Page 6 of Tempest Blazing
The weight of that revelation settled over me like a mantle. My bond with Thalon, the Library's response to me, even the way I'd instinctively known how to navigate its shifting passages—none of it was coincidence. There was something about me, something that made me essential to maintaining the very balance that kept the Library functioning.
Moriyana's great head nodded slowly."What do you want to do?"
The question surprised me. No one had asked what I wanted to do. Everyone else had been making plans around me, about me, but not with me.
"I want to find out everything I can about the Heart of Creation and this Concordance Matrix," I said, the decision crystallizing as I spoke. "The Library chose me for something. Thalon chose me. I want to understand why, and I want to be ready for whatever's coming."
"Now that sounds like a plan worth pursuing. The Library and I will help however we can."
"Thank you." Relief flooded through me, followed quickly by determination. "Because I have a feeling we're going to need all the help we can get."
As if in response to my words, the Library hummed around us, warm and protective and utterly loyal. Whatever was coming, whatever forces were arrayed against us, I wouldn't face them alone.
The real fight was just beginning.
Chapter 3
Tess
The next morning, I led Mason through the Library's corridors to Moriyana's private study. The heavy doors sealed behind us with a softclickthat made my stomach clench.
Thalon waited by the hearth, his massive form coiled in elegant repose. His scales shifted from obsidian to gold in the firelight, and his molten amber eyes tracked our every movement. The way he held himself—perfectly still but coiled to strike—made it clear he was listening to everything we weren't saying.
"You're nervous, little one,"his voice whispered through our bond, warm and reassuring.
"I have every right to be nervous,"I replied silently. "What I'm about to do could upset everything."
"Or it could be the first step toward saving us all."
My spine prickled. Saving us all? Christ. That felt like a lot of pressure for a librarian who still wasn't sure how to make coffee without setting off the Library's magical fire alarms.
Mason's presence beside me was a steady anchor. His dark eyes swept the room, taking in every shadow, every potential threat. Even here, in the most secure location I could find, he was protecting me.
"Tess," Mason said quietly, his gaze finally settling on me. "What is this about? Why did you bring me to Moriyana's study?"
I gestured toward the comfortable chairs arranged near the fireplace. "Moriyana gave me permission to use this space. She said the privacy wards here are stronger than anywhere else in the Library." The words came out steadier than I felt. "We need to talk, and I need to be absolutely certain no one else is listening."
Mason's expression grew more serious as he took a seat. "Talk about what?"
I perched on the edge of my chair, my hands knotting together like they had a mind of their own. "I'm overwhelmed, and I don't know who to trust." I looked up at him, my chest tight. "I feel like everything is circling around me, and I don't understand why."
"What do you mean, circling around you?"
I stood, needing to move or I'd crawl out of my skin. "Think about it. I have this unprecedented connection to the Library itself. I can sense its moods, feel when something's wrong. And now I'm bonded to Thalon. That has to mean something, right? It can't just be coincidence."
Mason nodded slowly, his dark eyes following my movement. "No, it can't be."
"And this place..." I gestured around us, my throat closing up. "This is the first place I've ever felt like I truly belonged. Where people love and accept me for who I am, not who they want me to be. I won't sit around waiting for someone to destroy that."
Mason nodded. "Tell me what you know."
"Yesterday, when I caught the intruder in the restricted section, I saw him clearly—he bore a Guild tattoo. The dragon andsword insignia. He was one of ours." Saying it out loud made my stomach turn. One of our own. How could that be possible? "And when I tried to tell security, Commander Hayes practically ordered me to forget what I'd seen. The Council meeting was a joke—all that talk about increased security, but no one asked what I actually witnessed."
Mason's expression darkened. "They're covering something up."
"Exactly. I won't be a pawn in their political games." I paced to the window that looked out over the Library's impossible gardens.
Thalon's rumble of approval vibrated through the floor."Don't forget what you recovered from the intruder, Tess. That parchment you took from him—it referenced the Concordance Matrix."
