Chapter 95: Dragon eyes

Eloise

“It's just silly that they think they can leave us behind to “protect us” when we're dealing with ghosts and… and possession. I mean, what could they possibly do against those things?” Aeron scoffed. He looked really pissed off.

This is the first time in seeing Aeron so pissed about something. He was usually the level-headed person trying to get everyone to see reasons.

I had a feeling this wasn't just because the heirs changed their mind last minute. No, it was way deeper than that.

“So what do you suggest we do?” I asked.

“We go after them, of course. Wait till they're so far gone, then sneak after them.” he grumbled, pacing around and staring towards the place the three males disappeared.

“Or we could search this place like we originally planned. Everyone stick to their roles.”

“That's a nothing role, El. There's nothing to search in this place.” He scoffed.

“As someone who basically grew up in a library, that's the most untrue statement ever. It's always easy to write off books as meaningless but they usually hold the most secrets.”

Most of the things I knew of the dragon world, and their relationship with the wolves, was because of the books my sister made me read. Call it intuition but I have the feeling that what we were searching for was somehow close by and it could be equally as useful as the papers the heirs went to search.

Aeron glanced at me blankly. It was obvious he didn't believe a single word I was saying.

“So let's say we go with your theory, how are we going to find those books that hold so much secrets? They aren't just going to leave those incriminating book lying around the archives.”

“Yeah, I know. Which is why we need to find it. Let's start by looking for anything out of place. Like a book that doesn't fit, or an unusual spot on the floor. Anything.” I said, my gaze darted around.

“That seems like a waste of time. Let's just go after them.”

I sighed and grabbed his shoulder. “I understand why you want to go, why you feel restless. They're going to check something that once belonged to your mother. I know that feeling.”

I tried not to remember how I had snuck out back in Feylen to go to my family's estate back in Thornwood just to see if there's anything of Mae’s. I pushed those thoughts to the back of my mind.

“But you are also right, Aeron. We are dealing with forces none of us truly understand. Possession, a wandering soul, and even ghosts. These aren't normal occurrences. So please, let's just trust them to take care of it while we search for alternative ways to help.” I stared into his eyes, hoping he understood the message I was trying to pass.

Aeron held on for a few seconds before he dropped his shoulders and sighed. “Where should we start searching?”

A small smile touched by lips and I adjusted my dress. I silently thanked Tina again for picking out this dress. It was perfect for both the ball and our mission.

“You know this archives more than I do. Lead the way.” I gestured.

He began walking forward and I caught up with him. I glanced around, searching for anything that might look out of place. So far I found nothing. All the books looked neatly arranged. There's nothing that could probably be a a knob to a hidden chamber or a tomb. But still we walked.

“Let's start from this shelf.” Aeron said and stopped in front of a shelf.

We had walked so deep into the archives that I couldn't even see the entrance anymore. I had no idea where Tina and Raihn were, and we had gone in the opposite directions of where the heirs went. We could very be lost right now but I didn't let my fear known. I had to trust Aeron. He lives here after all.

“The librarians barely anyone come to this side of the library. It's usually heavily watched. I suspect this is where they keep classified information. From this shelf down to that place.” he pointed to a distance.

I noticed the books on these shelves look significantly fewer than every other shelves in the archives.

But for some reasons, it didn't feel like this is where we were supposed to come. Something keeps urging me in a different direction.

I stepped away from the shelves and moved to a significantly darker place.

“El, where are you going?” Aeron called and quickly snatched my hand.

“What?”

“We're not supposed to go towards that direction.” Aeron said.

I glanced towards where I was headed. The only thing I can see was darkness that looked a little bit too black. Maybe shadows. But Aeron looked genuinely scared.

“Why?” I asked.

“Because…” he glanced around even though it was so obvious that we were alone.

“Is there something classified the librarians are hiding there too?”

“No.” He scratched the back of his head. “A monster is hidden there.”

My first instinct was to laugh at his expression… and that's exactly what I did.

Aeron looked puzzled at my expression. “I'm not lying. The healers used to tell us stories about the monster that lives in the bowels of the library.”

I doubled down on the laughter. I laughed so hard that my stomach started to hurt. But Aeron's facial expression remained serious. I almost felt guilty for laughing.

I managed to stop laughing and restrained myself.

“Thank you.” He sighed. “There's this folktale we grew up with about a monster tied down in that place. That's why it's always so dark that no light can pierce it. We're asked to never go inside. A guard braved it and went in one day. He was never heard of again, but the archives shook that day with the roar of something.”

Now I stopped laughing and started listening to him. It didn't seem like he was lying. He looked genuinely scared, but that wasn't the only thing that got me to pause.

“Then this is the place we're supposed to be heading.” I said firmly.

Aeron looked at me like I had gone crazy. “Did you not hear everything I just said?”

“I did, and that's why I said we should go there.” I waved my hand around. “Look around, does anything here look like what we could be looking for? You said it yourself. No one would put something incriminating laying around and guard it so heavily that you know something important is there.”

“I don't like where you're going with this.” He muttered.

I ignored him and continued. “Whatever we're looking for is inside that place where they know no one would dare thread.”

“Okay, did you forget about the monster I said resides there?”

I glanced towards the dark corner again. “Let's just hope the monster is having fun at the festival too.”

I conjured a large ball of faelight that brightened the entire space, sucked in a breath, and disappeared into the darkness.

The moment I stepped into the darkness, my faelight winked out immediately.

Great, so this darkness whatever it is, doesn't like faelight either. Good to know.

I heard Aeron cursed behind me and mumbled something about all these being his fault for not listening to the heirs, he stepped into the darkness shortly after.

“Let's hold on to each other’s hand. We don't know what's in here.” He said.

I didn't argue that. Despite my persistence, I was slightly terrified. I don't know what gave me the courage to keep going. Somehow, I felt a comfortable feeling behind me.

“You want to know something funny.” I whispered.

“I don't know why we're whispering.” Aeron whispered back.

“You said there's a monster here.”

“Whispering is not going to make it go away, El.” Aeron scoffed.

“Yeah yeah.” I cleared my throat. “I feel like someone else is here with us. A comforting presence. I think we're doing the right thing.”

Aeron was silent for a while. I couldn't see his face but I already knew he looked thoughtful.

“By the Hearth, I hope you're right.” Aeron sighed.

We took steady steps and tried to find the way with our arms stretched forward. Fortunately, or unfortunately, we haven't come in contact with anything. No books, no shelves, nothing.

But the darkness hasn't cleared either. We must have been walking for ten minutes or more. But still nothing.

“Should we just go back and check those books?” Aeron said.

I was seriously considering it now and wondering why I decided to head down this path in the first place.

I was about to respond when my leg caught on something and I stumbled forward. I was about to fall but something seemed to catch me. My hand had slipped from Aeron's.

“What's th—” Aeron's scream tore through the air and started becoming distant. It was almost like he was falling.

“Aeron!” I screamed. I wanted to grab him but I couldn't see anything. I couldn't even see my own hands.

And that's when I saw it. The huge golden orbs with black slits staring at me from below. It was the only thing I could see in the thick darkness.

Dragon eyes.