Page 94 of Beneath the Flames
That was all the explanation I had time to give before the giant double doors loomed in front of us.I wasted no time pushing them open and pulling her inside.
Though it was still an effort, I managed to summon my magic for a brief second, and her mouth flopped open as the lanterns on the wall illuminated, revealing wall after wall of floor-to-ceiling shelves filled to the brim with books.The air was stuffy, and smelled like old paper, but I found itstrangely comforting.
“This is my library,” I explained.
Maren gaped at the full shelves surrounding us.
“There are so many,” she whispered.
“There are books here as old as Shadow Ire itself.Generations of Malathars have added to the collection.”
Maren spun in a slow circle, taking it all in.
“Do you like it?”I asked, waiting on her answer with bated breath.
It took a moment before she responded, her countenance falling.“I don’t really read books anymore,” she said softly.
Not quite the reaction I was expecting.“Why?”
She cleared her throat, running her fingers over the spines on the closest shelf.“When I was a child, my mom would read fairytales to me.Always fantastical stories about a prince saving a princess, or true love conquering all.It wasn’t long after that that my father started…” She paused and let out a shaky sigh.“Well, she stopped reading stories to me, and I learned quickly that such fables didn’t exist.As desperate as I was for an escape from real life, I never picked up another book.”
“Never?”
She shook her head.
“Maybe it’s time to try again?”The words came out as a question, echoing her sentiment from yesterday when I’d asked what she did when things didn’t grow.
Gray eyes pierced into mine.“Maybe.”A small smile curled her lips.“Which is your favorite?”
Though there were thousands of books in this library, my brain instantly jumped to one.Taking her hand once more, I led her to the back of the room.On the very end of the fifth shelf in the corner sat a book that was so old, the title was completely faded from the cover.I had no idea what it waseven called anymore, but I had read it so many times over the centuries, it had become my favorite.
“Try this one,” I said, offering it to her.
She held it gingerly in her hands, as if she was scared it might fall apart.
“Are you sure?”
I nodded.
“I thought we were findingyoua distraction.”
“Read the book and we can talk about it.That’ll be my distraction.”
A hesitant flicker of hope lit up her face as she smiled at me, turning my world upside down.“Okay.”
Day three of waiting for the seed to sprout.
“Tell me more about your home,” I said as we sat on the balcony in the Magmara room, the bucket of dirt between us, legs swinging wildly off the edge.The air was freezing, but I was able to wrap us in a weak cocoon of magic that at least cut off the wind.After days being trapped inside the castle waiting, we were both a little restless to get some fresh air.
If frozen, dying air could be considered fresh.
She looked up at me.“What do you want to know?”
“Everything.”
A brief flash of surprise flickered in her eyes, but then she returned her gaze to the volcano in the distance.
“I have two younger siblings, Lila and Joey.I’d do anything for them.”She looked down at her hands in her lap.“I miss them.I wish I knew if they were safe.”
