Page 12 of Lore of the Wilds

Lore swallowed. She could do this. And anyway, she didn’t truly have a choice, did she? She tore her eyes from the lord and back to the steward. He was a fraction as terrifying as the winged beast at her side.

“If you can promise me that your people will help Duskmere recover,” she said, “then I will risk my life for your theory.”

The steward said nothing, gaze darting between her and his master.

Sweat dripped down Lore’s back as she held her breath. Was she stupid to even try to negotiate?

“You have a deal. I’ll send our finest healers, masons, andmore than enough supplies. But you must start your work in the library today.”

Lore relaxed, gulping in air. “Show me the way and I will start right n—” She flinched backward, scurrying into the corner of the room in her haste to get away from the lord’s suddenly outstretched hand. “I would appreciate it if you would keep your distance, my lord,” she choked out.

Lord Syrelle dropped his hand to his side. He searched her face, assessing. He was always assessing. Lore wanted to squirm beneath his inquisitive gaze. “I apologize for my rude behavior, but I have to ask... am I really so terrifying?”

Yes.“No, my lord. I was just surprised, is all.”

He made a disappointed sound. “That won’t do,” he murmured. Then, louder, “I appreciate your support in this. The library means a lot to my family.”

Lore could only nod in response. Her tongue felt like it had swelled up in her mouth. Her throat was dry.

The winged fae walked toward the door, giving her a wide berth. His feathers shimmered with light. He called to the steward. “Show her to the library after you’ve discussed the rules with her.”

“Yes, my lord.” As the door closed behind him, the steward barked at her, “Sit down, will you?”

Lore’s cheeks burned as she returned to her chair.

“I can show you the library and then you will be taken to your quarters. However, we have some rules you must agree to before we can move forward.”

“Of course. What are they?”

“You aren’t to read any of the texts, at least not beyond what is necessary to organize them. If you find any particularly... interesting tomes, scrolls, or grimoires, they are to be brought to me right away.Especiallyif they appear to bespelled. In addition,you aren’t to discuss the books you find in there with anyone but me or Lord Syrelle.”

Lore nodded, curls bouncing around her face. Seemed reasonable. “Understood. No reading in the library and bring you anything that seems spelled with magic. When do I get the coin?”

Chief Steward Vinelake’s smile grew. “As soon as the task is finished. As you will see, it is quite a... monumental task. As for the coin, you will not need any while you reside here—the servants’ quarters, dining hall, and baths should provide all you will need.”

“Chief Steward, with respect, I was brought here without a moment’s notice. I wasn’t able to bring clothing or supplies. Might I get paid a small sum every few days so I might purchase what I need? Assuming this work cannot be completed in a day.”

The steward’s eyes flashed with annoyance, but he consented with a nod. “I think this shall take you some time. Despite my protests, I believe it unwise to permit a human to remain outside of Duskmere for so long, and in such close quarters with your betters, but it seems you are likely to spend the winter here.”

Lore sat up straight.The winter?They hadn’t even celebrated the autumn equinox yet. She ignored his comments about permitting a human to remain outside of Duskmere. She wasn’t surprised in the least that this was his thought process, nor that he wasn’t ashamed to let her know it. Lore remained quiet—he hadn’t actually answered her question.

Chief Steward Vinelake relented with a sneer. “Fine. I’ll alert the treasury.” He raised one long finger. “The royal family is not here this season, but you will use the servants’ passageways at all times. You are to remain in your quarters when you aren’t eating, bathing, or in the library. That means no attending festivals or exploring the grounds. I expect you to be working every day.I will permit you a short break on the mornings the market is here to acquire any items you may need. But if I find you are slacking, I will send you home. Through the forest.”

A perversion of a smile broke out across his face.

“Without an escort.”

Chapter5

Lore surveyed the Alytherian Royal Library with the chief steward through glass windows inlaid in thick metal doors, though “door” didn’t seem like an adequate word for what these were. They rose before Lore from floor to ceiling, towering so high above her that, even when she craned her neck all the way, she couldn’t see their tops.

Each door was embossed with a beautiful picture, one depicting the night sky dripping down from above, as constellations swirled above a cascade of mountains. A forest scene flowed up from the bottom. Trees had been fashioned in such a way that the flickering light of the torches seemed to make their leaves sway in a breeze. Animals gallivanted through the woods, and two adolescents lounged near the tree, one writing on a scroll while the other read aloud from a book.

Ancient glass panes were inlaid in the center of each door, the glass warped and rippled by time. Through the windows she could see bits and pieces of the library. It was pure chaos. Gargantuan stone shelves rose up to the ceiling, and long ladders on wheels climbed up each shelf. The floor had disappeared beneath the books that covered every inch, as if they had chosen to leap from their shelves to their deaths rather than go unread.

Every. Single. Tome.

Lore didn’t know if she wanted to laugh or cry at the state of the library. She whispered a quick prayer of gratitude to the stars that the shelves were, for the most part, all standing. After a millennium without care, she thought they would have crumbled to dust. Lore had never seen a library before, but the sheer number of books filled her with excitement. She’d read about libraries in her stories, but to see one before her, even in its current state of chaos, was magical. She wished more than anything that Duskmere could have a library, one filled not just with fae texts but human stories as well. There was a time when they weren’t permitted to write their own stories—it was only in her lifetime that they had been allowed to keep and write their own books, and it wasn’t often that anyone had the time or energy to do so. It would take many lifetimes to fill a library of this size with their own stories, but how incredible a feat it would be.

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