Page 87 of Three Scorched Kingdoms

I inhale, and the familiar scent of crisp pages and printed paper greets me.

It’s a time capsule restored to perfection.

“You did it,” Blossom breathes, her voice filled with awe.

I turn to them, tears welling in my eyes, and for a moment, I can’t speak. The relief, the joy, the sheer disbelief that I actually managed to do it overwhelms me.

Finally, I find my voice, though it’s choked with emotion. “Welcome home,” I whisper, my tears spilling over as I smile at them. “Welcome home.”

The others look around, taking in the sight of the restored library, their faces lit with wonder. Aries pulls me into his arms, holding me close as I finally let the tears fall. It’s done. The Atheneum lives again.

“Um, guys.” Blossom’s voice is barely louder than a whisper, but there’s a note of urgency that blares like an alarm.

She holds up her arm, and all of my joy turns to dread as I spot the familiar tattoo inking itself onto her skin. My stomach twists as I look over and see the same design etching itself into Mag’s arm.

“Does this mean we’re prisoners again?” Blossom asks quietly.

“I…” I nearly choke on the words, horror spreading slowly through me as I realize my big save might have just cost them their freedom—again.

I force myself to look down at my own arm, and sure enough, my head librarian tattoo is back. A familiar bond follows quickly after—my connection to the library’s soul. Returned to me once again.

“Paige’s magic recreated things to exactly how they were before,” Mag says, his words twisting with pain. “So, I guess that means the tattoos and the prison sentence.”

Fuck.

What have I done?

“Uh, guys. Not exactly how they were,” Ned pipes up. “Look.”

We all turn to where Ned is pointing, and my breath catches. In the far corner of the library, a faint, pulsating glow catches our attention. It’s not a threatening light—at least, it doesn’t feel that way—but it’s definitely something new. Something that wasn’t here before.

“What is that?” Mag asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

Aries keeps a protective arm around my waist as we cautiously move closer to the light. The others follow, their steps tentative, as if they’re all as wary as I am about what we’ll find.

As we approach, the glow becomes more defined, revealing a small, ornate pedestal that wasn’t part of the original library. Atop it rests a single pristine book, its cover made of something that looks almost like glass, with light swirling just beneath the surface. The title is etched in shimmering letters:The Book of Beginnings.

“What the hell…?” Aries murmurs, his brow furrowing as he studies the book.

“I don’t remember this,” I say, my voice trembling. “This wasn’t here before.”

Blossom inches closer, her eyes wide with a mix of curiosity and fear. “It’s…beautiful,” she whispers, reaching out but hesitating just before her fingers nearly touch the cover. “But what does it mean?”

My mind races, trying to piece together what this could signify. The Athenaeum’s spirit had said this was a new beginning. Could this book be part of that? Is it something I created without realizing it, or was it something the library itself—alive with stories and magic—brought into existence?

“I’m not sure,” I admit, my voice barely audible. “But I think this might be part of what the Athenaeum meant. A new beginning…a way forward, maybe?”

“But what does it do?” Mag asks, his gaze locked on the book as if it might suddenly spring to life.

I can’t blame him. After everything Constantine did—using these books against us—I think it’ll be a long while before any of us open a book without first considering the consequences.

But… this one feels different.

It feels like the opposite of the threats we’ve come to fear.

With its shining crystal cover, translucent and inviting as if it has nothing to hide, this book feels like hope.

“Maybe it’s meant to be our fresh start,” I say slowly, the realization dawning on me. “To rewrite how the library works. To make the future whatever we want.”

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