I crouched beside the nest. Hawthorne blinked at me, slow and defiant. Louisa May burrowed a little deeper, the codex clutched like a favorite toy.
I reached into my pocket and pulled out my silver pocket watch.
“A trade,” I said, holding it up. “And a loan. Once your little ones are hatched, I will need that back. But it’s silver, as you can see. And no one has ever had it in their nest before.
Louisa May hesitated, eyeing it with focus, then she released the codex and snatched the pocket watch.
“Thank you,” I said, retrieving the book with great care. As I did so, I eyed the nest. It was mostly discarded notes or old papers, but I thought I saw…
“Is that a page from Zabath’s Guide to Magical Night Blooming Flowers?” I asked.
Hawthorne trumpeted with indignation, a sure sign that it was definitely the page from the book that depicted silverbell blossoms.
I sighed then turned my attention to the codex, checking for tampering. Other than a slight scratch, it seemed to be intact, even if agitated. I stood, codex in hand. Louisa May and Hawthorne resumed rearranging their hoard.
“Library, we will need this area roped off until we have our new hatchlings.”
At once, I heard a rustle in the storage closet as the library unearthed the provisions.
New hatchlings.
That was always a nightmare.
Add that as another reason why we should not have a party at the library.
I turned away, inspecting the codex once more. “One day, I’ll have to enchant the rare books room to prohibit bookwyrms,” I called in a loud voice.
In the branches of the Woodwyrm tree overhead, the bookwyrms clicked and called in protest.
I smiled softly and headed back to the rare books room which would remain, for the moment, prohibition-free.
CHAPTER 9
PRIMROSE
My basket loaded with books, scrolls, and journals full of sketches, I set off the next morning for Moonshine Hollow Library full of determination.
I hadn’t won best overalls.
I had to dance with Kevin—twice more.
And my mother had talked about Juniper’s herb shop all the way home, loudly articulating how wonderful Juniper’s real business was, how much actual good her magic did for people, and how her shopfront was perfect for serious businesswomen.
I’d said nothing, merely wished I’d spent more time with Granik at the ale cart.
But this morning, none of that mattered.
It didn’t matter if my only romantic prospect was Kevin. It didn’t matter if my mother saw me as a whimsical failure. All that mattered was convincing that inconvincible gargoyle that we were going to have a party—whether he liked it or not.
After a quick stop by The Sconery, picking up my secret weapons for persuasion, I made my way to the library. Bracing myself for battle, I climbed the front steps and stepped inside, the cool, dark space swallowing me in its usual hush.
Izelda looked up when I entered.
She gave me a smile. “Hi, Primrose,” she said. “Back to do battle?”
“We are having our birthday party, whether he wants it or not. But…any tips on how to handle him?”
Izelda laughed. “Me? I stay out of his way, and we get along just fine. You’re headed into the belly of the beast. All I can do is wish you luck.”
