Page 28 of Road To Runes

I retreated back to the storeroom and sat down, leaning up against the stack of boxes. The anticipation built up in my throat, threatening more noises that might give me away, and a small squeak escaped me as the bathroom door opened again.

I listened to Asher unlock his door and go inside, shutting it behind him. Shoot, how was Hecate going to get out?

A scratchy sound from somewhere in the depths of the room made me jump, and I scrambled to my feet as the sound intensified. Over the top of the boxes, I spied Hecate at the window, scratching at the plastic frame.

I clambered over the boxes, careful not to step on anything that rattled. If memory served, Laura had a bunch of decorative plates from her collection stashed in here somewhere. Reachingover a pile of dusty books, I unlatched the window and Hecate slinked her way in.

“You genius,” I muttered as I shut the window again.

Hecate jumped up on the books, sending a cloud of dust into the air as she pressed a paw to my cheek.“You always sound so surprised.”

Having the number only in my phone didn’t feel nearly secure enough. It felt like holding a glass figurine while trying to manoeuvre through a minefield. One stupid update could erase it for good. So, I retreated to my secret room, grabbed one of my old grimoires and scribbled the number down in it.

After the years it had taken off my life to get it, I wasn’t about to lose it easily.

Once I had put my mind at ease, I had a lukewarm shower and got dressed. Although I had commissions to do, Penny had insisted on going to uni that day and I didn’t want her to go alone.

Hecate had come, too, curling up in Penny’s arms on the car ride to the portal and through to the university. I hadn’t exactly jumped at the chance when Edward offered to take us in his car; my claustrophobia prickled around the edges at the idea of riding in a tiny metal cube. But Penny was more scared of my bike than I was of cars.

“What time shall I pick you up?” Edward asked as we opened the doors to get out.

“I’ll text you,” I said.

“I wasn’t asking you.” Edward scowled at me and I stuck my tongue out at him. He rearranged his face into a pleasant expression just for Penny.

Penny blushed, using Hecate’s extensive fluff to hide her cheeks. “My last lecture is at 4pm. But don’t put yourself out, really.”

“It’s no trouble at all,” Edward said, winking at Penny, causing her to erupt into giggles. “I’ll be here at four.”

I gave the back of Edward’s car the finger as he drove away and he returned the favour out the window, turning it into a wave which I guessed was for Penny’s benefit.

“What are you going to do all day?” Penny asked, as we made our way across the plaza toward the main building. “Surely you’ll get bored waiting around for me.”

“Don’t worry about me. I’ve got plenty to do,” I said with a shrug.

Like analysing blueprints of a certain dickhead’s home in preparation for stealing his power. Penny’s home drama had distracted me from doing my research on Troy Franklin, so having some time to deep dive into his home life was a real bonus.

The last thing I wanted was for Penny to tumble into a mental health pit if I left alone with her thoughts for too long. I knew that danger all too well after the breakup. If Hecate hadn’t stayed with me, batting at every one of my despairing thoughts, I would have ended up in a way bigger hole than I had.

I wouldn't have wanted to leave it to chance even if Pennywasn'tmy roommate now. She might have felt okay after a good night's sleep in a safe place and plenty of love from Edward and me, but that didn't mean she wouldn't get upset when she had had time to reflect.

Once I dropped Penny off at her class, I leaned on the barrier overlooking the glassy entrance hall, watching specks of peoplescurry this way and that several storeys below. Hecate had stayed with Penny to keep her company, which meant I could have gone down to the cafe and eaten breakfast uninterrupted. But I wanted somewhere quieter to do my homework, and the fruity granola bar in my satchel would do. Although it had probably turned to dust weeks ago.

I made my way along the corridors and down several sets of stairs, the smell of disinfectant following me down each until I reached the sliding glass doors into the university library. Although the whole institution was pretty new, the smell of books overpowered all else the moment I stepped through the doors.

A circular reception desk stood in the centre of the library atrium, a cylindrical hall that stretched up two storeys, its ceiling a marble creation embedded with gemstones. I held a heavy suspicion that they served some sort of magical purpose, even if I wasn't sure what. Three staircases wound up the inside of the atrium up to higher floors, bookshelves carved into their walls, stuffed with thick tomes that I would only dare to lift on arm day.

I inhaled a full breath through my nose; the air tinged with parchment and paper, and let the peace envelop me. The library was one of the first places I had visited after escaping from the Bishops, and visiting one never failed to ease my worries. Or at the very least, held them at the door for me.

A shrieking alarm went off behind me and I whipped around to see two young men looking bewildered just inside the library doors.

I stepped aside as a young librarian who looked even younger than me marched past, her frilly skirt whipping this way and that.

"Empty your pockets," she said, pointing at them with a long acrylic nail. "You've brought afireenchantment in here. Don't lie to me!"

"It's just homework!" One boy threw his hands up and scurried out the doors backwards. "It wasn't on purpose!"

I snickered and headed to the stairs. I had never been to school, as my family had homeschooled me in another attempt to keep me isolated from the rest of the world. But from the look of all Penny's homework, assignments, and the egotism some of her teachers displayed, I was glad not to have experienced it.

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