“Shunlei! You barely know me. This is too much—”
Shunlei had that small, enigmatic smile on his face once more, but some undecipherable emotion passed through his eyes. He leaned toward her, but his body was rigid, as if he were restraining himself. “You are far too precious, Mei Li. I unwittingly entrusted your safety to others. They failed. If I had known who you were, what was happening, I would have safeguarded you better. I took a slight break from the affairs of men to attend to my responsibilities here and I should not have. I never should have made that judgement. If I had been closer to Overlook, if I had worked with you as I have every other previous Tomes, I would have been on hand when the disaster struck. You and Abe never would have been lost.”
Her mouth snapped shut on the rest of her protest because, really, how did she begin to argue that? She had no doubt that would have been the case. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, working it gently. “I’m not against this, but I’m a little confused by this offer.”
He dipped his head in acknowledgement. “I’ve no doubt. There are two main reasons for my offer.”
Mei Li angled herself to face him more directly, assuring him silently that he had her full attention.
“First, I have always been an ally to the Tomes. For every generation, you have been not just my colleagues, but my friends. It pains me that you are now bereft and without any shelter. I wish to offer you the aid, support, and companionship you are lacking.”
Now that made sense. From the very first Tomes, Shunlei had always been a help and support. All the records mentioned him in some form or fashion. Abe had fought alongside him several times. Mei Li hadn’t met him because he’d retreated to Dragon’s Peak before she was apprenticed. Did he feel guilty about that? About not being there when Overlook was destroyed? Mei Li didn’t blame him for it, though. He was the Master of All Dragons, yes, but he was only one being. He couldn’t be everywhere at once.
“The second reason,” he continued, still in that gentle, persuasive tone, “is that I fear what will happen to you. The political landscape has changed in the past two years. With Overlook destroyed, there have been many arguments about who should take you in, who should have control over the Tomes. When you leave here, I fear you will be latched onto and pulled in multiple directions. If you are under my wing, I can protect you from any attempts of subjugation.”
The Tomes were politically neutral. They had to be, or they risked putting one country’s needs over another. Their place in Overlook was in the country of Horvath, true, but that’s because the princes of Horvath had always paid the lion’s share of the Tomes’ salaries. It had been more a matter of convenience.
Mei Li worried at her lip a little more. It was true that being with the dragons would be the most politically neutral place for her. The dragons normally had no dealings with the affairs of men. “You think that if I’m family to you, they won’t try to argue about where I should be?”
“People avoid arguing with me for some reason,” he replied blandly.
Mei Li surprised herself by matching his tone and retorting, “I wonder why.”
He grinned at her, eyes sparkling with laughter, and for a moment he didn’t look his age, but more like hers, his expression inviting her in to enjoy the joke.
She thought of what it would mean, to be family to him. Abe was the closest she could ever recall to having family, and he was more master than father. Mei Li didn’t have a good grasp of all living with Shunlei would entail. Emotionally, she didn’t know how to anticipate or react to this.
Rationally was another matter entirely. The truth was, she would need his help and protection in the upcoming years desperately. Her knowledge was enough to tell people how to seal things, how to solve problems, and her magic was strong enough to handle part of that responsibility. But certainly not all of it. Definitely not with the current weakened seals. It was her mind that had made her an Apprentice of Tomes. Not her magic.
What would have happened if she’d been under his protection two years ago? Instead of the scrambled, hurried evacuation leading to the loss of an entire crew, records missing, and her master nowhere to be found, would it have gone differently? Mei Li imagined it would have. If the Master of All Dragons had been in charge instead of the overwhelmed human officials, it would have gone very differently.
For the sake of the world, Shunlei was willing to not only aid her, but take her into his household and give her the protection she should have always had. He did this with gentle grace and with thoughtful care. Nothing about his tone or actions implied she was an imposition. Still…
“Shunlei, I will need your aid desperately. But I don’t wish to be a burden upon you.”
His hold on her hand tightened. “Shh, you are not that. You are never that. Do not even think such words. I cannot fully explain all my feelings and wishes to you now. I am ashamed I cannot express myself well to you. If I could, you would be less worried and confused. Please understand that I have many reasons. I am not interested in your safety simply for the sake of the world. I am personally invested in your well-being. I wish for you to accept my sincerity. I do not want you lost or hurt again. I do not want to stay awake many sleepless nights, worried about where you are. You are a blessing to my house, never a burden.”
He was personally invested in her welfare? What did that mean? That was…even in her head she couldn’t frame it into words. Mei Li felt emotionally overwhelmed. The only person to ever be truly invested in her was Abe, and that was more duty than affection, some days. She had friends, of course, and colleagues, but even they had assumed that as a future Tomes, she could handle most matters herself. And she could, absolutely, but…she had never realized how alone that attitude had made her feel until this moment. Shunlei offered her not only unconditional support but affection. He personally wanted the best for her. And that was mind-boggling.
Shunlei had lit a beacon for her. Mei Li could feel herself orienting to it. Of all the words he could have offered her, those were the ones that spoke deeply to her heart.
Mei Li tried to look at it from his perspective. Two years of seeing the world unravel slowly before his eyes, with no idea of how to fix it. All while searching for the two people pivotal to the world’s safety, wondering if they were even alive after such a long time, with little hope the situation would change. Yes, that would lead to many a sleepless night. In fact, he might have been plotting this for two years, to snap her up and safely install her under his own wing to keep those events from repeating. This might be new to her, but likely he’d spent a great deal of time planning this very thing.
And really, did she have many other options? Mei Li had no idea if she had any living relatives. She’d been given to the temple at six years old to be tested as a Tomes, and all connection with her family had ended at that point. Any of the leaders of the world would offer her shelter at the drop of a hat, but that meant she would be subject to their politics as well. Just the thought of it made her shudder. No, thank you. At least the dragons were neutral. Really, this might be the best place for her.
Her instinctive protests died unspoken. Shunlei was wise indeed. This was the best place for her, and with him taking her in himself, no one could possibly object. Well, successfully object. She was sure a few people would protest, much good that would do them.
This must have shown on her face as he tilted his head in question. “You have no objections?”
“You’re quite shrewd, aren’t you, Shunlei?”
“Comes with living a long time,” he responded peaceably, and gently let go of her hand, settling back on his own cushion. “I wish for you to stay with me, Mei Li. However, I will not force you. If there is a place you’d prefer to go, I will take you.”
He might take her, but he wouldn’t leave her there alone either. Mei Li could read the subtext well enough. Shunlei was taking no further chances with her. And it wasn’t like she had any place to go to. Overlook
was permanently buried in lava and thanks to the accompanying earthquakes, now underwater. “Your charm should be illegal.”
“In some places, I am,” he intoned, dry as a desert.
Delighted by this show of humor, she huffed a soft laugh. “Cheeky.”
Touching his fingertips lightly to his heart, he gave her a heart-melting smile. “You give me joy, Mei Li. Thank you for agreeing.”
She shook her head, hands splayed in protest. “No, thank you for taking me in. I know many people are going to protest you did so. It will give you some trouble.”
He waved this off as inconsequential. “Eat, before it gets cold. I will start making preparations in the morning so we may leave. I will fly you to Tanguay first, unless you wish to handle the two demons?”
It was a flip of the coin, either way, on what she needed to handle first. And those three were just the tip of the iceberg, really, the most pressing ones to handle.
“The demons aren’t something I can handle alone. That will take preparation. I know how to seal Jingfei—I read the record for her—but Zaffi might be sealed differently. We’ll have to figure that out once we arrive, I suppose. Well, I’ll need help with the Walls, too, but Tanguay’s a large city. Odds are good I’ll find enough mages there to support me. Where are the records right now?”
“Tanguay. We deemed it as safe a place as any and hoped you and Abe of Tomes would rendezvous there, as that was supposed to be your destination.”
Mei Li grimaced at the reminder. “I’ll need to check them, and soon. But for now, yes, we need to go to Tanguay first. How long of a flight is that?”
“Two days, in good weather.”
“Which we’re not currently having,” Mei Li pointed out dryly.
Shunlei turned to look behind him, through the glass panes of the window, and frowned thoughtfully. “Yes, that will be problematic. I will strive to think of a solution.”
As he knew more about flying and carrying human passengers than she did, Mei Li let him think. She had enough on her plate as it was. Although as he ate, the question did linger. Shunlei had been adamant he wasn’t doing all of this for the world’s sake. That he wanted her safe on a personal level.
Just what was that supposed to mean? She still had no answer for it and he didn’t seem inclined to explain. Perhaps, as she came to know him better, she’d find an answer. For tonight, though, she wanted to eat and rest. She’d certainly earned the right to do that.
Mei Li sat in the very cozy study and frowned down at the list in her hands. She felt her bad mood was an insult to the study itself, as it was quite lovely. It was everything she felt a study should be. The chairs were plush and comfortable, the shelves beautifully organized, a low fire blazing merrily beneath a wood mantelpiece that was likely older than Dragon’s Peak itself. She could quite happily ensconce herself into this room and not move for a few years.
So it said something that while she sat in this wonderful room, she felt the instant need to leave it.
The list Shunlei had provided her was not at all promising. The Tomes library consisted of 3,468 books in total. Moving any of them was a chore, and the evacuation had been so hectic, Mei Li hadn’t seen how they’d manage to move them all in time. She assumed Abe had taken the records of the most pertinent, time-sensitive cases. The ones that were due for renewal in the next ten years. He must have, as it was too much of a coincidence for only these to be missing. This list of missing titles made a yawning pit of despair open in her stomach. This was a far longer list than she’d anticipated.
Half the missing titles she recognized but had not read. The other half were things she was supposed to read before the evacuation happened. She’d only gotten partially through that pile. In fact, of the ninety-three tomes listed missing, she had read a baker’s dozen. That yawning pit of despair opened a bit wider. That was not a good ratio, not at all. Just missing one book was problematic. But eighty?
No Tomes handled every single problem they had a record for. A great many of them—like the demons Jingfei and Zaffi—only needed a renewing seal every few thousand years. Some problems had a shorter lifespan, like the Walls of Tanguay, that needed renewal every few hundred years. So Mei Li wasn’t really worried about the rest of the records that had been saved right at this moment. It was just the ones missing, as those were problems she was responsible for.
Responsible for, but with no idea what to do now that her instructions were lost.
A tray settled next to her on the small round table at her elbow and she looked up, blinking to refocus her eyes. Her host—no, family now. (And wasn’t that a strange thought. Mei Li really had no idea what to make of it, and she was sure it would take a while before the idea really settled in her mind.) Shunlei had prepared a late-night snack, it seemed, one of hot tea and water cookies.
She smiled up at him in thanks. It was a favorite snack of hers, and his timing with it could not have been more perfect. “Thank you, Shunlei.”
“My pleasure.” He poured a cup for her as he asked seriously, “How is the list?”
“Not good. I’ve only read thirteen of these books. Worse, forty of them were on my to-be-studied pile, as the various seals and such are due for renewal in the next ten years. Well, it was ten years. It’s more like eight now.” She accepted the cup and inhaled the aroma deeply. Ah, bliss. Red ginger tea was perfect for a night like this.
He fixed his own cup before settling on the ottoman in front of her, their knees close enough to not-quite press together. “I was very afraid you’d say something like that. How much of this is dangerous and how much of it is just annoying?”
Pursing her lips together, Mei Li considered that question. “About half and half? Half of it is things like Lost Souls Bridge. No one’s going to be instantly killed if they accidentally use the bridge, but they’ll be lost for days in a wasteland, until someone stages a rescue. Potentially very bad, as they’ll slowly starve to death, but not immediately lethal. The other half is on the same scale as Odom.”
Shunlei openly winced. “Odom’s seal is due for renewal already?”
“Afraid so. He’s precisely two months out, if memory serves.” And her memory always did. Actually, come to think of it, Shunlei had been one of the people who had sealed the fallen deity. “By any chance, do you know how he’s sealed?”
“Not…precisely. I know I was there when it happened, but my task was to keep him subdued and in place long enough for them to get the sealing wards up. Then I leapt free at the last second before the seal was finalized. I can’t really tell you much of how it was done.” He said this last part with aggravation, as if only now realizing that was a mistake. “Dragons aren’t magical anyway. I might have understood the theory, if they told me about it, but it’s not like I have magic I can apply to seals or use in subduing demons.”
Mei Li harbored the suspicion that dragons were actually magical, only their magic was strictly regulated to two things: creating fire and shapeshifting into human form. But the dragons maintained that wasn’t magical, it was nature, and she wasn’t firm enough in her stance to start an argument. Mentally, she let this go.
“Let me ask you something, Shunlei. According to the histories I’ve read, you were one of the beings consulted when the Tomes Masters first began their work. Why did everyone agree to this system? It seems like madness, to only have two people know how to do everything.”
“Hmm, yes, you’re not the first to say that to me. I doubt you’ll be the last, for that matter.”
Shunlei took a sip of his tea, his manner deliberate and thoughtful. For all that he sat on a footstool, he occupied the area like a king. He was absolutely in control of this space, his confidence a visible aura, a subconscious thing. It was honestly a tad intimidating to sit in front of him, and he wasn’t even doing anything. Or perhaps it was the firelight haloing him from behind that gave the impression of a crown on his head. The warm light played over him, sparking off the
gold ring he wore on his hand, catching Mei Li’s attention for the first time. Was that a wedding ring?
After a moment, Shunlei spoke. “The system now is not the one we originally created. It altered through time. Originally, the first Tomes wrote things down so there was a record. Later on, he thought it best to make such records encrypted and created a new language for it. He reasoned that so much of this knowledge, if fallen into the wrong hands, could be intensely harmful. Each of these dangerous beings are sealed because we don’t know how to defeat them. Each of the artifacts are so powerful and destructive they can’t be destroyed without erasing a whole country. There was just too much danger associated with each of these things. I understood his reasons but found fault with his methods. However, it came down to a matter of practicalities in the end. We needed to safeguard them, and yet who would take on the role of guardian? For all of them?”
“So that’s how it started? With him?”
“Basically, yes. His daughter was much like him. The same razor-sharp intelligence and magical gifts. He proposed a system of master and apprentice to keep the knowledge passed down to every successive generation. We managed out of every generation to find at least two people willing to take on the burden, who had the intelligence necessary to do so, but rarely more than that. And with each successive generation, we had few problems with the system. It seemed the best method and even now, five thousand years later, I can’t think of a better one.”
Mei Li nibbled on her cookie thoughtfully before offering, “It’s true, the system did work flawlessly for five thousand years. This is the first bump in the road.”
“Ha.” Shunlei chuckled in low amusement, eyes dancing. “Not quite. This is actually the second. But that’s another story. Still, overall, it worked and worked well. If we hadn’t lost part of the records, we wouldn’t actually be in dire straits now. You do know how to read them. And you can give us instructions, just as the previous Tomes Masters have.”
Tomes Apprentice Page 5
