Page 6 of Summoning the Orc

I should be focused. I knew that I should, but all I could do was be transfixed by his eyelashes, wishing I could get my magnifying glass from my bag so I could investigate exactly how those tiny feathers looked. “I see you’ve brought my replacement,” he continued, his voice crisp.

She nodded, gesturing toward me with a graceful sweep of her arm. “Yes. This is Becca. She’ll be training with you for the next two weeks if that’s alright. I was hoping you could give her the tour today and then start with the hand-over that we discussed,” she said, her voice becoming more professional than I’d heard before.

I wondered if she and Jun didn’t get along, but I pushed the thought aside as I focused on the curl of the male’s lip.

Oh, he’s just going to be a ton of happy-happy-joy-joy.

“I can’t wait to get started,” I told him, hoping that my enthusiasm could soften him.

“I’m sure that’s true. I’ve seen the library you’re coming from,” he snarked, his lips pressed together in a tight, flat line.

Nice. Starting with the dick behavior.

“Yes, very different. Much smaller,” I agreed, striving to not let him tamp down the happiness I was feeling at being here.

I’m not going to let one asshole ruin my experience.

He made a small sound in the back of his throat and swept his gaze over me from head to toe. From the way his lip curled I could tell that he found me wanting. I was aware that I wasn’tthe most conventional person. Not everyone would choose the bright jewel tones that I preferred over the muted ones that made me look skinnier, but I was who I was.

I wilted under his gaze, wondering why I was letting one judgmental asshole decide that I wasn’t conforming to what he expected so I wasn’t worthy, but I couldn’t stop it. I’d never had the kind of self-esteem that could withstand that level of judgment. Being an orphan had made me become a people-pleaser in many ways and I was only just starting to break out of the cycle.

“I can’t wait to get to know you better, Becca,” Trixy told me, reaching out to give my shoulder a squeeze and I gave her a queasy smile in response, grateful for her.

She sent a withering glare in Jun’s direction, but he didn’t seem affected. Instead, he stood from the desk, gesturing for me to follow him as Trixy left, giving me a little wave as she did.

“This is the most protected space in the library,” he announced in a self-important voice. “And should be treated as such. Each of our books is specially curated and categorized to ensure that the only ones who can access them are those beings who can handle what’s inside.”

We were heading toward the shelves and I felt my anticipation and excitement coming back full-force.Thiswas why I wanted to be here. The gorgeous tomes just brimming with ancient, protected knowledge.

Unlike all the other floors, these books weren’t kept in the main part of the floor, but toward the back, protected behind a secured door. I’d been told about it, but seeing it in person was very different.

Stepping up to the door, I watched with fascination as the male used his nametag to swipe against the sensor on the right. The lock snicked and he turned the handle to open it, allowing me inside first.

I nodded with gratitude and walked inside, my eyes widening at the massive rows of shelves in front of me. The scent of magic and books almost overwhelmed me.

Someone pinch me.

The door closed behind us and Jun walked forward, gesturing with one hand toward the books. “This is it. Our entire collection.”

I released a whimper, and he rolled his eyes, but I couldn’t be bothered with him. Not now. I stumbled forward, my hand brushing against the edges of the shelves as I stared with longing at each title.

“Yes, I’m sure it’s overwhelming for you,” Jun huffed out in that condescending tone that was grating on me. “But let’s try to keep it together until the end of the tour, please.”

He began walking down the aisles, reciting the history of the collection, but I already knew everything about it. This collection had been my private obsession since the day I discovered it existed. We made our way through each section and I took detailed notes of requirements for each book along with some of the protection spells that were required to be renewed and their dates.

Hours had passed when I felt that odd breeze wafting across my face again and my head turned sharply in the direction it was coming from. A book stood open on a stand, the pages blowing, but all of the windows were closed. I peeked up at the ceiling, but there weren’t any vents.

I turned to where Jun was talking to himself, gesturing toward the shelves and I tiptoed toward the book. The scent was much stronger here and I closed my eyes, inhaling for a hit of the intoxicating aroma.

They should bottle this and sell it.

The book itself was unremarkable. It looked like every other leather-bound tome in the room, but I knew it was special whenthe pages stopped turning and settled on one in particular. I tilted my head, moving to stand in front of it, sidling away from where Jun hadn’t noticed I’d stopped following him.

I ran my fingers over the edges of the stand, the scent so strong now it filled my head with all sorts of thoughts. Wicked thoughts. Filthy thoughts. The kind you only get late at night when you should be wrapped around a male. I gripped the edges of the stand, staring down at the pages the book had opened to.

I stroked my fingers over the pages, awed as I realized that they werewarm.

How odd.

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