“I’m a reflection?” Who knew?
“Everyone has reflections. You would send yours with the trident, and the Idol will send his with the sword.”
“I didn’t even realize that was possible,” Gwyneth says with wide eyes. Her book slides off her lap onto the cushion, forgotten in the face of a being with living knowledge. “How would it work?”
“Well, you need a guide for admittance to my land, which would be me, as well as someone to anchor your body in the realm. Any of those burly boys will do.”
Thoseburly boysshuffle restlessly. “No, one of us would need to accompany her,” Theo says.
“Not possible. Two people will already stretch my capabilities,” the mirror man says, foiling Theo’s plan.
I shoot him a look. “You can’t follow me everywhere.”
“Watch me,” he says with a grin.
“I’ll do it,” I decide. “Tell me when and where.”
“I’ll need time to prepare,” the mirror man declares with a very serious face. “I don’t want to make a mistake and trap you here forever.” He disappears from view.
“Is that how all the mirror people start off?” I ask.
“I don’t like this,” Nash says as he stands and steps in front of me. He tucks a curl behind my ear. “We will find a different way.”
“I don’t think there is a different way,” I whisper. “But I’m all ears.”
“Maybe consulting the All Knowing will enlighten us, since we’re heading there anyway,” Gwyneth says.
Nash’s hands fall to the arms of the chair, and he leans down, trapping me. “Do not go off on an adventure, make any deals, or follow anyone into another land without telling us first.”
“I’ll try. Sometimes, the adventure finds me.”
He kisses me softly, stealing my breath and making me long for a diurnal when we aren’t trying to alter multiple narratives. He pulls away with a wicked smirk and twinkling eyes. Yup, let’s get this done so I can get done by this.
I worryfor the sanity of the key librarian as he pushes his glasses up his nose and peers at me and Gwyneth before turninghis stare to the trident in my hand. I had the wild idea that we should store it inside the living library to protect it and avoid questions.
“And you are still maintaining this is a replica?” the librarian asks.
“They sell them in the gift shop.” I wiggle the trident, making the gold shimmer. “You too can get one to brighten your annus. Best be quick though, they were selling like hot sausages.”
He shakes his head. “The last time you were here, you claimed to have visited the living library.”
The knights filter past us, heading toward their usual spot in the corner near the food.
“Did we?” Gwyneth says with a dip of her head like she’s acting coy. “We were saying how wondrous this library is, and the knowledge in it is kept so up to date, it’s like it is living.”
I peer around the multiple levels of books with swirling dust particles that shimmer like gold in the air. Who is she trying to convince? There’s no life here.
The key librarian huffs and spins on his heel. “You give your entire life, at the cost of all personal relationships, to the upkeep and maintenance of the history of ungrateful Hallowed, and what do I get in return? Nothing. Then these two idiots swan in looking pretty, and suddenly an ancient being shows itself to them? Seriously? I quit.” He disappears into the stacks, still muttering.
“I feel kind of bad for him. We should speak to the All Knowing about job opportunities,” I say.
“Agreed,” Gwyneth answers as we hurry toward the brothers who wait for us with crossed arms and scowls.
“What did I do?” I ask. They were only separated from me for two tempos, and no Daphne-caused disasters happened.
Theo steps forward. “We’ve decided we need to come with you.”
“To the living library?” Gwyneth checks. “Do we have the authority?”
