Erinna felt equal parts nauseous and grateful. He was the only person outside of her closest friends and family to know what she’d been hiding, at least most of it.
Afton muttered curses under his breath, shuffling around with his face buried in a book as usual. The sound was oddly comforting—it cut through the fog in her mind and brought her back to what mattered.
“I don’t make it a habit of sharing others’ secrets,” Kane offered, giving her a quick, reassuring squeeze before dropping her hand.
Erinna took in a long sigh. “Thank you.”
“For what it’s worth, I don’t care what kind of power you have. None of us will prosecute you for it.”
Erinna’s heart pounded in her chest. It was an acceptance she yearned for at home—given to her readily by a pirate. The ability to live life without the fear of a death sentence for what lurked within her veins.
“So a cursed shipwright and a half-demon pirate. Perhaps Mistress Fate has taken a special interest in us,” Erinna said after a moment.
Kane let out a genuine laugh. “Perhaps.”
Erinna’s hand went instinctively to the bracelet. It was a reminder not to succumb to silly dreams. The ones who loved her were back on Tarth.
A loud click and groan sounded from the door. “We’re in!” Afton didn’t bother to wait before walking through the door.
Chapter
Thirty-Five
The library was pristine—untouched by the same decay that ate away at the fort’s facade. Erinna stepped into a vast chamber bathed in gentle, golden light that filtered through enchanted windows, their panes showing no view of the world outside. Iprix had frozen this space in eternal dusk, she realized, capturing that perfect moment when day softens into evening.
Dark wood bookshelves climbed the walls from floor to ceiling, their surfaces untouched and clearly cared for. The room sprawled before her, magnificent in scale, yet somehow the sheer volume of knowledge threatened to burst its seams. Leather-bound tomes stood shoulder to shoulder with loose sheaves of parchment. Arcane trinkets glinted from every available surface—crystal orbs, tarnished astrolabes, things whose purpose she could only guess at.
Above, wrought-iron balconies traced the perimeter of the chamber, accessible by spiral staircases that twisted upward like frozen smoke. A second story of books awaited there, promising even deeper secrets.
Blankets of dust coated the shelves and desks, but it was clear that the contents of the room were well taken care of. Precious tokens of a man who lived multiple lifetimes.
“This room is all for show. We won’t find anything useful here.” Afton started toward the door on the back wall that led them further into the library. Erinna felt dizzy scanning through the room, taking in the amount of information and lore that must be housed in one room of this library alone.
As her foot landed on the polished stone in the center, a crushing weight settled on her body, and bile rose in her throat. She collapsed unceremoniously on the ground. Her world swam with pain.
“What the fuck is happening?” Kane was by her side, trying to get her on her feet. Erinna pushed his hands away, preferring the cool stone against her cheek. If she stood, she would lose her stomach for sure.
She could hear Afton walking back at a pace that was slow and calm. If she hadn’t been so disoriented, Erinna would have taken offense. “It’s warded against people like her.”
“Like me?” she growled between clenched teeth.
“Aberrants. Give it a moment, and it will pass. Or her head will explode. It won’t take much longer now.”
She shot a panicked look at Kane, struggling to get on all fours. Perhaps if she could just move from that spot, head back towards the cellar. Strong arms grabbed her shoulders and pulled her to a seated position. Erinna tried not to use his frame for support, but stubbornness was exhausting.
“What do you mean her head will explode?!” Venom laced his words. As the seconds clawed by, she could feel slight relief as whatever ward around the place decided what to do with her.
“I mean what I said. If she’s considered a threat, her head will explode.” Afton crouched beside her as she worked her way through labored breaths.
“How do we make it decide she’s not a threat?”
“We can’t make it do anything.”
“You’re the Minor Apprentice, Afton. Figure. Something. Out.”
Warm hands brushed across her cheek as Afton assessed Erinna’s condition and moved her head gently from left to right. She wanted to shirk away from his touch. Her gut somersaulted in fear like a prey animal watching its hunter. Afton was once a potential candidate for Chancellor, and she was everything they were supposed to hate. Treason or not, he was still a product of the academy, and her secret was out. Most of it at least. She was an aberrant; there was no use denying it to them.
Even Kane did not seem pleased with the mage’s proximity to her. He tensed beside her but knew better than to stop a mage in progress.
