Page 53 of Myths and Manuscripts
He glanced back at me one more time before sweeping out of the room and taking his shadows with him. The air seemed tolighten, and the hero released a deep breath. I hated how much conflict there was between them when it felt like they could be best friends if they’d grown up in different circumstances. The story had forced them to be enemies, and I still wasn’t sure why. What was the point of all this?
Wondering about that had done nothing but make my head spin, so it was time I focused on something I could fix: the hero’s headache.
“Okay, let’s head over to the apothecary gardens and gather ingredients.” I held my hand out to help him up with a smile. “I’ll banish that headache in no time and then we can get back to work in the morning after you’ve had some rest.”
“Sounds—”
“Like a terrible idea,” Dain said. “The hero can’t roam our village unattended.”
“So, attend him?” I shrugged. “It’ll be fine. We’ll just make him wear a hood and nobody will notice he’s a human, let alone the hero.”
Dain raised an eyebrow. “Is that like how nobody noticedyouwere a human? Because that only took a few moments.”
“Yeah, and you stabbed me, remember? So I think you owe me one.” I tapped my cheek, which had fully healed by now, but Dain looked horrified. I waved him off with a smile and walked into the hallway. “We’re going with or without you, so if you want to keep your word to the Demon Lord, then you’ll have to come with us.”
The hero followed me without hesitation. Dain’s sigh was so loud it would have impressed Thorne if he were here. Hopefully everything was okay with the library. Maybe it had finally found a way to take me out of the book or something. My shoulders tightened, oddly hoping that wasn’t the case. I was finally getting real answers, so this would be the worst time to leave.
At some point, living inside this book had started to feelnormal. The only things I really missed were Gran and the shop...
I took a deep breath, handing the hero a cloak to hide his face. Dain pulled the hood down so far that I doubted the hero would even be able to see where he was going. I shook my head as we stepped outside, our ragtag group ready to take on this stealth mission together.
Chapter 22
Thorne
I stepped out of my book and immediately stumbled as the floor of the library moved, groaning and sliding like something was ripping the library in half. The shelves quivered and the books huddled together like an earthquake was trying to shake them apart. I made my way downstairs, pausing every time the floor shifted, until I found the others.
Every story spirit was circled around the great book tree, hands on its bark as they murmured words of encouragement. Lisa waved me over as Mochi ran high into the branches to console the tree. The golem wrapped its arms around the tree too, the side of its face pressed against the bark like it was holding on for dear life.
“Everything’s okay,” the golem said loudly. “It’s all okay, Misty. We are here. For you.”
I stormed over, feeling Misty’s panic in my chest like it was my own. Our connection flickered but calmed a little when I added my own hand to the tree’s bark. I closed my eyes, trying to bring our connection into focus. Bright green wild magic surged through the tree, twisting around the golden library magic like roots that wouldn’t let go.
“It’s all the patrons,” Lisa whispered. “There’s been so many people reading here every day that Misty’s magic has exploded.None of us know what’s going to happen next.”
An ache swept through my chest, for Misty and for Willow. She was stuck inside a book with no way of getting out. I’d assumed that Misty and the librarians would figure it out, but if the library’s magic was this chaotic, then who knew what would happen to her. I couldn’t let her get stuck there, never to see her Gran again.
“Misty.” My voice was hoarse, full of emotion for this library that had believed in me enough to call me here in its hour of need once again. “It’s time to embrace your magic, all of your magic. Just let go and see where it takes you. We’re all here. We’ll help however you need us to.”
Lisa nodded. “Don’t fight the wild magic, it’ll just get more chaotic otherwise.”
The tree shuddered, clinging to us with its branches. Another rumble, far greater than the rest, rocked the library as the sound of creaking wood and fallen shelves made me wince. The floors were expanding, growing larger and larger by the minute. The library was growing!
Nyssa ran towards us, breathing heavily. “The patrons are all outside and Roan’s leading them down the mountain. We’re fine, so do whatever you need to do.”
“About time you showed up,” I grumbled. She was the librarian, but she seemed to care more about the patrons than the library itself. “What happened to set this in motion?”
She rolled her eyes. “Hello to you too, Demon Lord. Are you here to mock or to actually help?”
My connection to Misty warmed, like the library was seeking me out for something. It reminded me of the first night I’d woken up in the library when the wild magic storm was raging out of control, ripping holes in the roof with lightning crackling all around us. Misty had felt desperately alone then and terrified of the storm that was hurting it.
The library had summoned us not just to protect it, but to keep it company. Maybe now Misty needed us for more. Needed us to be its strength.
“Join hands,” I commanded, turning back to find the dragons clinging to the shelves. “And you guys, come over here.”
One by one they flew over to us, landing on our shoulders, heads, horns, anywhere that they felt safe. The knights came next, lining up along the base of the tree and climbing up the golem’s arm until they were securely in place. I reached out my hands, putting them on either side of the great book tree on top of Lisa’s hand and the golem’s. Mochi rushed down, booping his nose against our hands as well.
Together we encircled the tree with love and trust. We wouldn’t exist without the library and we wouldn’t ever forget it. Misty was part of us, the best part of us. We’d all been so focused on other things, from the overflow of new patrons to the story contest, that we hadn’t had as much time for the library as usual.
