Page 134 of A Crown of Tears and Treason
“Former kings and queens,” Goose whispered as my curious gaze whirled around. “The backbone of our Clan. The first stewards, dedicating their lives to aid and protect us.”
I swallowed past the lump in my throat. The statues held the entire dome so it wouldn’t cave. My fingers brushed my bracelet, as if it could ground me enough to be able to handle a future where I’d be responsible for so many lives.
I shook my deflated little satchel, the only thing I brought along with me. It was small and wouldn’t impede my movements, which was enough. “I hope this can hold all the books I need.”
“I don’t know if there are books down there.” Goose rushed toward one of the massive alcoves digging into the base of each tower. “I’ve never been down to the lower levels.”
I whipped toward him. “What?”
“Students aren’t allowed so low. I don’t know who is. Apart from the advisors, but I’ve never seen them in the Archives.”
“They don’t seem like the studious type.” Though they might have taken inspiration from whatever vile knowledge lay undisturbed in the shadows. Someone must have done it, every instinct screamed at me.
A metal platform rose from a sculpted shaft in the alcove. The thick ropes supporting it twisted as it moved.
“Constant motion. If it stops, the entire library goes on lockdown. Or if there’s any hint of smoke,” Goose said as we hopped onto the platform. The ropes hissed as the metal shuddered down.
I wasn’t surprised by the magical failsafe in case of a fire. The first level of the abyss we passed was filled with rows upon rows of shelves, carved directly into the marble. Hundreds, thousands of tomes lined the stones, all perfectly bound with cream and gold covers bearing dragons and daggers. They smelled new; the scent of fresh glue still clung in the air. A few tables lined the narrow, circular path between the abyss’ banister and the shelves.
The second level was mustier, the covers all shapes and colors. I spotted a dragon-scaled one near the exit. Fewer desks here. Even fewer on the third level. Maybe a dozen total.
“How many students are there in Phoenix Peak?” I asked, my voice ghosting through the shaft.
“Only thirty-two are accepted in our Academy every year. Most go to the official Clan Academy, but I wanted to be close to my family. And it’s a point of pride to be accepted here,” Goose said.
My frown deepened. Why was knowledge so carefully kept and rarely divided in the Blood Brotherhood?
The lower we went, the stuffier it smelled. The weaker the light became. My lungs sucked in air erratically, muscles twitching with anticipation and dread.
“Here.” Goose took out a glass sphere with a swirling ray of light inside it as the slinking sound screeching from the bottom of the abyss steeped into my bones. “It’s all I could smuggle in. It won’t set off the alarms and won’t leave a magic trace.”
The light was barely powerful enough to illuminate the hand which held the sphere, but it was better than nothing. Goose had risked so much today.
For me.
“Goose…what’s your name?” I asked as we neared the eighth and final level the platform could reach without Blood Brotherhood magic.
“I–” Goose averted his gaze, his right flying to the back of his neck. “Gargyntualet. Old name in my family. Not anywhere else in our Clan, though. People didn’t get it.”
“Hence Goose.”
“Beats Gargle,” he muttered.
“Which do you prefer?”
“Goose. They’re proud creatures, aren’t they? Fierce when rattled, though they’re not predators.”
“Whatever you want. And thank you, Goose.” I stepped closer to the edge of the platform, feeling my heart beat straight into my toes.
“For what?”
“For trusting me,” I said over my shoulder. “You go back up anddon’tcome back down. If you hear even the slightest sound, you run away. Got it?”
“Your Grace, I can’t leave you alone–”
“That’s an order, Goose.”
I could barely make out his reluctant nod in the darkness before I jumped off the platform onto the cold floor of the eighth level. My feet slipped on the sleek, gooey layer covering the surface. The humidity was so potent, I struggled to breathe.
