Page 50 of Kingdom of Shadows and Wings

His glare deepens as he gestures to the book on top. Wrinkling my brow, I glance down. I was so worried about picking the right size, I never checked the title.One Hundred Eel Recipes to Delight Your Family.

Gross. Even the thought of forcing down slippery bits of eel rolls my stomach. “I promise, I’m not planning on cooking eels in the dorms or anywhere else. That’s actually not the book I meant to grab.” I need a book that won’t draw unwanted attention, and I’m guessing a random cookbook about eels achieves the exact opposite.

Quickly, I trade it for one about the history of Flighthaven and return to the counter. “I was wondering, do you have a book on Ancient Tirenese History and Legends?”

The librarian shuffles to a box on the counter, lifts the lid, and begins flipping through the papers inside. “I do, but another fledgling already borrowed it. They missed the return deadline. I’ll have to send a notice…oh.” With a glum expression, he taps the paper with his pointer finger.

“Something wrong?”

“Yes. The student who borrowed this book is no longer with us. Hopefully it will be returned once they finish inspecting her belongings, but until then, there’s nothing I can do.”

“Thanks, anyway.”

Helene wasn’t lying. Leesa did have this book. I already know it’s not in the box with the rest of her possessions, so where could it possibly be?

Back at the room, I grab my shower supplies and hurry to the communal bathing chamber. The two fledglings I overheard gossiping about my altercation with Elijah are already there. They shoot me curious glances but don’t say anything as I race through my shower, keeping my dagger within reach and my ears open for approaching trouble.

On my way back, I pass Helene and Olive heading for the showers. As usual, Helene walks several paces ahead of Olive, spine stiff like someone shoved a metal rod down her back. Olive screws up her eyes and sticks out her tongue as she trails her.

Smiling, I hustle into our room, put away my supplies, hang my towel to dry, and then grope under the bed for Leesa’s notebooks. I pull one out, remove the protector cover for the Flighthaven history book, and place the disguise over the notebook, then shove the Flighthaven book under the bed.

Mission complete. Now to see if Leesa’s notebooks contain anything helpful.

I settle on the bed and begin to read. My heart cramps at the sight of my sister’s familiar, messy scrawl. The notes start with history, and my pace slows in spots where Leesa’s handwriting becomes difficult to decipher. Helene walks in and spares me a passing glance before retreating to her side of the room.

“Decide not to follow in your sister’s footsteps by choosing a patriotic book instead?”

Her voice startles me. Every other night she’s ignored me, so I’m not sure why she’s decided to break the trend. “Can’t I be interested in more than one thing?” Just not eel recipes. “The book Leesa was reading was never returned to the library.”

Helene closes her armoire door and plumps her pillow. “Doesn’t shock me. She was weird about that book. Wouldn’t surprise me if she hid it somewhere so no one else could grab it.”

Brain spinning, I stare at Helene. Leesa did like to hide stuff at home. Usually personal things, like a journal or special necklace that she didn’t want me to wear. It became a game of sorts, with her finding new hiding spots and me hunting them down. How does Helene know that, though?

Helene opens her own book and refuses to meet my eye. I don’t know what to make of her words. Maybe my snobby roommate knew Leesa better than she let on.

Olive flounces into the room, tosses her supplies on the floor, and flops across her bed. “Oh my gods, I’m so beat. I feel like I could sleep for three days straight.”

Maybe it’s the power of suggestion, but as soon as she says she’s tired, my body demands sleep and my eyelids grow heavy. I close the notebook and set it on the floor on the far side of my bed, away from prying eyes.

As I’m drifting off, I review my list of things to do. I need to search Elijah’s room. Finish looking through Leesa’s notebooks. Try to hunt down the missing book on Tirene. And there’s a fourth thing…dragons! Torno mentioned Leesa’s dragon fascination. I have to figure out how to get closer to them. I doubt I’ll stumble upon any earth-shattering discoveries, but after Thorne’s odd comment, I’m already curious about them.

My mind drifts. Soon, I’m floating. Some invisible entity stalks me, but each time I twist around to see what it is, oily black smoke hides whatever’s there.

My breath catches.

Just as those inky plumes lick the air close to me, I peer ahead and the monster—person?—materializes again, but in my peripheral vision.

Trembling, I struggle to remain mounted on Zephyr.

“Fly!” I prod him with my boots.

He whizzesthroughthe stalks, despite their thick barrier.

Torn leaves shoot up around me. Stalks topple over, wrapping around my legs and yanking to pull me off Zephyr.

I gasp.

A murderous screech sounds.

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