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His white cloak contrasts brightly against the dark rafters and aisles. The rows are long and tall, filled to the brim with books, candles, skulls, and bottles filled with an assortment of things. The ceilings are tall and drafty, and the distinct scent of old pages gives me an odd sort of comfort.
Candles flicker with a warm glow and give off enough light to read without straining the eyes. It’s a magical little dark corner he’s found, and I wonder how he knew exactly where to look to find this section. I’ve been in here for hours, burning the midnight oil, trying to find anything remotely close to Shadows and blights with no luck.
Raine perks up as he hears my footsteps. “Hey,” he says with more life than I’ve heard in his tone all day. “What are you doing in here?”
I narrow my eyes at him because he’s anything but the reading type. “What are you doing here?”
“Just trying to learn more about this place, I guess.” He nods to the table and I take a seat next to him. The red rug beneath us looks old and worn. Two cups of tea are set on the table.
I raise a brow at him. “You drink tea?” He winks at me and I let out a short laugh.
He smiles and those beautiful teeth shine brightly as he mutters back, “Of course I drink tea. I expect you do as well, right? Two sugar cubes and a dash of milk?”
“Yeah, but how do you know that? You knew I was coming?” I ask. I take a sip of the tea and hum with delight as the warm liquid glides down my throat.
Raine shrugs. “I’m all-knowing now, remember?” he says with a cocky grin.
I nudge him with my elbow. “Since when did you get fun?”
He laughs and it draws one from my lips as well.
“I guess having the weight of Barkovah off my shoulders and my imminent death has made me want to enjoy what time I have left,” he says sadly.
“What are you really doing here, Raine?” I ask more seriously and pull my brows together with concern. He’s probably here trying to find answers, just as I am.
“I’m actually here because someone told me I might find something to lift the blight.”
Did Arthur tell him? It couldn’t have been Elias. “That’s actually why I’m here too,” I admit and he flashes me a thankful grin. I set my cup down and press my hand over his. He flinches at my touch and pulls his hand away, jaw clenching.
“Why do you always do that?” I ask in a soft, somber voice. He’s so reluctant to be touched and loved. It hurts to watch him pull away from affection. “It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me.”
He stares at my hand on the table and shakes his head. When he speaks, he draws out each word. I can hear the grief in every one of them. “I… don’t have a great past.”
“I think you’d be surprised at how many of us don’t,” I offer with a sad smile. It’s odd, isn’t it? Smiling when you’re hurting so deeply. I wonder if it is a coping mechanism.
Raine looks up at me and analyzes my face. “I think if we look for information about breaking curses, we’ll be able to try a few things.” He hands me a book and I take it, dropping the matter as easily as he did. I refuse to make him say what haunts him. He’ll tell me when he’s ready.
“There’s nothing specifically on the Shadows though, is there?” I ask, already sure I know the answer.
Raine’s eyes fall to the book in his hands as he mutters, “No, there isn’t. Not for the blights and Novas anyway. Anything on Shadow anatomy, casting, and forms is already in our class texts.” He turns a page and skims through it.
It’s weird to see him so still, reading, and not looking entirely drained. I think of Barkovah and the small boy who used to follow us around. My chest seizes and my lower lip trembles; I suck it in, biting down on the fat part of it.
I don’t remember who that child was. What was his name?
I’m forgetting, just like Raine said I would. The thought weighs on me as I flip through the book, searching desperately for anything that might lead to us breaking the blight. Because I won’t forget Raine—he can’t die.
After an hour of reading and skimming, I come across a handwritten note stuffed into the crease of the book. It’s hard to read, so I scoot closer to the lamp on the edge of the table and hold the slip of paper at an angle to read.
Elias accidentally blighted them, all of our friends, but I think I found a way to stop it. Our squad cannot lose another… Our hearts cannot bear it, especially Elias. He won’t recover from this. I just hope I’m not too late.
My eyes widen and I hold up the tattered note. Raine glances up at me.
“Someone left this here. They know how to stop the blight.” My voice is shaky with hope. Raine doesn’t smile, but he nods with determination.
“Let’s start there then. Does it say who wrote it?” He carefully takes the note from my hand and looks it over.
I shake my head. “No, but the handwriting might help us determine that. Where do we start though? The professors, castle staff, soldiers… I don’t know how we’re going to narrow it down. Assuming whoever wrote it is still alive.” I sullen and look back at the book the note was hidden in. Could it have been Arthur? He did send me to the library to find something; maybe he wanted me to find it and ask him.
