Page 46 of Into the Isle

I felt a presence behind us, a looming shadow. Natural light came in through the slats of the columns outside through high windows. There were also unlit chandeliers and lampposts that could have been responsible for the shadow—

“Dagny Largul,” said a booming voice, directly behind us. I swore Dagny shriveled and let out a whimper. “You think you can hide yourself with hair like that? You look like a damn crossword puzzle.”

“Shit,” Dagny muttered, slowly turning with a face full of shame, her chin bowed. “Hello, Tomekeeper Dahlia. Fancy seeing you here.”

Fancy seeing the librarian . . . in the library? Dagny needed some work on her words under pressure.

Dahlia narrowed her gaze at me. I certainly felt what Dagny did—the woman’s aura made me feel smaller in my own skin. “I see you have a friend with interesting hair, too. Quite the couple you make.”

I bowed from the waist. “Hello, Tomekeeper. I am Ravinica Linmyrr. Initiate from Selby Village.”

She harrumphed and nodded. “At least you’re not ashamed of your name. Carry on, Ravinica.”

I am ashamed at that version of my surname. I’m also tired of being chastised like a toddler anytime I use “Lindeen.”

My trepidation mellowed out after her apparent acceptance of me. I smiled, saying nothing.

The heat turned back to Dagny. Jabbing a finger toward the rug, the Tomekeeper said, “I expect the anthology of Snorri’s poems on my desk before classes start tomorrow morning. Understand me, young lady?”

Dagny nodded diligently, wringing her wrists in front of her belly. “Yes, ma’am. It will be done.”

With another quick dose of side-eye at my new acquaintance, the librarian wandered down the hall to terrorize some other students causing a ruckus.

Clearly, Mimir Tomes was a dominion completely controlled by Tomekeeper Dahlia.

“What’s that all about?” I asked Dagny once we were alone. “A book of poetry has you in trouble?”

“I’m creative. What’s wrong with that? It helped me with my runeshaping.”

My stomach tightened as adrenaline filled my veins. Runeshaping. Maybe Dagny can help me learn it. I tried not to act surprised, because so far no one but Eirik and Arne knew I couldn’t Shape. “Oh. So what’s the problem? Why did you hold onto it?”

“Welllll,” Dagny drawled, glancing ashamedly to the book of insects on the bookshelf in front of us. “I may or may not have misplaced it.”

I leaned into her, eyes widening. “You lost a book belonging to Mimir Tomes?”

“No! I misplaced it! There’s a difference, dammit.” She took my hand and pulled me along. “Come on. You’re not helping.”

“There’s a difference.” Same thing Eirik said to me about people not liking me versus people not knowing me. I think these two could learn to be a bit more honest with themselves.

I snickered as Dagny dragged me down into another room, to pick up my next textbook and schedule for tomorrow. This bespectacled RA seemed as chaotic on the outside as I felt on the inside.

I can work with that.

Maybe I’ve made my first new friend here, after all.

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