Page 38 of A Dream of Stars and Curses

‘So you don’t know, either?’ Leverett asks.

‘Who’s behind this, you mean?’ Anton asks. Leverett nods. ‘Afraid not, my dears. I’d tell you if I could.’ He looks at me. ‘Most of the Veiled have been around a very long time. So many years where grudges could fester and it wouldn’t help anyone. We just stay out of each other’s business, see?’

‘Like Chiara?’ Again, the name is out before I can stop myself, but Anton laughs and Leverett does that chuckle I love so much.

‘I like her,’ Anton says to Leverett.

It’s weird how much I want his approval, but this is the most casual I’ve been around the Veiled. It feels like we might be friends even, or become friends, anyway. I’ve been so worried about accidentally outing a Veiled, about angering or upsetting someone, that Anton’s easy acceptance is a blessing. I want Leverett to say that he likes me, too, but he doesn’t. I suppose that was hoping for a little much.

‘Do you have any idea why Esta might be different?’ Leverett asks instead.

I give him a questioning look while Anton cocks his head in thought.

‘Different?’ I ask.

‘As Anton said, humans who find out about us aren’t usually much of a problem. No one believes them, and they’re taken care of silently. But the Dreamcatcher feared that you would start a war, and it took some effort to convince him and the Mara to let you live. You seem to be more of a threat.’

‘I’m afraid I don’t have answers, old friend,’ Anton says. ‘I wish I could help. Naturally, you’re both welcome to browse my library for anything that might help.’

‘I would love to,’ I say, maybe a little too quickly.

‘Perhaps it’s that curiosity your silent assassin is worried about,’ Anton says. He winks yet again, but it looks forced and the playful tone in his voice is gone. ‘If you won’t stop looking into us, befriending us, who knows what you’ll uncover? Perhaps whoever is after you is worried you’ll find them, specifically.’

‘No one has come after Esta since the Dreamcatcher,’ Leverett says. ‘I had rather hoped that they’d given up.’

‘You should know better than that, old friend. We Veiled have time. We don’t need to rush from one plan into the next. What’s a year to this person, hm? It’s only been around two weeks, hasn’t it?’

‘The Dreamcatcher and the Mara mentioned that she’s female,’ I say. I definitely remember them referring to this silent assassin as ‘she’ and ‘her.’

‘That doesn’t narrow it down all that much, I’m afraid.’ Anton stares out the window as he sinks into thought. ‘I wonder...’ He catches himself, blinks, and then his smile is back. ‘Never mind me. You seemed interested in my library. Would you like to see it?’

My heart jumps. ‘If that’s okay?’

Anton stands and waves me along. ‘Absolutely. I only ask that you don’t disturb Saif, if he’s in there. My poor husband has been engrossed in his research lately.’

I’m a little sad that I won’t get to meet him, but the plethora of books will make up for that.

Leverett and I follow Anton down the corridor to a surprisingly boring door on the right. I expected ornate double doors for his private collection, but it’s a door like all the others—plain and made out of a light wood.

Anton opens it and herds us inside. ‘I’ve lost count of how many books we have, but feel free to browse as much as you like.’

This is something out of a dream. The room is huge, and the bookshelves reach the ceiling. They’re stuffed so full I can’t help marvelling at the sheer number of tomes. My head is buzzing at the amount of knowledge. No sign of Saif, though. Maybe next time.

‘Leverett, old friend, do you mind if I borrow you for a moment?’ Anton asks.

Leverett hesitates. ‘I’d rather not leave Esta alone.’

‘Do your fine senses detect any danger up here?’ Anton asks. ‘The party is happening outside and downstairs. No one knows she’s here. She’ll be perfectly hidden as long as she stays away from the balcony.’

‘I’ll be fine,’ I say. ‘There’s no one here, right?’

I can’t wait to read these spines, take in the topics and smell a book or two. I’m very curious about this balcony, too, but I’ll heed Anton’s advice and not go near it. I don’t need to, anyway—I won’t exactly get bored in here.

Leverett gives me a worried look but nods. ‘We won’t be far. If anything at all makes you feel unsafe, call me. I will hear you.’

‘We’ll be right next door,’ Anton says. ‘The room to the left of this one. Please, feel free to interrupt us if you as much as get a bad feeling.’

I nod. I was nervous about being left alone when we were still in the car and when we were outside, but I’m a lot calmer now. Nothing bad has happened, and I always feel safer in libraries. Besides, as Anton said, no one even knows we’re up here. Sure, someone might have seen us walk upstairs—there were people around—but they had no reason to pay any attention to us. I’m a big girl. I can wait on my own for ten minutes.

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