Page 83 of A Dusk Of Stars

I’ve done it, I think with a sigh of relief. It’s only when I’ve already breathed out that I realize what I’d done.

“What was that?” Derek asks, suddenly all serious, as he stops and moves to turn around.

Blood curdles in my veins, my entire body preparing for a sprint.

It all happens before I can move a muscle. Bane lifts his hand up, the light in the room gets sucked into his palm, I hear Derek curse, and then there are only sounds of struggling.

There’s this flood of fear and anger that starts coursing through me, and it feels like it’ll be lights out for me again, but then the light goes back on, as suddenly as it disappeared.

I find myself standing a few steps away from the wall, frozen mid-movement and staring at Bane towering over Derek’s body on the floor.

There’s horror in my eyes when they back up to Bane.

“He’s just unconscious,” he says with a shrug. Then he quirks an eyebrow at me. “Still, maybe you should get moving.”

I don’t wait to be told twice. I force my legs to work and I start running through the bookshelves until I’m turning the corner with the door into the Lexarcanum.

There, I come to a screeching halt and open the door as gently as I can, all the while trying to ignore the pounding of my heart. I keep standing there with the knob in my hand, my eyes getting immediately drawn to the spot all the way up on the left, theimage of the book struggling to fly out of the shelf having been etched into my mind.

It’s in the same spot that I see it. The sigh of relief I let out makes me realize I was secretly afraid I would find out it had been stolen, even despite the Lexarcanum magic only allowing the books to be moved by people they are intended for.

“Novak,” I hear Bane growl a low warning.

Right. Making myself shake it off, I let go of the doorknob and move to step inside.

Only to have this blinding burst of energy send me stumbling back.

“What wasthat, Novak?” I hear Bane demand in a voice still low but much more forceful.

“I’m fine,” I grit out, my eyes fixed on the entrance.

Damn it. They’ve tightened the security.

“Tick tock,” I hear another low snarl in warning.

Gritting my teeth, I let out a muffled curse, turn on my heel and rush back into the first room, where Bane is waiting for me, holding out the biggest book I’ve ever seen.

“Once you’re out of here, I want you to go straight to bed,” he tells me. “Now, hit me like you mean it.”

I open my mouth to say no way in hell, but then a sound comes from Derek’s unconscious body and I grab the book in my hand.

And I hit him with all my strength, but I only make him grimace as he turns his head to the side. Still, he seems pleased.

He takes the book out of my hand and sends me on my way with a sharp tip of his head that brooks no discussion.

I rush out of the Restricted Section, trying to be as silent and nonchalant as possible on my way down, despite my heart pounding so loudly, I’m sure it’ll give me away.

Chapter 26

It’s morning outside and still I can’t fall asleep, going in circles wondering if he got caught, who it was that placed extra security on the Lexarcanum and whether there will be any consequences for any of us. It startles me, when my phone starts ringing. It’s on the nightstand, vibrating as the sound keeps piercing my ears. I grab it, but I hesitate, the fact that it’s an unknown number adding to my dread. Hedidget caught, didn’t he? And now they’re calling to tell me they know I was involved as well.

Damn it, Anna, get it together and just answer the phone. “Hello?” I say with hesitation in my voice.

“Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty,” comes the mocking reply.

Bane? It’s his voice for sure. “Yes? Is everything okay?” I ask, even though he sounds downright chirpy.

“Didn’t I tell you you’ll be doing things my way from now on? That includes getting up when I tell you to.”

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