Page 27 of Myths and Manuscripts
He put his finger to his lips, moving slowly towards the room. The light brightened as the crackle of a fire filled the air, which was deliciously warm and inviting. It felt almost magical, like something was giving me exactly what I wanted. The Demon Lord held his arm in front of me before I walked inside. The room was full of floor to ceiling shelves heaped with books. Hundreds of them, just waiting to be read. There were thick tomes, what looked like journals, and even some old leatherbound rarities.
It reminded me of Misty.
“Since when does your castle have a library?” I asked.
“Since never,” he growled, storming into the room. “This isn’t possible. I’ve been in every single room, and all of them were cold and empty. If this was here, I’d have known it.”
“But it is here.”
I walked inside, taking the large room in from the warm fireplace to the cozy-looking couch positioned between two massive bookshelves. A table sat in the middle of the room, covered in books as if somebody had been reading here just a moment ago. The Demon Lord searched every nook and cranny, but there was nobody else here. Eventually, he just stared into the fire like he was lost in thought. I sank onto the plush couch, relaxing into the cushions with a sigh of contentment.
“Now this is a couch I could fall asleep on.” I snuggled deeper, easing into the comfort of the warm fire and the cozy cushions. “Maybe I’ll just–”
“Nope, not a chance.” The Demon Lord yanked me up so fast I thought my arm might fall off. “There’s no way I’d let you fall asleep here. What if it’s a trap?”
I raised an eyebrow. “And what kind of trap would it be?”
“You could get stuck here and never leave. I mean, you kind of already are, but that’s not my point.”
“At least I’d be in a warm room with enough books to keep me occupied for years.” I walked back into the hallway, hopping over the threshold back and forth a few times. “See? No trap.”
He crossed his arms, glowering at the books. “Then what is it?”
“A gift.” I trailed my fingers along their spines, reading each title as I went by, but none of them sounded familiar. “Maybe it’s Misty’s magic?”
“If Misty was going to change something, it probably would be to add a library.” He browsed through a few of the books, flipping their pages open. “But these all seem to be empty.”
I snagged a few books off the shelf, opening them for myself.He was right. Every book had a pretty cover, but the pages inside were as blank as newly purchased paper. It felt just like the castle: pretty on the outside, and empty on the inside. I sighed, setting the books back on their shelf. What was the point of a book you couldn’t read? I covered up a yawn, feeling the excitement of the day taking its toll on me.
“Well, whatever it is, I’m grateful.” I sprawled out on the couch, closing my eyes before the Demon Lord could haul me out of here with more warnings of danger. “Goodnight, Lord Shadowbuns.”
He snorted. “Goodnight, Willow. I’ll be right over here if you need me.”
He sank onto the floor, lying with his back to me so he could watch the doorway. I couldn’t imagine the floor was any more comfortable than that stone bed of his.
“We could share the couch, if you wanted,” I said softly. “All jokes aside. You deserve a good night’s rest.”
“I’m perfectly fine here.” His long black hair trailed over his shoulders as he settled in. “Sleep well. I will guard you while you dream.”
He would guard me while I dream? My stomach fluttered as I laid back on the couch again, all thoughts of sleep forgotten. How could I when that adorable demon was just a few feet away?
Chapter 11
Willow
I’d managed to get a very good night’s rest in the comfort of the castle’s library, lulled to sleep by the crackling fireplace and the deep, even breathing of the Demon Lord. A few quiet movements, like the sound of pages flipping softly, made me think he was awake now though. I opened my eyes, peeking over at him as he browsed a stack of books.
“Find anything useful?” I asked, but he just shook his head. “Well, if I’m going to write, I need a pen, lots of paper, and you need answers.” I forced myself to sit up, rubbing sleep out of my eyes. “There’s only one place we’re going to find all of that. In town.”
“If we must.” He ran a hand through his silky black hair, brushing it over his shoulders in one smooth movement that made me wonder what kind of rat’s nest mine looked like. “Let’s get going then.”
I patted my hair, finding more than a few frizzy tangles. Great. Just great. “Let me freshen up quick first. Give me like ten minutes.”
He nodded, absently paging through another book. Thankfully, this library had an attached bathroom with all the necessary amenities. I’d need to find an extra set of clothes so I could wash mine soon though. I added new clothes to my mentallist of things to look for in town as I hurried to get ready before heading to the entrance hall.
The big double doors that led outside had to be tall enough for giants to walk through, but I knew they weren’t as heavy as they looked. The Demon Lord grasped the handles tight, but didn’t pull the doors open. Or push. He just stood there, flexing his hands. He sighed, dropping them back to his side. Then he grabbed the handles again, looking more determined than last time.
But after a few more attempts, he still hadn’t opened the doors. It would have been funny if we hadn’t had that conversation last night, but now his words echoed in my mind. He’d only left his castle once and that was probably just because I’d gone out on my own and he was worried. Picturing him staring out over the town from those big windows made my chest ache.
