Page 128 of The Cerulean Sister
I close my eyes, preparing for the sudden rush of movement.
Calliape puts her hand on my shoulder and shoots us across the Estate.
When I open my lids as we come to a swaying stop, we stand in front of the wall tapestry I was picturing while trying my best to concentrate.
The candles are still high, having only been lit for half the day, but the hallway is as dark as it would be in the middle of the night.
Calliape glances around. "Is this the library?" She nods to the wooden door next to her.
"Yes."
"Is there anyone inside?"
"You should have worn the priestess gown," I tease.
"Go check," she whispers, ignoring me.
I slip inside, listening for any rustling papers and looking for candles out of place as if someone moved them to read.
"Good?" Calliape whispers.
"Yes, everyone is in mourning still and Emperor Matthias suspended unnecessary work in the Estate." I gesture her forward and shut the door behind us. "I heard some of the elder priestesses mention the scholars are in the outer city libraries until the end of the conjunction."
Her eyes flick around the room, not sticking to any one thing except the heavily decorated statue. It must look very strange to her.
"Mary may have stored a key in her old desk to the room with the forbidden books. It's over here," I say.
We rush through the large common room to the back where Mary's desk is located. I take a candle with me, cupping my hand in front of it to block the wind as we hurry through the archway.
"Is this where you were a scribe, Ferren?" Calliape looks around like she is watching the memories play out in front of us, ghosts moving and transcribing in their seats.
"Yes, this was Mary's," I explain and sit down in her chair to begin searching through all the tiny compartments of the desksection and the raised area in the back where she mostly kept supplies.
Calliape inspects some of the things on her desk, picking up her magnifying glass and moving it around.
"There has to be a ward around that room. We have to find a key to naturally unlock it so it will not go off."
"Do you know what kind of ward?" She runs her finger down the binding of a book.
"I do not."
"If it is anything like the ones the highest has in the Estate, then I don't think I will set it off."
"What about me? And you would have to be very sure."
She sits, resolving herself to finding the key as our method of getting into that room.
"Crixa hugged me in the temple," I say suddenly while I sift through the belongings littering the desk. "It was so . . . odd."
"Odd?"
"She looked almost happy to see that I wasn't killed. It was like she was worried." I try to remain calm as I scour every little compartment and drawer, trying not to move too many items and have it appear that someone ransacked this area.
"Careful, Ferren. Even if she is being sincere, what do you think she would do if she found out you were not?"
"I know."
"It is not the same as Selene and me . . ."
