Page 152 of Mama Si's Paradise

“It’s fairly simple,” Emerald said as she moved her rag lower now, getting the last bit of the frost near the wooden foundation, and I did the same. I knelt down and squeezed the rag, my eyes never leaving the distorted image of her face through the glass and the green light. “When I open my shop for business, anyone can come in here, pick a book they’d like to know the story of, and I take them into the Storyteller.”

Well, fuck. Now I was really curious. “That sounds amazing.”

Emerald said nothing.

I went back to trying to figure out where that green light was coming from as I got the last of the frost off the glass, and I hadn’t even realized she’d moved until I heard her voice from my side.

“That is a job well done, Doll. You got all of it.”

I looked up to find Emerald with her fists against her waist, nodding at the shiny glass surface like she was proud.

“No bother. It was actually very satisfying.” Dropping the rag in the bucket, I stood up to look at the glass, too—wow.It had become so shiny on all sides and I hadn’t even realized it. It looked so much better from a few feet away.

“Thank you very much, kind one. I appreciate little the way I appreciate honest work,” Emerald said.

I offered her a smile. “I can help with anything else you might need.” The library was really big, and I could imagine it was tiring to take care of it all by herself.

But Emerald laughed. “Thank you, but I’ve already prepared everything else. I’m almost ready to open my doors.”

“Okay,” I said, taking another look around. Everything seemed in order, indeed. No dust, no mess, the books all neatly placed on the shelves…

“But first, I want to tell you a story,” Emerald said. “So, go ahead and pick one.Anyof the books will do.” She waved a hand around at the shelves.

“Me?”

“Yes, you.” She nodded. “I know you want to hear a story. Tell me, which will you choose?”

“Oh, no, I would rather not. I would rather find my way to the boats.” As much as I wanted to see a story in the Storyteller, all I had was one favor—and not that much time.

“And I will tell you exactly where they areafteryou’ve seen your story. Don’t be afraid, Doll. Pick one.” With a loving smile, she stepped to the side as if to give me space to move.

“I-I-I…” My voice trailed off.

Damn it, I really wanted to see the Storyteller. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to hear just one story?

“I don’t know Faeish, I’m afraid. No idea what these books are.”

“I can help with that,” Emerald said. “What kind of story would you prefer?”

I thought about it for a second, looking around the shelves, at the many spines. I had no clue what kind of a story I would prefer—I liked all of them. Romance and fantasy and mystery and action and…those based on true events, too.

My lips stretched into a smile as I looked at Emerald. There was one story I had been dying to know since I first woke up in the Whispering Woods and spoke to Valentine.

“The story of Ennaris.” Nobody at the castle had spoken to me about it—not the whole story. Valentine had told me some of the basics, but the rest, they all promised me I’d knowafter the Blood Call. Since I’d no longer be there for the Blood Call… “I’d love to know the story of Ennaris and the siren’s curse.”

“Of course, you do,” said Emerald, shaking her head with a smile. “I should have known. Wait here.”

She moved lightning fast to the other side of the library and began to search spines on a shelf, running her fingers over the books but never touching them. Her wings looked so strange on her back, half-torn—like part of a costume, not real. I turned to the green light inside the Storyteller glass ball again, wondering how it was going to show me the story. The actual story of Ennaris.

Fuck, I was so excited I could hardly wait.

“There.”

I jumped to the side, the scream catching in my throat. I could have sworn Emerald had been over there by the shelves, and now she was right next to me, showing me a book with a dark brown cover and no title on the front.

“You scared me,” I breathed, holding onto my chest as if to slow down my heartbeat.

“You were distracted by the Storyteller,” she said. “This one tells the most basic, general story of the Fall of Ennaris, how we became the Seven Isles. I think you’ll like it better than others.”

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