Page 18 of Entranced By the Basilisks

“Better?” he asks.

I take in a full breath, wondering why I was freaking out to begin with.

And then I see Agnes.

Adder steps to block my vision of the Agnes statue. “Stop.”

I want to snarl at that. As if he can stop me from having a panic attack simply by ordering me to, but for some reason, the panic stalls.

“I will revive Agnes,” Adder says. “But I can’t have you passing out while I do.”

He can revive Agnes. The relief is choking and suppresses the residual panic that Adder’s magical voice didn’t.

“Are you calm enough now?” he asks.

I nod my head. The motion feels rusty but communicates my answer. Adder nods. The copying of my actions gives the moment an intimacy that has a frisson of awareness scattering over my nerves.

Oh, we are not noticing that right now, not with this man.

What I should be noticing is the fact that apparently Adder isn’t human.

“Keep breathing.” His voice isn’t helping the awareness that has infected my blood and I mentally pray he doesn’t notice the blush heating my cheeks.

And he’s gone. Not gone though. He moves in front of Agnes, his wide shoulders tensing as he takes the statue’s hand. I hold my breath and wait. It takes so long that I have to breathe again, but slowly the gray color recedes from Agnes, and she gasps, alive.

I wipe the tears that track down my face and make sure the glasses are in place. The relief is immeasurable.

“Before this becomes even more of a workplace hazard.” Adder’s voice is stern and missing the musical quality it just had. Instead, each word has me flinching. “Tell me everything.”

8

EMILIA

The self-controlit’s taking to keep from looking at Director Adder is considerable. The elevator is reflective, and it would be so easy to sneak a peek, but that won’t help the weird mix of emotions churning in my throat.

After a shaken Agnes had left the office wishing us luck, Grace and I recounted everything. Adder had analyzed the serpent kin book. His frown had been deep when he said he couldn’t feel any magic at work with the item.

It didn’t make sense, but the director had jumped into action, making a couple of calls that didn’t seem to connect to anyone before uttering a curse.

His gaze fell on me. Those eerie eyes captured mine without any effort from him, sensation racing over my skin every time. Then he looked away to tell Grace that we needed to visit someone who could help. Someone who wouldn’t take kindly to an unexpected visit from a witch.

He said he’d take care of me.

The whole situation is strange. Grace couldn’t come and in her place is the director that barely speaks to me, promising my best friend that he’ll handle this.

The building we’d arrived at is ritzy. The lobby gleamed and Adder’s shoulders had dropped in relief when the doorman nodded us toward this private elevator after speaking to whoever we are dropping in on. It’s as if he expected that we’d be turned away.

I may not be looking at him, but I still notice the small flicks of motion he makes. The way he adjusts the wrist cuff of his dress shirt and the shift of his shoulders.

Is the director of the library fidgeting? What could he be so nervous about? I’m the one with Medusa syndrome.

“You’ll have to remove the glamour for Ari. Are you comfortable with that?”

I jolt at Adder’s question. Or more, the surprise that he’d think to warn me. Is this the same guy that is so curt it feels like a slap?

“That should be fine… thank you for bringing me here,” I say. “I can’t imagine this was a part of your plans for today.”

It’s as if the intensity that has always kept me from speaking freely in his presence has thawed since he averted my panic attack. Like those golden eyes had seared away every mental wall.

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