That made me feel a way that I couldn’t put into words—and not one I wanted to focus on for too long lest I say something embarrassing.
Like, I think I might be falling for you.
“The scholars only accept new admissions twice a year. At that time, they re-catalog everything and rewrite that book.” I nodded to what was in her hands, and she gasped.
“But—but that must take ages!”
Her wonder and exclamation were adorable, and I chuffed a deep laugh. Pink coated Faylinn’s cheeks, and I quickly assured her I wasn’t laughing at her, just roused by her excitement.
“The use of Air and Earth Magic actually makes it a rather quick process,” I continued my explanation at her frown. “An Earth Mage can date the book down to the month it was constructed, while Air Mages can use their magic to make pens write on their own, and at a rapid pace. They have an alphabetical list of all new books entering the library and just insert them into the library’s catalog once they reach that point in the alphabet.”
Faylinn nodded her head as she rapidly flipped through the pages of the massive book. It was heavy, and I was rather shocked she could hold it in one hand while thumbing through the pages with the other.
“When was this one published?” she asked as she gently set the tome on my desk again so she could use two hands to flip through the pages.
“Last month,” I said, enthralled by her.
Faylinn didn’t reply, but there was a giddiness to her, almost an urgency as she rapidly flipped through the pages.
“So many books. So much knowledge. Where do I even begin?” she mumbled to herself, a gentle furrow in her forehead as she concentrated. I itched to reach out and smooth it with my thumb but held back at the last minute.
“Before you get too entrenched, why don’t I show you the tunnel I take between the Academy and the manor? That way you won’t have to see the outside of it every time you leave and come back,” I suggested. The tunnel was a carefully guardedsecret—its existence only known by me, Alois, and the Earth Mage we contracted to build it.
Normally, I’d consult Alois before showing someone the tunnel, but my current frustration with the Lord of Vespera caused me to act impulsively.
It didn’t help that Faylinn’s anxiety surrounding the Academy had the desire tofixcoursing through my blood. I wanted her happy and excited to explore all the secrets the Academy library had to offer—gods knew she was the only one in Vespera actually interested in the information stored there.
The scholars are going to love her.
But not too much, I hoped. I still wanted her to use my office as her reading room.
I’ll just have to tell her the tables in the library are for Mages and Vessels in the Academy.
Yes, that would work.
“A tunnel?” she asked quizzically, excitement lacing her tone. “Is it . . . a secret? Like a secret escape tunnel?”
I smiled wide at her exuberance.
“Ooh! Itisa super-secret tunnel.” She giggled, closing the book but not before putting a scrap piece of paper between its pages, marking her spot.
“Yes, it is. You are now only the fourth person to know of its existence. And it needs to stay that way,” I said gravely. Faylinn schooled her expression before nodding once.
“Very good, if you’ll follow me?” I gestured for the door, leading her out into the hallway beyond. “After I show you the tunnel, I’ll take you to the library. I have a few other things I need to get to today and will have to leave you there. But I suggest using my office as a workplace. The tables in the library are generally reserved for students of the Academy,” I said with a little shake to my voice as I locked the door behind us.
Faylinn nodded, thankfully buying the lie.
Chapter 44
Rohak
The tunnel was on the lowest level of the Academy. At least, the lowestknownlevel. There were others even farther below that housed all sorts of unsavory things, like the rooms Alois used for his ‘experiments’ when we first took power, along with the dungeons and torture rooms.
Thankfully, I didn’t have to bring Faylinn past those today. I wanted to keep her as insulated as possible from the horrors housed beneath this place, the ghosts of those who died here a constant haunt. She already seemed to have an aversion to the Academy, and I wanted to deplete it as much as possible.
“Why is this whole building made of this sparkly stone?” Faylinn questioned, gently brushing the walls with her fingertips as we walked.
I hummed, wracking my brain for the answer but coming up short.
