Page 26 of Light Magic

Hm, if there was such a spell, I was sure she would have used it already instead of having us coming and going for hours now.

I finally got to shelf 839, a dark corner of the library. I almost reached for the candle stationed between shelves, but I was sure it would brighten if it got too dark and I couldn’t read the numbers or the book titles.

As I made my way to the middle of the endless shelf, it got darker and darker. I frowned. Was the candle playing with me now? It had helped me before. Was there such a thing as a tired magical candle?

I started looking around the books to see if I was in the right section or needed to go farther down the shelf, but the light got even darker.

“Hey!” I called out. “Can’t you help me now?” Nothing happened. “Please?” The candle flickered twice, almost going out. “What the hell?”

I turned toward the beginning of the bookshelf, to grab the damn candle from its sconce.

It went out.

I froze as I was plunged into darkness.

My heart beat fast, a reaction to the surprise. If I didn’t know better, I would think this was Levi pulling a prank on me. But he wasn’t this petty.

I blinked twice, adjusting my vision to the darkness, trying to see the end of the bookshelf.

Instead, I saw a dark figure crouched right in front of me.

I screamed, my heart rate picking back up.

The ghoul leapt for me and I ran in the opposite direction.

Just to see the other ghoul above my head, holding on to the bookshelf.

My next scream lodged in my throat, and for a moment, I could barely breath, much less move.

Slowly, the ghouls came closer and I took a look at them. They seemed like a mix of skeleton and zombies, with grayish muscle-like skin, white eyes, no hair, pointed ears, razor-sharp teeth, and long claws on their hands and feet. When they stood, their backs were hunched, but they were still taller than me.

Then they hissed and I woke up from the daze.

The one on the top lunged and I ducked under it and ran.

The shelves all looked the same, and I couldn’t slow down to check the numbers. For all I knew, I was going deeper into the library, instead of heading to my friends.

I didn’t dare look back to check on the creatures, but I could hear them. The ghouls were fast and they were gaining on me.

Out of breath, I clambered away from them, holding on to the shelves to keep me upright. I yelped when a book flew off the shelf right in front of me and landed at my feet, wide open. A soft glow came from the pages, and for half a second, I wondered what the hell was going on. But something in me propelled me forward. I crouched down, touched the glow, and pulled out a long, silver sword.

I didn’t have time to think about it.

The ghouls screeched and I turned, the sword pointed at their chests. Not expecting a weapon, one of them ran toward me and right into the blade. With the momentum, both of us went down, and I landed hard on my back and head. The creature snapped its teeth at me a handful of times, but the hilt of the sword, which I was still holding tight, kept it distant enough.

Then the creature’s dark eyes widened and it went still. The sword disappeared and the creature’s heavy weight fell over me.

I turned my face and groaned in agony.

Then the second ghoul loomed over me, hunger in his depthless eyes, in the snap of his teeth.

Suddenly, a dark bolt crashed into the ghoul, sending it far from me to the darkness between the shelves, where I couldn’t see it.

Inhaling deeply, I gathered my strength to push the creature’s body away, or at least lift it for long enough so I could slip from underneath.

Then someone pushed the body and it rolled to the side.

By the light, what had happened?

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