Page 83 of Kingdom of Tomorrow
In the smaller of the two bedrooms, I came upon a full suite of golden body armor. Every accessory imaginable was scattered over a pair of nightstands, a dresser, and a bed. Weapons, audible and visual transmitters, and a plethora of small gadgets I couldn’t identify.
The kitchen was stocked with fresh fruit juices and an array of goodies. Such variety. Sweet desserts and savory sandwiches. Clotted creams and rich jams. Like any good babysitter, I deposited a beverage and a snack on Cyrus’s desk whenever I took a break and prepared something for myself. Which happened often, allowing me tounabashedly listen to his calls. Not that I learned much there either. Well, other than that calls could be made between Ourland and Theirland.
Cyrus paused each time I supplied him with sustenance, giving me an odd look, as if stupefied by the gesture.
He was arguing with someone when I set a plate of cookies at the edge of his desk. I paused to listen, going still for the first time since forever, it seemed, and fatigue got the better of me.
“I’m asking you to move her to a safer area and put her in a safer apartment,” he snapped. “Not construct a new building in a day.”
I stood in the doorway of his office, my chest constricting. He was working to protect my mother. Probably a means of indebting me to him but also the kindest thing anyone had ever done for me.
Catching his eye, I smiled softly and mouthed, “Good night, sugar bear.”
“Hang on.” He pressed a button and set the phone aside. “You have everything you need?”
“I do.”
“Good. By the way, I like the nickname even more than expected.”
“Way to ruin it for me,” I muttered with mock affront. As I marched off, his laughter followed, enchanting me. Dang it!
I locked myself in the bigger room after confiscating a netter from his, then set the personal alarm via a keypad on the wall. Maybe I’d get some rest tonight. Maybe Mykal would, too, considering she had the cell to herself and wouldn’t need a chain. Hopefully she hadn’t forgotten to water my seed.
Sighing, I cocooned myself in what must be the largest, softest bed in the world ... where I tossed and turned, my mind unwilling to settle. The rules of my investigation had changed. I now had Cyrus to contend with, and he may or may not be setting me up, so I needed a new game plan.
Arden Dawn Roosa.
The soft, whispered voice registered, and I blinked, frowned. “Cyrus?” I jerked upright to look around and found no sign of his presence. He hadn’t bypassed my locked door.
Heart thumping against my ribs, I rasped, “Hello?”
Arden Dawn Roosa.
Realization. The voice hadn’t wafted into my ears but had sprung up inside my head. Exactly what had happened the first time I’d met Ember.
I swiped up the netter, jumped to my feet—and found myself standing in front of the Rock. But this ... I ... I stood in my new room, seemingly in two places at once. Exactly what Shiloh had said he’d experienced.
Palms sweating, I looked left, right. This couldn’t be real. Must be imagined. A dream. This section of the Rock wasn’t located in an area I recognized. A lovely desert oasis teemed with lush trees and foliage, beautiful flowers, and colorful fruit. Birds perched on the branches. Butterflies and bees, insects I’d only dreamed of seeing in real life, flew from petal to petal.
Awed, I reached out and traced my fingertips over a cluster of ripe purple berries. Cool to the touch. Soft.
Along the Rock, the lines inside the circles drew together, repositioning. I glided forward without thought, my feet moving of their own accord. Upon perfect alignment, the circles eased into a slow rotation. Spinning. Faster and faster with each completion until flames sparked with the seven colors of the rainbow. Smoke rose, blurring the stone until the wall appeared to be as insubstantial as mist.
The bearded man in the red robe materialized. He wasn’t glaring this time, but he wasn’t smiling, either, as he motioned me inside.
No, thank you. I backed up a step, but invisible hands caught my waist and pulled me forward. I dug in my heels, but I couldn’t halt my momentum. When I stopped, the urge to fight drained completely.
I stood in the library, taking everything in.My goodness.Far better than the vision Ember had provided. There were no people present,and I was glad. Nothing distracted me from the decor. Vibrant sunlight streamed through stained glass windows bearing the same markers as the Rock, beaming multicolored lights upon sparkly vases, hand-carved ornaments, and polished shelves. My eyes closed for a moment, breathing in the smell of cleaner, worn leather, sweet peaches, and creamy coconut. What bliss!
The bearded man stepped from thin air to stand at my side. I set my finger on the trigger of my weapon—or tried to. I no longer held the netter.
“I’m Domino Crane.” His deep voice fit his ancient eyes. And yet, he was probably only a few years older than me. He was the kind of rough, rugged handsome that must draw scores of women into his orbit. “A member of the High Guard. You might know me as alibrarian.”
“Are you kidding me?” A librarian? Seriously?
He didn’t appear offended or explain further. “Permission was granted. Look around. Touch.”
Though confused, I refused to waste this opportunity to advance my investigation, forced though it was, and eased forward, aiming for a towering bookshelf. The book covers faced outward, each rimmed by crushed gemstones. I extended my arm, intending to handle the tome on my left. Such lovely rubies. A split second before contact, my hand shot to the right. I curled my fingers around a leather-bound beauty and lifted. A nice weight, with small, golden swirls decorating the page ends. Flowers bloomed before my eyes, forming letters, revealing the title.The Book of Arden, volume 20,Daily Updates.
