She stared up at him, mouth slightly open.
He turned away and returned to his desk, flicking his claws in a dismissive gesture. “Marax is a buffoon, but his knowledge is vast.” He dropped into his chair and smiled thinly. “I’d kill to see the look on his face if he found out how many of his grimoires I’ve stolen for my collection over the ages.”
Suyin still watched him mutely.
With a shrug, he returned his attention to his work, picking up where he’d left off last night before falling asleep in his chair from exhaustion. He’d only woken up because Suyin had kicked one of the ladders loud enough to make a bang and then suggested he go to bed when he glared at her.
He was reviewing the incantation, ensuring everything was correct (though he knew it was) and that he’d used the most effective combination of syllables (though he knew he had). It was dull work, but every step of the spell had to be perfect.
After an hour or so, he looked up again, turning his attention outside. He hadn’t been to check his boundary wards in days, and he was overdue. It was the last thing he felt like doing at present, but he felt like fighting off invaders even less. Such was the burden of controlling a large territory.
His eyes wandered over to his companion. They did that a lot. He’d lost track of how many years he’d spent working by himself. Having someone else here was strange.
But what was perhaps even stranger was how he didn’t particularly mind it. But only because it was her. Anyone else he would surely have killed by now. As a rule, he detested the company of others. But Suyin was … tolerable.
He leaned back in his chair, suddenly wondering about what she wanted to study and how difficult it would be for her to find what she sought. If he were in her shoes, he’d want to learn every trick in the book to arm himself against demons. Especially after having been captured by one.
Suddenly inspired, he stood, chair scraping back with themovement. Suyin remained focused and didn’t look up. He returned to the far corner of the library and climbed the ladder again. Scanning the shelves, he withdrew a grimoire, climbed down, moved the ladder, climbed up, and took another.
He repeated the process until he had a stack of books up to his chin. He carried them over and dumped them on the corner of her desk. Just as before, she jerked upright and stared up at him with wide eyes.
“A collection of texts you might be interested in,” he said.
She looked back and forth between him and the book stack. “Thank you.”
His lip curled, her gratitude irritating him. He much preferred when she was pissed at him. Or better yet, terrified. “It’s annoying watching you look in the wrong sections for things. The books you’ve been reading are rudimentary.”
She pressed her lips together. “Well, thanks for finding me the good ones. I’m surprised you’d want me to learn how to fight off demons.”
He shot her a bland look. “The day I would be concerned about your magic overpowering mine would be the day I deserve death.”
“Pretty sure you already deserve that.” Her eyes crinkled in the corners, and he realized she was teasing him.The audacity.“I shudder to think of all the terrible things you’ve done.”
“Don’t bother. You’ll only give yourself a headache.”
She laughed then, and he blinked, watching her face transform. He didn’t think she’d laughed once since arriving here, unless it was out of bitterness. Strange how he was even aware of that.
Her laughter died quickly, however, and she stared right back at him.
Just as he was about to extricate himself from the interaction, she asked, “Where should I start?” Her gaze darted tothe book pile. “Is there an order I should read them in? Which ones are the best?”
His eyes narrowed. He didn’t have time for this. He needed to check his wards. Her curiosity meant nothing to him. Anything that stood between him and his plans needed to be eradicated. And yet …
This is far more interesting than anything else you’re doing today.
Before he could convince himself otherwise, he leaned over and pulled a book from the middle of the pile.
“Start with this one,” he said, setting it beside the grimoire she was already working on. “If you’re going to practice Sheolic magic, you must first learn the dangers and how to circumvent them. That’s outlined in here.”
“Awesome,” she replied, trailing her fingers lightly over the cover.
He grabbed another book from the pile. “Sheolic magic is sacrificial magic. This text covers suitable sacrificial materials, the importance of intention, and the process of selecting and utilizing a sacrifice. You need to have a firm grasp of this before beginning practice.”
Her eyes lit up as he slid the book toward her, and she cracked the stiff spine, opening to faded parchment. “Damn,” she breathed. “Does it explain how to make sacrifices without killing stuff?”
Murmur huffed. “Of course it does. While it’s generally the most powerful form, death is still only one type of sacrifice. But of course it’s the most dramatic, so it’s the only one people talk about.”
Her eyes remained fixed on the ancient pages as she turned each one carefully. He approved of her handling of the books. If she’d been rough with any of them, he’d have thrown her right back into the dungeon.
