Chapter 23 The Library
Eloise
I laid on my wooden bed, my eyes flickering to the window impatiently. The sun had settled in this horizon. I had just a few more minutes to spare but I needed to leave for the library. But after what happened today, slipping away seems like a bit more difficult task.
Raihn had laid into me when he caught up with me after my conversation with Aubrey.
“Hearth! You scared me, Elin. Are you trying to get yourself killed? Why did you sneak off like that?” He had said.
I had apologized for sneaking off and blamed it on him being distracted by his fight with Aeron. The situation had led to Lidia and Aeron finding out about the assassination attempt on my life, and they finally understood why Raihn was shadowing me.
Aeron and Raihn had promised to stop being at each other's throat, but that only meant the chances of sneaking off again reduced drastically. But I was going anyway.
Meeting with Aubrey without anyone seemed like a terrible idea. There were a million things that could go wrong. She could be a dangerous person trying to trick me and murder me. But my guts told me that wasn't the case. I felt like I had to hear what she wanted to say.
And I might have made terrible choices in the past, I had a strong feeling this wasn't one of them.
I snapped out of my thoughts and the darkness of the room hit me. It was nightfall. I stood up from my bed, trying not to flinch at the creaky sounds the bed made. I grabbed my cloak and draped it over myself.
I placed my ear on the door and listened for any sound. I could hear Raihn's muffled voices on the other side.
A sigh escaped my lips. There was no way I would make it out of here without Raihn following me. I leaned against the door and tried to devise a plan.
I undid the crown braids Tina plaited on my head and let my hair fall to my shoulders. The golden waves pooled as I threaded my fingers through it, a smile etching on my lips.
I've always loved my long hair. My sister did too. Mae enjoyed combing my hair and braiding different styles on my head.
I blinked back the tears that gathered at the corner of my eyes and focused on my plan. I grabbed my pack and scattered the books in it on my bed. I stared at my reflection in the mirror, making sure my appearance was disheveled enough for Raihn to believe my story.
Satisfied with what I had done, I swung the door open. Raihn was leaning against the wall, talking to a girl. His gaze flickered to me immediately he heard the door open, his smile disappeared and was replaced with rapt attentiveness.
“No, Erica. You're not sneaking off again.” He said. He completely ignored the girl he was talking to and focused his entire attention on me.
“Sneaking off?” I asked, feigning confusion. “I was just going to the bath.”
I pushed the door open slightly so he could have a clear view of my bed and the books on it. I schooled my face into the picture of innocence.
“I was studying for the essay on the Great War and got really tired. I just want to take a bath and go to bed immediately. I'm so tired.” I yawned. Raihn relaxed a little bit, obviously buying my story.
“Well, it's been a long day. You should get some rest and I need a shut-eye anyway.” he sighed and gestured for me go move forward.
“You're going to follow me to… to the bath?” I curled into myself and tried to look embarrassed at the thought.
Raihn seem to have realized what he said.
“That's not what I meant. I just didn't want you to go alone. Tina isn't here yet. She got held up by some third year meeting. I don't know when she'll be back and I don't want to leave you alone.”
“I'm just going to take a shower, Raihn.” I said and pretended to stifle a yawn.
He sighed and rubbed his temple. “Come back to your room immediately you're done. Lock your door and go straight to bed. I need to take a shower too.”
Raihn vanished as soon as the last word left his mouth. The girl he was talking to gasped.
“He left me!” she squeaked. Her face reddened with anger and small pocket of air surrounded her. It was clear she was losing control of her Waterborn powers.
“I'm sorry, but how do I get to the library?” I asked before she could storm off.
The glare she leveled on me made me wish I hadn't asked at all. She scoffed at me then walked away.
I stared at her retreating figure to make sure she didn't turn around when something clicked in my head. Raihn had vanished, or shadowshifted as Lidia called it, while the Waterborn girl had walked.
Shadowshifting was a Shadowborn power. The memory of how Aubrey had vanished earlier in the hallway flashed into my mind. Her silver hair made it clear that she was a Waterborn.
So how…?
I shook my head before the thought fully formed. Whatever questions I had, I would ask Aubrey when I got to the library.
I drew the cloak of my hood over my head. The piece covered the to half of my face, leaving the other half of my face visible.
I kept my hair down. With the few strands poking from underneath my hood, I could easily pass as a Fireborn.
After asking a few drunk seniors, narrowly escaping getting backhanded by some, I finally got a view of the library. It was a separate building entirely, but to get there, I had to pass the staff quarters.
My heart thundered in my chest as I approached the looming building of the staff quarters. Instinctively, I looked up to the second floor where Tina told me the Heirs stayed in. The lights were off which meant they were either asleep or not there.
Tina had told me that they usually stayed at the Dragon Keep so I was going to believe the latter. I passed by the staff quarters without anybody stopping me. I was almost at the library when I felt a presence behind me.
I tried to ignore it and chalk it up to paranoia but the feeling grew stronger. I made a decision to run the rest of the way.
I took all of one step before something grabbed my arm and yanked me back roughly. My back hit a wall, darkness swallowing me whole.
The darkness cleared in a second and I was flipped around, coming face to face with the deepest scowl I've ever seen.
“Why, on earth, are you sneaking around in the middle of the night, Little wolf?”
My mouth dried out entirely as I stared at the Shadowborn Heir who looked pissed off as hell. It felt like he was thinking of a million ways to murder me.
“Did you lose your tongue?” He asked and I snapped out of my thoughts.
“I… I'm going to… the library.” I stuttered, my chest tight with fear.
“I can see that. Why are you going so late in the night?”
My mind scrambled for an answer before settling in the most obvious one. I tried not to stutter as I answered. “I have an essay to write on the Great War. Since I don't know much about the politics of dragons, I decided to go to the library for some research.”
I held my breath, praying he believed me. I tried to read his facial expression but his face didn't portray any. He had the best poker face I've ever seen. Just when I thought he would yell at me for lying, he took a few steps back and nodded.
“Go back to your room as soon as you're done.” He turned away without waiting for a response and vanished after a few steps.
I stayed there for a few seconds, a part of me expecting him to come back and unravel my lie, but he never did. I ran the rest of the way to the library.
As soon as I stepped in, I felt chills run down my spine. Something about this place was wrong. I didn't know what but I could feel it. The air was chillier, the place was empty, and every step seems to echo back to me.
I pushed back the uneasiness I felt and ran my fingers through the books on the shelves. I searched each aisles for Aubrey but there was no sign of her.
I was about to give up my search and leave when I heard the sound of gurgling followed by the stench of something. I rushed towards it and immediately wished I hadn't.
Because laying there on the floor in a pool of her own blood was Aubrey. Her arms were twisted at an uneven angle, papers scattered around her.
I screamed.