I bring the trembling blade to my forearm once more and press it into my skin. A dull pain begins to travel up my arm as the dagger slowly cuts into my arm. Another low growl reverberates around the library, and I hear books start to fall from the shelves. Whatever this thing is, it’s large enough to barely fit through the vast spaces between each towering shelf. Through the growls, I can hear something sliding, like someone is pushing something large across the floor, but I don’t let myself think about the sounds until I finish this task. The smudged paper lies beside me, and I close my eyes.
I swipe the blade across my left arm, feeling the searing pain move up my arm and down to my fingertips. A hushed whimper leaves my throat, and tears well in my eyes as I drop the blade once more. The blade clinks against the floor, and I regret not holding on to it. That sound just told whatever lives in herewhere I’m hiding, again. Warm liquid begins to run down my arm, and I open my eyes to see blood pouring from the cut.
I look at the paper, my vision blurred from the tears, and dip my finger in the thick crimson liquid. On the back of my right hand, I move my leather back as far as possible and begin to draw the Rigil as best I can remember. My hands tremble so much that each circle is warped, but it will do. Three circles overlapping with a line through the middle, followed by exactly three dots, and a few more markings, complete the first Rigil. The drawing illuminates with a white light, and it dries in place. My arm bleeds, and I take a second to assess the cut. It’s not too deep, and even in my panicked state, I swiped the blade precisely. Gratitude fills me for my previous training in wielding a blade.
I dip my shaking finger back into my own blood, now covering most of my arm, and move on to the second Rigil. I flip my hand over, beginning to work on the second one. More books continue to fall behind me, and I can’t help but flinch at the loud sounds that move around the typically silent library. With each passing second, the creature moves closer, and I can feel a slight breeze coming from behind me. A hissing noise makes me move faster, and I draw each overlapping circle once more and complete the second to last Rigil.
An overwhelming stinging sensation moves through my arm, and I grit my teeth to stay focused.
One more time.
With most of my body covered, I lift my quaking arm covered in blood and begin to repeat the marking on my forehead. The liquid is hot, and I attempt to keep it from running into my eyes, already blurry from tears. My chest heaves, and a breeze moves through the Archives, bringing a stench with it, and that’s when panic fills me to the core. The breeze isn’t from the wind; it’sbreath. The creature’s breath gets closer each second I take to protect myself.
A growl sounds so close that everything within me tells me to run, but I stay still, making sure the last Rigil illuminates and dries quickly into place. Should all three work, I will be undetectable from the beast that haunts this library. We have no clue how long the wards work on my body, but I pray it’s long enough to find what I need.
My arm continues to bleed heavily, and I begin to wobble from the blood loss. I grab a cloth from my pocket and begin working on the cut by applying pressure and wrapping it tightly. I move my leathers over the cut for extra pressure and stay as still as possible with my back flush against the shelf. I blink through the fear and nausea, waiting for the marking on my forehead to snap into place.
The hissing grows louder, and I know it’s right behind me. The creature slips one bookshelf behind me, and a terror I’ve never felt rushes through me. My eyes blur.
No. Gods, no.
I feel myself begin to slip. Maybe I didn’t cut myself with precision, and I, in fact, went too deep, causing too much blood to leak from my body quickly. I slowly put both hands on the ground and grind my teeth as I push myself to stand. I squint my eyes and can still see the sconce marking the exit. I may get out before the creature sees me if I can run. I don’t think the last Rigil worked, and I have to run. Right now.
I feel a tingle in my forehead as blood drips into my eyes, blurring my vision further. I take a step forward, and a book directly behind the shelf I was hiding behind crashes to the ground—a sound I fear I’ll never forget. Fear and pain course through me as I move one foot toward the exit. My entire body sways, and my head throbs. I look toward the exit, and my vision begins to show small dots darting around like black stars.
Don’t pass out.
Keep fucking moving.
Another step slowly moves me forward, and the bookshelf no longer shields me. I’m completely exposed, and I hear the slithering of the beast closer than ever. I sway side to side. My left arm slumps to my side, and I extend my right, hoping it will push me forward. My forehead continues to throb, and in the darkness ahead, I see a spark of light shine before a hot stench surrounds me. My hair blows forward, and I desperately take one more step before my legs give out and my world goes black.
“Get up.”
“Get up, Briar.”
“If you don’t get up, this will all be a waste.”
I can’t open my eyes.
My body feels like it’s floating, but I feel no pain. In fact, I feel nothing at all.
“I swear to the Gods,” the voice booms. “Now.”
Rohhit. That’s Rohhit’s voice.
“Open your fucking eyes, Briar, and look for the red book.”
Agasp escapes my throat, and I sit straight up.
I snap my gaze in every direction, realizing I’m still in the Forgotten Archives. I look down at my arm, where the two Rigils remain perfectly dried, and a small pool of blood has leaked through the bandage and leather, but it’s stopped. I lift my unsteady arm to my forehead and feel the liquid hardened on my face. I remain silent, realizing I’m out in the open, no bookshelves surround me, and I’m near the exit, but not close enough to slip through. I don’t hear any sounds near me, but I can hear a muffled sound deep in the library. It knew I was here, but it left. The Rigils worked, and the creature couldn’t see me. I’m invisible to its sight.
Rohhit’s voice. He screamed at me to get up. The short memory comes crashing back into my mind.
Red book.
Find the red book.
I slowly turn, and the library behind me remains silent. A few books lie scattered from the creature moving through the aisles, but it’s nowhere to be found. The table in the center of the room is tipped over, and dark shadows move across the floor like a dense black fog.
