With a last beaming smile, the magister flounces away, leaving me to face…
A rather hostile Professor Goodberry.
Oh,what now?Please tell me he’s not back to complain about not being allowed to hold classes here again?Before I can open my mouth to offer a strained greeting, he interrupts me.
“What are you playing at?” he demands, folding his arms as he glares at me. “Closing the Arcanaeum forweekswithout any notice? This is unheard of. My research was reaching a critical point, and I’ve been completely unable to plan any lessons for the semester.”
I hold my hand up, silencing him. “Access to the Arcanaeum is a privilege, not a right. Plenty of other institutions close for the holidays, and you don’t complain about that.”
“Not the Arcanaeum! Not for weeks! Never in my lifetime has this collection been closed for so long. And for what? So you could go shopping?” His eyes rake over my new outfit with scorn. “If you were going to inconvenience us all for the sake of fashion, you could at least have given some notice, or allowed the borrowing of books over the holiday?—”
“I understand your frustration,” I say, deliberately unclenching my jaw, because I knew this would be an issue. “But I will not continue to engage in this conversation if you cannot calm yourself.”
“Calm myself?” His brows rise. “Librarian, this is?—”
“You are aware that making a nuisance of yourself is against the rules.” I summon the copy of the rules that he signed when he first entered all those years ago into theair between us as the Library bristles. “And nowhere in this agreement does it state that you are entitled to access the Arcanaeum at any point, nor that I am required to give notice when the building needs to shut for repairs or other reasons.”
The Arcanaeum nudges my attention to the spot behind him, where a familiar pair of dark-haired twins has entered the Rotunda. I grimace as North and Eddy take in the queue, and Goodberry, with raised brows.
“Repairs!” an older magister with her hair perfectly coiffed calls from farther down the line. “What utter tripe! The Arcanaeum has never needed repairs before.”
“Maybe it wasn’t the building but the Librarian who was in need of fixing,” Goodberry agrees. “After all, your cracks seem to have miraculously disappeared. The lack of transparency aboutthatwhole affair didn’t escape our notice, either.”
My ire rises, but before I can summon his library card into my hand, banish him, and spare myself any further headaches, North appears and leans against my desk. He rolls up one sleeve, then the other, completely at ease and acting as if he has every right to be here.
Beyond him, lingering by the wall, Eddy grins like the Cheshire Cat.
And Goodberry…freezes like a rabbit caught in the headlights.
“Carry on, professor,” North says, and then, when Goodberry continues to gape, he prompts, “You were bitching about shit you aren’t important enough to know.”
The lanky professor shuts his mouth at last, scrambling to gather the dregs of his dignity. “Are you telling me that the Arcanaeum was closed for parriarch business?”
North doesn’t answer, just meets his gaze steadily. Ordinarily, those intent stares don’t work on me. I know theysimply mean he doesn’t have a clue what’s going on and is too proud to ask. Goodberry, however, reacts by swallowing and leaning backwards—just slightly.
“Next time, we’d appreciate more notice,” he finally splutters, before turning on his heel.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” I mutter. “I’ve been waiting for an excuse to banish him.”
“He’s one of my teachers,” North retorts. “I don’t need to listen to him whining about getting kicked out of here next week.”
I snort, but the next person in the line is already approaching.
“If anyone else is going to complain about the Library being closed, you can direct your complaints to Parriarch Ackland rather than wasting the Librarian’s time,” North announces, silencing the man before he can speak. “He’ll be happy to hear your concerns.”
Immediately, half of the patrons in the line disperse.
Oh my. No. Hedidn’t.
“That’ll piss Josef right off.” Eddy chuckles, her arms full of books as she joins her brother. “Good move.”
“Hey, it’s not like he can complain to Kyrith.” North smirks, and it’s a devilish expression. “He’s not allowed in.”
I will not smile. The image of Josef enduring dozens of complaints about something he was not involved in is not funny, no matter if the Arcanaeum believes otherwise.
The twins have undoubtedly just caused me more drama with the parriarchs in the future. I should be furious.
Library conjures two golden star-shaped stickers and hovers them in front of the twins.
