They had. Not to Thyra, though. Yes, shadows emerged for her, but it had taken so much blood that she passed out. Once she lost consciousness, they’d disappeared.
“We can try.” I gestured to the shelves filled with priceless tomes. “Away from the books.”
We made our way to the far corner of the library. No one was in sight. There was so much information about the Shadow Fae, our friends hadn’t yet needed to delve so far back, and this area was far from the door. From other fae who didn’t know our secret. Careful not to make a sound, I unsheathed my sword.
“Ready?” I asked.
“I’m right here if you faint.”
I drew the blade across my palm, not my first choice, but my clothing showed little exposed skin. I winced as a shadow drifted from the blade.
Sensing that Sassa’s Blade needed more, I placed my bleeding palm on thezupriansteel. The first time I’d done this I’d been facing a horde of orcs. While this experience was still scary, at least I knew what to expect. How it would feel. There was a pull of my blood as the blade drank in more and a shadow slowly teased out of the metal to form into a person. I was beginning to feel light-headed when it bowed.
“Hi,” I said. “We’re shadow wielders too. Can you feel it inside me?”
The shadow nodded.
“Then, we were wondering, can you teach us how to wield our magic?”
It shook its head.
Thyra swore.
Before I could ask another question, the rush of air on my left alerted me to the fact that someone had joined.
“Bleeding skies! You two terrified me!” Thyra hissed, as both Livia and Astril appeared out of nowhere.
“We smelled Isolde’s blood.” Astril looked us over. “We thought someone attacked you.”
“Now we see we were wrong.” Livia watched the shadow with apprehension. “What are you doing?”
“We hoped it might teach us magic, but we were wrong,” Thyra said.
“More,” the shadow spoke, its raspy voice like jagged nails scratching rocks.
I shuddered, but if I wanted it to stick around, I had to comply. I pressed my bleeding palm into the blade again, shuddered through the pull. My vision dimmed, and powerful hands supported me from behind.
“She’s weak.” Astril’s head tilted as she listened. “Her pulse is slowing.”
“Hurry, Isolde,” Thyra whispered, concern plain in her voice.
I cleared my throat. Suddenly, I was very thirsty. “If you can’t teach us magic, is there a book in here that can? Can you find such a thing here?”
“I sense only one that will be of use.”
“Find it. Bring it here.”
The shadow looked at me.
“Do as she says. Stay out of sight, though.” I didn’t care if our friends saw, but there were library assistants at the door, and random fae might walk by.
The shadow soared away, and I slumped.
“A chair,” Astril said.
Livia moved to get one, then lowered me into it. Only three minutes passed before the shadow was back. With black fingers, it set the book in my lap.
“That’s all,” I croaked.
