Page 59 of Entranced By the Basilisks

“And I go home every night to my partner at a reasonable hour. You should do the same.” She arches a brow.

“I’ll think on it,” I say.

“See that you do.”

I see why Emilia thinks Agnes is terrifying,I muse before getting back to the task at hand. Or rather, the problem at hand. Out of all the books I’ve requested from serpent kin scholars, I’m missing something. I scroll through my inbox again just to be sure.

Dr. Casey hasn’t gotten back to me. I pick up the phone and dial his number, trying to ignore the creeping dread climbing up my spine. This man is our best lead since his research is specific to details about Chosen.

He picks up, but my relief is short lived.

“Director Adder.” The scholar sounds partly cold and mostly hesitant. Like accepting this call is tantamount to having to sort through trash.

My heart falls.

“Dr. Kay,” I respond, keeping my tone clipped. “You said that you were going to send me—”

“Certain aspects have come to light, and I won’t be able to assist you after all. I… apologize.”

I clench my jaw and try to rein in the disappointment, the anger, the shame.

“You won’t be able to assist me or this library?” I ask to clarify, though the answer is clear in my mind.

“You. My sponsor has decreed that should I do any work for you, I’ll be cut off.”

“And who is your sponsor?” I ask though it could be any serpent kin really.

“I’m not at liberty to say.”

“I see. I don’t suppose it would make a difference that I make my inquiries on the behalf of Ari Zeyad?” The attempt to salvage any information I can feels fruitless, but I have to try.

“Look.” He ignores my words and the coldness breaks. What’s left is a scholar with a boot on his neck. “It’s not that I don’t want to help you, but if I do, it puts the rest of my research at risk. It’s nothing personal.”

Nothing personal.

I should take comfort that whatever ill feelings this man’s sponsor has toward me, they aren’t shared by him, but this has happened too many times in my life for me to feel anything but helpless anger. Anger that’s made so much worse this time.

“What I understand,” I say, my tone as cold as ice. “Is that you’re a coward who wants to keep his connections intact rather than assist in the pursuit of knowledge.”

I hang up before I do something regrettable to ruin the reputation of this library. There’s nothing I can say to change the man’s mind. He won’t threaten his funding for the likes of me.

I drag my hand down my mouth as the frustration and regret build in my soul. This was the one way I could help Emilia, and I’ve failed. It doesn’t matter how hard I try. My name has stained this endeavor for ill.

The one person who has needed me, and I’m useless to help her.

28

EMILIA

I regard the mirror warily.

“I don’t think this is a good idea,” I say.

Ari chuckles. “You don’t even know what I’m planning today.”

I purse my lips. It can’t be anything good. At least I’ve been able to do something I’m good at while I’ve trained with Ari. We’ve arranged that I spend the mornings in my study doing the meticulous work of restoration and the afternoons training.

Ari says it’s good for us to take our time and avoid becoming too frustrated with the process, but as much as I appreciate the quiet time to work on books, I wonder if taking our time is really a good plan. It’s been a few days since that first day that I’d controlled my gaze, and we’ve hardly made any progress.

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