Page 35 of Legends and Librarians
“Fine, you don’t need to explain,” I said, “but you do need to stop.”
Lisa frowned. “Stop?”
“Scaring people,” I said. “I’ll do everything I can to reopen this library and that includes making sure people know that you’re characters from stories, not monsters in the night. But I can’t do that if you keep playing this little haunting game of yours.”
Mochi jumped up on the table, chittering. He moved from story spirit to story spirit, putting a paw on them as if they could communicate somehow, then stood in front of me.
“Mochi agrees with you,” Lisa said. “We’ll try it your way for now.”
“Thank the gods.” I smiled, petting Mochi for a moment. “So, tell me more about the hauntings.”
Lisa’s lips stretched into a wicked grin. “Okay, so people have this weird aversion to women singing creepy songs in the woods, right? So, I’d go out and sit in a tree, singing every morning when the fog was thickest.”
I sat there, listening to the haunting tales of these wonderful story spirits terrorizing the town and couldn’t help but feel bad for them. They’d been all alone out here, using devious tricks to scare people away. It was like they were so afraid of being rejected that they didn’t even try anymore.
My heart ached for them. If I’d just come here sooner, I could have helped them. Maybe they wouldn’t have had to scare anyone at all. Maybe...
Roan reached over and took my hand in his, rubbing his thumb against my knuckles. He didn’t say anything, but the gesture filled me with warmth. I wasn’t in this alone. None of us were.
We were going to change this library’s story together.
Chapter 13
Nyssa
The story spirits had been quiet since the contractors left yesterday, hiding in their own little areas of the library. I wasn’t sure how to help them, but I did know one thing that needed to be taken care of: these damn windows.
The library had to look its best if we expected patrons to come back, butI had no clue how to put new windows in.
I was a librarian though. When in doubt, look it up in a book.
Except, this library barely had any of those and certainly none on window repairs. I sighed, investigating what else the contractors had left. A roll of extra sturdy MagiHold tape and some sealant. Maybe it was as easy as putting the double-sided tape up and popping the window in? Couldn’t hurt to try...
“Need help?” Roan asked as I dragged a bulky window into place. I tripped on a warped floor board, but he reached out to steady me and the window. “Hey now, be careful. Maybe you should take a break?”
Curse that warped floor and these windows and the contractors too afraid of a puppy dog to do their jobs.
“We don’t have time for breaks,” I said, dragging the window again. “The library isn’t going to fix itself and we’re already behind. We need to be ready for the festival. Otherwise...”
Otherwise, the Misty Mountain Library would fade away. Mychest tightened as I glanced back at the great book tree, which was only a little bit healthier than when I first came here. If I didn’t work harder, I’d lose this beautiful library for good.
Roan nodded and hefted the window up as if it weighed nothing, putting it into place as I taped it in, sealing it. Some of the tension left my body. He would help me at least. I wasn’t alone.
Together we put in two more windows before Lisa came over.
“Somebody’s coming,” she said, nodding at a speck in the sky. “They’ll be here soon.”
Somebody was flying toward us on a winged horse with a huge crate hanging underneath it. Maybe it was the new books I ordered?
“Go, I’ll keep working on these,” Roan said as he grabbed another window.
I smiled, grateful for his help, and flung the doors open as the mail courier swooped down, carefully setting the box on the ground. The beautiful black pegasus neighed as it flapped its wings. I shifted from foot to foot, almost dancing as I withheld the urge to pet it.
“Hello, ma’am,” the courier said with a kind smile and a wave. “I’ve got your order from Arcadia Books. Please sign here.”
I took the tablet from him and signed, frowning at how big the box was. “Isn’t that too heavy to fly with?”
“Weight-reduction magic. It’s the only way to fly!” He unhooked the box, floating it to the door.
