Page 121 of The Spellreader and the Phoenix

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Peter said in a tone of voice that made it clear he wasn’t the slightest bit sorry, “but you don’t have access to the area where the spellbooks are stored. You won’t be able to look. Such a shame.”

Trevelyan’s eyes narrowed, but he seemed to decide after a moment not to argue with Peter at this time.

It may have helped that Rory cheerfully pointed out, “He really did give it to us. We’re looking forward to taking a look at it! Spellbooks are so interesting. Even when you’re a shifter and can’t actually read them or use them. Don’t you think it’s interesting that witches figured out how to record their spells, even when they can’t all read them?”

Looking taken aback by the question, Trevelyan ventured after a moment, “Uh, yes, of course.”

Rory beamed at him. “Shifters write things down, too, of course, but all of our magic is innate. I feel like I’ve learned more by oral tradition, but I don’t suppose that’s the norm now.”

Peter’s expression had softened looking at Rory. “There was a lot of book learning for me.”

“Books are the best invention!” Rory enthused. “Just think about how much knowledge they contain.”

The Gutenberg Press had certainly changed the world.

“Let’s take this to the library, shall we?” Peter said briskly.

Mostly so he could leave Trevelyan in the study, if Max judged correctly. Should he be giving them both points for digging in? Since he was now apparently in charge of a trust with them, he was pretty sure they would irritate him to no end.

But for now, Max really did want to know about the book that Mr. Jones had given to them.

He was going to be so disappointed if it turned out to not be worth all this hype.

Trevelyan let them go graciously, though his narrowed gaze suggested this was simply to prevent Peter from feeling he’d got the upper hand.

Yeah, trustee meetings with these two were going to be a barrel of laughs.

In the library, Peter and Max let Rory open the secret entrance because he was obviously going to get the most enjoyment out of it. Seeing his face light up was more than worth it.

Max still felt the tingle of the wards as they went through them, but the transfer had worked correctly, and the three of them were safe to enter even after Mr. Jones’s death.

Peter made sure that they could successfully retrieve the bundle from the hidden compartment and then retreated.

“It’s meant for you, not for me,” he told them.

Rory’s eyes were practically glowing with excitement. “It’s like finding real live treasure again! We’re so lucky!”

Max could only smile helplessly at him. It hit him like a bolt out of the blue that Rory would be happy no matter what they found. He lived more in the moment and for the experience than anyone Max knew.

“Yeah,” Max said softly. “We really are.”

He could no longer imagine what his life would be like without this particular man in it.

Carefully, Max unknotted the fabric that was swaddling their book. He carefully unwrapped what proved to be less book and more box, about a foot square, dark wood practically vibrating with spells, silky smooth and glossy. One was etched into the top of the box, swirling across the whole surface, and Max sucked in a sharp breath as he read it.

“What is it?” Rory asked.

“The box can only be opened by a Spellreader and a shifter of legend, which I assume means a mythical shifter like you. I think Mr. Jones really was waiting for us.”

That Magic Rory talked about with a capital M? Yeah, maybe that really was a thing.

“How do we open it?” Rory asked, eyes big and round and sparkling with joy.

“It should open for us,” Max told him. “I think we both try to take the lid off.”

The spell had some harrowing consequences for those who weren’t a Spellreader and a mythical shifter, but since they both fit the bill, there was really no need to worry, right?

Rory settled his hands on the box, on the two sides Max wasn’t holding.