The Library (The Librarian of Alexandria Book 1)

by Casey White

  The woman continued without so much as glancing at him, vanishing behind a rack. Owl stopped. He could just make out the top of her head over the books, bobbing along.

  Had she not heard him? He ground his teeth together, breaking into a jog. "Hey!" he cried, more loudly. "Hold up! I need to talk to you a second!"

  Her silhouette didn't change course, didn't even slow.

  Owl hurried through the aisles, dodging past a stack of books piled alongside a shelf. "D-Damn it," he mumbled, snapping his eyes back to the woman. Closer. He was getting somewhere, at least. "Come on! Don't run, miss. I'm not- I won't hurt you or anything." The words came out a huff as he picked up the pace. He couldn't very well sprint through the wing, not with shelves blocking his way, but he could try.

  Yes. He, a masked, leather-coated man who looked straight out of a fantasy movie, was running after her, a confused stranger, through a magical, constantly-shifting library she'd never seen before.

  Really, it wasn't hard to figure out why she wouldn’t stop.

  Can you cut her off? Owl whispered, cursing under his increasingly-short breath as the woman rounded the corner at the end of the wing. She was dressed plainly, her faded graphic tee oddly out of place in the mystical Library. Owl's feet pounded along the wood toward her.

  And yet - it didn't seem to matter how fast he was, or how slow she was. Every time she crossed behind a shelf, fading from sight, it was like she gained another thirty feet on him. "Hey!" he hollered, his voice starting to go hoarse. "Would you- Would you just-"

  The woman kept walking, strolling with easy nonchalance toward the doorway. Owl grinned, picking up the pace. He'd catch her, soon - once she turned that door, she'd be out into the main hallway. There'd be nowhere for her to go. Close off the doors, will you, Alex? I don't want her getting lost. She's probably scared enough already.

  Not that she looked scared. She wandered as though lost in a dream, doing an impressive job of completely disregarding his every cry. As he watched, his eyes fixed to her back, she turned the last corner into the hall.

  Gotcha. Owl's grin widened. He charged forward, summoning up every last ounce of speed he could, and tore after her. The doorway flashed past. He spun, planting his feet hard, and-

  And stopped. His breath came ragged, his chest rising and falling in uneven waves.

  The hallway was empty.

  "Where?" he gasped, looking this way and that. "Where'd she go, Alex? I thought I asked you to-"

  The words fell away as Alexandria gave an angry, ominous rumble. Owl stopped, furrowing his brow at the hallway - the hallway that was completely lacking any doors. "Sorry," he whispered numbly. "I thought- I assumed you...but then..."

  He stood there, flummoxed, and just....stared. "Where'd she go?"

  Owl yelped, flinching away as the quiet of the Library was split by a cacophony of bells. "W-What- What the-"

  Bells. He backed up a pace, leaning against a wall and clinging to it until his heart could stop pounding. Bells, in the Library. Right. Guests. He knew how this worked. He'd done it all before.

  This isn't a surprise, his thoughts screamed. You were expecting this, weren't you? How long have you been waiting for this to happen? Hurry up and get in there.

  His thoughts weren't wrong. Owl shook his head furiously, already turning. "Alex," he said, quickening his stride. "Get me there quick, will you?" He'd already been shocked into submission. He'd already chased Leon's dumbass friend halfway across the Library. He didn't need to make anyone wait any longer than needed.

  Not when he was pretty sure he knew who had come.

  If the woman was still here afterward, he’d look for her then. Couldn’t let her wander, but couldn’t take the time to search anymore. His fingers explored the straps and bindings of his uniform as he stalked along, checking buckles and ensuring fabric had been carefully tucked into place. Had to be perfect, and all. Even with Leon, he wouldn't let himself show a hint of his identity, but with outsiders? No, no. Unacceptable.

  A relieved sigh broke from his chest as he saw the doors appear. "Sweet. Thanks, Alex." At least that had worked out. Hurrying on, he pushed hard - and stepped into the entryway.

  In an instant, Owl knew his guesses had been correct. His eyes darted to the more familiar figure first - Olivia, grinning at him sheepishly. She raised her hand in a tiny wave, tight against her side where it was only half-visible.

  He inclined his head a fraction of an inch, acknowledging the gesture - and turned to the second figure. Where he'd recognized Olivia instantly...it took a moment longer to place her companion.

  Which was understandable, he told himself. It'd been years since they'd last met, after all.

  But years wouldn't wipe her face from his memory, no matter how it put lines on her face or streaks of silver in her umber-black hair.

  Owl smiled, safely hidden behind his mask, and bowed politely.

  "Good evening, guildmaster."

  - Chapter Twenty-Nine -

  Indira was here. The guildmaster.

  Owl let his eyes linger on her for a long moment, chewing on how he should approach this. He’d expected her arrival, yes. Given the way Olivia had shown her face in Alexandria the last time this sort of thing had happened, he’d assumed it was only a matter of time.

  And here she was. He inspected her, wordless. He’d always remembered her, the slight, tiny woman who’d leapt at her superior back during that long-distant fight. Now, face to face again, he was likewise brought face to face with the reality of how much time had passed. She looked...older. Her warm skin was creased with lines around the corners of her lips, her eyes. He could remember her eyes being filled with terror, with honest confusion. Now, she just looked tired.

  And she was staring at him. He snapped back to reality, collecting himself. “It’s a pleasure to see you here in Alexandria today, guildmaster,” he said, with the silence of the entryway pressing in around him.

  She smiled, at that, a bit of the tension leaving her expression. “Thank you, Librarian,” she said. “It’s been some time, hasn’t it?”

  Owl inclined his head gently. “It has indeed.” He shifted from foot to foot, glancing between the two guests. Indira was standing stock-still, but Olivia all but vibrated in place. They were nervous, then. Good. He turned his gaze back to Indira. “I...can’t say I’m surprised to see you here.”

  The corners of her lips lifted wryly. “No, I suppose you’re not. Not after...all that.”

  He chuckled. “You could say I’ve been expecting you for a while.”

  His amusement died as Indira took a step forward - and bowed, bent over double at the waist.

  Olivia flinched, following suit a moment later. She clutched a sheaf of papers, which rustled with the motion.

  Owl could only gape, stuck staring at their backs.

  “Our apologies aren’t enough,” Indira said. “I hoped to come sooner to express my deepest regrets, but...it took some time to get the full story of what happened out of our scholars. They were...shaken. To put it mildly.”

  Owl leaned back on his heels, sliding his hands into two of his coat’s oversized front pockets. Shaken, was it? He grinned darkly. Yeah, they’d nearly set each other on fire before getting caught amidst a chaos of collapsing shelves, ending with the ceiling nearly coming down on their heads. ‘Shaken’ was a pretty damn modest description for how he expected them to feel.

  And he was sure that the fact their drunken antics had set the whole thing into motion had nothing to do with their reticence in talking about it.

  “Both of them made it through the incident unscathed,” Owl said. He kept his tone mild, with just the faintest hint of reproach. “Mostly. Their injuries were not severe, and-”

  “Oh, they were whole and healthy when they awakened,” Indira said - and stood. For the first time, Owl could see her eyes flash darkly. “They did not mention they’d been injured during all this.”

  Behind her, Olivia straightened, her shoulders
drooping - and made a face, starting to scrawl notes on a pad of paper.

  “Not badly,” Owl said, forcing his eyes back to Indira. “I was able to patch the worst of it up with Alexandria’s aid. It was one reason, though, why I felt it necessary to break the pact again.” He winced, chewing on the array of words that presented themselves to him. “I know that the guild values the arrangement they have with the Library, and it wasn’t my intention to flaunt that. But in that situation-”

  “What?” Indira said, blinking. “You mean, with turning the two out?”

  Had he misread? He peered through the lenses of his mask, trying to read the slightest clue from her perfectly-blank expression. “Ah...yes. Seeking the ire of the guild was not my goal, but-”

  “With the pair of idiots destroying an entire section of your Library?” Indira said, her eyebrows arching up at last. “And harming themselves in the process?” She chuckled, shaking her head. The salted mane of her hair splayed across her shoulders. “Librarian Owl, I didn’t come here to scream about contracts and arrangements. Given what our representatives did, how they acted...”

  “We’d appreciate you not just canceling the whole agreement outright,” Olivia muttered under her breath. Indira shot her a look. She quieted.

  “What my assistant blurts out on a whim is...true enough,” Indira said heavily. “The fault here is ours, Librarian.”

  “Owl,” he said. “This is already weird enough, guildmaster. No need to make it worse.”

  A bit of the worry faded from her eyes - and her smile grew just a little wider. “It’s Indira, then.”

  “I suppose I can manage that,” Owl mumbled. He raised a hand, rubbing at his head beneath the shielding leather of his hood. “I don’t...Alexandria still needs visitors. Alan and Dylan were reckless, but I’m not about to cut your organization off entirely.” He shook his head. “Don’t worry.”

  Indira beamed, taking a quick step forward. “I’m- I’m thrilled to hear that. But I cannot let this slide with just an apology. Not after...” She sighed, wrinkling her nose. “Not after our assurances that past incidents would not be repeated.”

  Owl chuckled under his breath, remembering the gouts of fire spraying from Lenny’s lab. “You have some interesting characters, that much is for certain. But...truly, it’s not a problem. The Library will heal, with time. Thanks for your concern, but-”

  “I have to do something,” Indira said, and her expression darkened. Owl stopped. Her eyes tightened, filling with strain again for a moment. “You were wronged. It wouldn’t be right to leave without addressing that. It’s my responsibility.”

  Owl fell quiet at that, hearing the strain spread to her words. He hadn’t planned on this. When Dylan and Alan had been running amok through the Library, he’d seen an incident like this as a convenient way to get them out of his hair safely and expediently - something which Alexandria had agreed with.

  He hadn’t stopped to consider the position it put the guild in, or how Indira would feel. Alan and Dylan had been terrified to the point they hadn’t even argued with him kicking them out. If they’d conveyed that to Indira...he sighed.

  “I appreciate your care in this,” he said. “I do. But you’re already well aware that the Library is not a normal place. It doesn’t operate under normal rules. Alexandria is upset - but that’s something that I need to handle myself, as Librarian. If you want to do something to help, then look at your candidate pool and-”

  “Oh, we’re going to change all of that,” Indira said, standing a little taller. “Things have been slipping, I see. It’s completely unacceptable for this to have happened more than once. Rest assured, Librarian, that I’ll be looking into that personally.”

  “Oh,” Owl said weakly. The woman’s demeanor had changed entirely, even from a few minutes before. She’d been so quiet when they first met, so hesitant. Now, she spoke with such confidence.

  Becoming guildleader had suited her, his thoughts whispered. Someone said that, didn’t they? The guild is ambitious. And so is she.

  “Well,” he said, forcing himself back to the present. “If you’ve already taken that into account, then...that will help. Thank you.”

  He searched for something to follow that up with, but...nothing came to mind. He fell quiet instead, caught in place.

  Silence fell over the entryway.

  What now? his thoughts screamed. They were just...standing there. Indira toyed with a strand of her hair, her lips pursed, and when he glanced over to Olivia, he found her staring at the floor.

  What more did they want? Yes, their people had trashed his Library. That was their damn fault. He’d already told them it was forgiven - hell, if they’d just move on and not ask too many questions about the fact first-time guests had been playing with magic, he’d consider it a win even with a study destroyed. And he was sure, sure that their magical theories would have slipped out in any questioning of them by Indira.

  But what was he supposed to do about this? He couldn’t magic up a way to ease their guilty consciences. He lifted a hand to rub at his head. “Um.”

  “Actually,” Indira said.

  He stopped. Actually? He looked up - and found Indira’s eyes turned all the way to the side. She glanced back, then seemed to take a deep breath.

  “I do have a proposal for you,” she said. “One that I hope to be the first step in a closer relationship. And, hopefully, one that would give us a way to mend the damage we’ve done.”

  “A proposal?” he said, his confusion mounting.

  Olivia stepped forward before Indira could say anything and handed him the stack of papers. She skittered back just as quickly.

  “Candidates?” Owl said, and despite himself, he could feel irritation starting to replace confusion. Already? When they’d just gotten out of his hair? Not to mention the fact the last guests had caused the mess they had. Damn it, he’d been looking forward to having some peace and quiet. “Ah...with all due respect, guildmaster, I don’t think-”

  “Indira,” she said. “And, by no means take this as us rushing you on any level. Given the actions of our last scholars, we merely wanted to give you...proper time to consider.” She folded her hands in front of her. “You’ll find that this is a more curated selection, hand-picked from old visitors who were non-problematic and scholars we place the utmost trust in. Nevertheless, we wanted to give you more notice than usual. And...there is another reason.”

  She gestured toward the sheets, her skin a few shades paler than before. Owl blinked. Something she wanted him to look at? He raised the stack, furrowing his brow.

  Olivia’s cautiously-smiling face stared back up at him. He blinked again, nonplussed. All of the information was there. Everything was laid out nice and neatly, just like she-

  “You’re submitting yourself as a candidate?” he blurted out, glancing to Olivia.

  She reddened. “I did say I wanted to visit. And I said I’d do it the right way. I want to learn. And I want to see.”

  “More than that....she could provide some level of recompense on the behalf of the booklenders,” Indira said. Owl looked back to her. She was pale, but there was strength in her dark eyes. “Alexandria is majestic indeed, but there are still tasks that require your attention. Distractions.” Her hands tightened about each other, until the white of her knuckles shone through the skin. “Having help on the inside would lessen the demands on your time.”

  “You want Olivia to be my hired help,” Owl said, his mind spinning. What was she proposing? That wasn’t the whole of it either, he knew. She’d said it at the start - she wanted this exchange to be the first step toward something larger. Was she trying to interfere in Library business? “It’s...a thoughtful offer, Indira, but-”

  “I would like you to consider something else,” Indira said. Her eyes were locked onto his, somber. “What happened to you was a tragedy. One that cannot be allowed to repeat, for the sake of whoever is to follow.”

  Owl went very still. What ha
ppened to him? “I’m afraid I don’t quite know what you-”

  “I apologize, but with all of this mess to unravel, I find I’m not in a mood for delicacy,” Indira said. “You were too young to be taken as an apprentice, let alone as the Librarian. Surely you’re aware of that much yourself.”

  Ah. That.

  Owl inclined his head, his gaze never breaking from Indira’s. “The situation was difficult. But, in the end-”

  “I don’t know what happened,” Indira said. “I know that something must have happened, though. We have records of prior inheritances, and none were as abrupt as this.” Her expression softened. “I can’t imagine the pressures Librarian Crow was under, to act as she did.”

  Owl’s pulse quickened, his breath catching at her name. “Yes, well-”

  “You were too young to take the mantle and the mask - and yet, she must have felt she had no other option,” Indira said. “What would have happened if she had no candidate at all when the moment came to pass it on? What would happen to Alexandria?”

  “I...don’t know,” Owl said. He shifted from foot to foot, his discomfort with the current line of conversation building. All of it rang sour in his head - the talk of Crow as well as discussion of the Library itself. He shook his head, trying to collect himself. Couldn’t let Indira stomp over the top of him. He was the Librarian, not her. “I’m sure a solution can be found, and it’s something I’ll be happy to investigate. But that’s a matter for me to worry about, not-”

  “We’d never dream of interfering,” Indira said, raising a hand. “It merely seemed a best-case scenario for all parties involved. Olivia has studies of her own to pursue. Her service to you would allow us to demonstrate our continued goodwill. And the knowledge she gained would put her in good standing should you require further aid in the future.”

  “Your secrets can remain secrets,” Olivia said. Owl glanced back to her at last. She stepped forward, no longer quivering. “I’m not interested in- in any of that. I know you have good reason to be worried about your identity, and that’s fine. But let me help undo the damage our people caused.”