Page 20 of Of Withering Dreams
“Commander Larkin, here are the chore assignments,” Xeni announced, handing over a crisp scroll.
Gavrel studied it for a moment and then pinned it to a tall stone pillar, marking the barracks entrance. “Thank you, Xeni. Please let the other guards know to spread the word. Make sure everyone identifies their roles within the hour.”
He turned to our group, letting us know where we were each assigned. Letti was tasked with being a palace chambermaid. She shrugged, never one to complain or shy away from hard work. Breena and Kaden would be squires to separate warrior units, their matching smirks showing their delight. My heart thumped in gleeful anticipation when I was allocated to the palace library—precisely where I wanted to be.
Kaden and Breena went with Xeni toward a group of Draumrs assembled at the far edge of the training field. Various warriors were sparring or practicing their swordsmanship, those around them cheering and catcalling.
Gavrel led Letti and me to the palace. In the foyer, he beckoned a chambermaid with dark, wispy hair. He nodded a greeting when the sweet-looking young woman approached us, her big eyes rapt on his face. “Miss Linlee, would you please show Alette around and walk her through a chambermaid’s duties?”
“Of course, Commander Larkin.” Her head bobbed energetically as she curtsied, a glow brightening her round cheeks. Letti and I said our goodbyes, and she walked off with the besotted woman.
He walked on, his mouth cutting a stoic line across his face. Apparently, he was oblivious to the chambermaid’s reaction to him.
As we strolled, I studied him from the corner of my eye. I had to admit, he was very handsome. Growing up with him over the turns, I suppose I hadn’t always recognized this. It was too easy to take familiar things—and people—for granted, to cast them to the side to be obscured within the shadows.
His nose was straight and well-defined, perfectly in proportion. It was centered between high, regal cheekbones. The muscle and skin above his jawline dipped inwards slightly, sloping toward his solid jaw.
I didn’t realize Gavrel had caught my curious examination until his dimple peeked from the side of his smirk. Kaden had the same dimple. An amused puff of air blew out of my nose as I looked forward, rubbing my lips together.
He led us through a labyrinth of winding halls on the ground floor. Numerous works of art lined the moonstone walls—a gilded assortment of otherworldly dreamscapes and Ancients in various stages of scheming. The hues were so bold that I thought the images might leap off the canvas. I did a double-take a few times, imagining the creatures in them were dancing among the paint strokes.
“Here we are,” he announced, pushing open a set of massive, curved doors.
“Pinch me. I must be dreaming.”
“Well, I suppose we all are … technically.”
I rolled my eyes, cuffing him on the arm as an excited grin swept across my face.
The elliptical library was vast. Countless columns and stacks of books covered the floor-to-ceiling walls, and rows of book-lined aisles stretched ahead of us. Two pairs of curling staircases, like contorted parentheses, stood at the entrance and back of the room, granting access to the second and third-floor balconies running along the walls. Every inch of the space was formed of glossy black stone and fluid pewter, arching protectively over stacked sections of tomes. Obsidian ladders scattered throughout the room, stretching toward the vaulted ceiling.
The bowed walls on the third level rose high into the ceiling, their arched peaks creating a diamond pattern along the center. Nestled between the pointed cutouts, a sea of crystal prisms coruscated defiantly, refracted sunlight bouncing over the room’s glossy surfaces.
I breathed in the comforting musk of the leather-bound treasures, their yellowed pages and well-loved backbones beckoning me.
An older man tottered over, interrupting my daydreams. His puffy white mustache hid his upper lip. His bottom lip was tipped downward in a displeased scowl as he grumbled with every step.
“Commander,whathave you brought me?” His words were like dry gravel scraping under a boot. His back bowed with age, and the dark green of his tunic rustled as he shifted uncomfortably.He must have ember, I mused, taking in his attire.
Before Gavrel could speak, I interjected, ensuring my voice was polite and unaffected. “My name is Seryn Vawn. I’m from a village in northern Evergryn. Pleased to meet you.” I paused, holding out my hand.
He raised one bushy eyebrow, a faint brownish aura fizzling around his bent form for a moment.Well, that settles that.A gentle smile curved my mouth. He studied me, holding me hostage in an amusing staring contest. I tipped my chin up, not breaking eye contact.
He huffed and lifted a bony, arthritic hand, his grip surprisingly firm when he shook mine. “Iben Burlam. Evergryn. Eastern—bordering Haadra.”
“Seryn is to help you in the library, Mr. Burlam.”
“Fine, fine. Come this way, girl,” he demanded, shuffling toward the long tables lining the center of the aisles.
Gavrel whispered, “He’s not so bad once you wear him down, which I’ve no doubt you will excel in.” He smiled, his viridescent eyes glinting.
“Absolutely. He’s nothing but a grumpy little lamb.” I winked and followed the prickly librarian, leaving the commander chuckling as he left the library.
“Pick up the pace, girl,” the librarian chided. I smirked, considering I was already beside him. He moved slower than sap seeping down a tree.
“We get a lot of traffic in here. There isn’t much else to do. Unless you want to take your chances in the Reverie Weald or swing a sword like an imbecile.”
I bit my lip to hold in my smile. “Good to know, Mr. Burlam. How can I help?”
