need to flip through it to know it’s perfect. I consider continuing to browse, but there are other sections that I’m burning to get to, so I promise myself I’ll be back here soon to look some more.
I smile at Jarron and motion for him to follow me deeper into the library. He wordlessly pushes from the railing and catches up with only a few long strides. I find another set of stairs near the end of the row, and I skip down to the main level and then twist and turn to where I remember the small Orizian section.
“For class,” I mutter. The amused look in Jarron’s eye tells me he knows it’s a lie, but he doesn’t comment.
There’s more than one subject I’d like to peruse here, but I’m not sure if I’m bold enough to select a book on Orizian mating rituals while Jarron is watching me. I still want to know more about how the mates thing works, but it seems like everyone is hiding the details from me. Then again, maybe the information I need is not written in any books, otherwise it wouldn’t be such heavily guarded secrets.
First, I look for a title that’s been stuck in my head for days now.
I have no idea if it would be in this section or not, but given the context of my sister’s journal entry, there’s a possibility. I drift my finger over each title, one at a time. There are only maybe two hundred books in this section, so if it’s here, I won’t miss it.
My heart shudders when I find it.Behind Alien Eyesby Margarette Showalter.
I don’t know what to expect from this book. For some reason, I have this overwhelming sense that this book will connect me with Liz. For better or worse, it will give me insight into her emotions in her last days.
I need it, but I’m not sure I’m ready for it.
My fingers tremble as I grip the spine and slide it from the stack. This book is shiny laminate, much newer than my potions book. The spine crackles when I pry it open. The title page reads:
Behind Alien Eyes.
A compassionate study of High Orizian culture through the lens of an outsider
I turn the next page, and something slips out, fluttering to the floor. Ice crackles against the shelves before I’m able to even register what the object was.
“What the hell is that?” Jarron growls.
I swallow, finding the small card that dropped from between the pages. A tarot card, with the image of a jinn on it.
The Akrasia Games calling card.
40
Play Along
Jarron paces on the main floor of the library. Shadows cover the ceiling, and I’m shivering in the chill permeating the room. Though there weren’t many people in here before, now we’re entirely alone. Even the librarians scattered once it became clear Jarron was upset.
My heart races, but the volatile demon in front of me is the most direct concern, so I hold on to my other questions.
His first reaction was to make a phone call to someone in the Interdimensional Courts. He was not calm when he yelled in an order to send in everyone they have now.
I don’t even know what that means, but I don’t have the gall to ask for details at the moment.
“How?” he mutters more to himself than anything. “How, out of thousands of books, would you select the one with that card in it?” He continues pacing back and forth.
“It was in her journal entry,” I whisper.
His black eyes flash up to mine.
“The missing entry that showed up on my door a week ago? She mentioned this book.” I hold upBehind Alien Eyes.“That’s why I picked it up. I don’t know how long the card has been in there, but once Laithe arrives, I’m sure we can get a better idea.”
Jarron growls. “They cannot have you.”
I don’t respond to that because, as much as I enjoy the violent protector thing, I have a deep intrinsic need to find and kill Mr. Vandozer. I’m not letting this go. So, if I have to follow the trace myself to find him, I will.
Jarron growls every time I even take a few steps away from the table. I’m assuming he’s remembering the last time the games reached out like this and I went running. Never mind that we were fighting at that time, but I’m not going to argue with him.
“Laithe is coming, right?” I ask. Because there’s something I need from him if Jarron won’t let me move.
