She didn’t look at me, and for once I didn’t mind. Her eyes were wide with wonder as she stared around and then looked up to the library’s second and third floors.
“It’s… it’s… spectacular,” she sighed. “I didn’t know there were this many books in the entire world.”
Beaming with pride, I glided her chair into the center of the first floor reading area. Bookshelves lined the walls on allfour sides, stretching from the gleaming wood floors to the high ceiling.
Each floor of the library was constructed in the same setup, an open center surrounded by four walls of shelves.
“Have you read them all?” Raewyn asked.
I almost choked on pure air. Was she serious?
“A considerable number, but there are thousands of books here, Wildcat. I’m not sure anyone could read them all.”
“I could,” she said with stars in her eyes. “If I had enough time.”
“Well let us hope your half-Elven nature gives you immortality then,” I said.
“Yes,” she agreed absent-mindedly, batting her hand in the air to indicate she wanted to be pushed closer to one of the shelves.
I grinned and complied, enjoying the chance to observe her fascination and delight. I should have brought Raewyn here much sooner. It was like seeing a wild animal that had been caged all its life finally released into its natural habitat.
“Lucky for you, you’ve got nothing but time these days,” I said.
Raewyn didn’t respond. I wasn’t sure she’d even heard me. She was in a world of her own right now.
Running her pretty fingers lovingly over the spines of the nearest books, she made a delightedoohnoise that did interesting things to me.
The hair on the back of my neck rose, and a restless sensation stirred in my abdomen.
Fantastic. Apparently I’m jealous ofbooksnow.
“Can I bring some of these to my room?” Raewyn asked, already gathering several books into her lap.
“Of course,” I said. “And as soon as you’re able to navigate the stairs on your own, you’re welcome to come down here anytime and select new ones.”
That got her to finally look at me. She turned in her chair to check my face for sincerity.
“Really? Do you mean it?”
“Of course I mean it. As I said, my house is your house. You’re a guest here, Raewyn, not a prisoner.”
“Thank you,” she said and gave me the first sincere smile I’d seen since she’d awakened from her coma.
When Raewyn had made her reading choices, I took her upstairs and down the long gallery hallway to her room.
“Is your room here on the second floor?” she asked.
It was a natural question I supposed, but it made me uncomfortable.
“Why do you ask?”
“Just curious.”
“When your legs are strong enough, you can explore the entire castle,” I told her. “Except for my chambers. Do you understand?”
She hesitated but agreed. “I understand.”
Opening her door, I pushed her chair inside then bent and lifted her from it to carry her to the bed.
