Page 98 of Storm of Ink and Blood

“Which way?” she asked.

“The library is down here,” Rabin said, releasing her grip and dropping on his hands and knees. Zarya crawled behind him as they navigated a path through the tight network.

Along the way, they passed several more grates that opened into various rooms and hallways of the palace, pausing before each one before hurrying past.

Finally, they reached another grate, and Rabin stopped.

“Here,” he said as he pushed against the metal. It gave easily, and thanks to his lightning reflexes, he caught it before it tumbled to the floor and alerted the entire palace.

“Shit,” he hissed as he clung to the grate. “That was close.” He dragged it up through the opening and then gently placed it inside the vent.

“Ready for another climb?” he asked softly, and Zarya nodded. She cast out a thread of air to help muffle any noise as they descended into the library.

Rabin conjured another climbing vine and descended first before Zarya followed. A moment later, she found herself standing on the floor directly in front of the locked gate and the restricted section where she’d been denied entry.

At the other end of the long hall, she could see the backs of the keepers, both facing Row where all three were engaged in an enthusiastic discussion.

Zarya filtered out a puff of her dark magic, obscuring them in shadows as Rabin approached the gate and laid a hand on a bar. He closed his eyes, and a moment later, green light glowed under his palm, spreading out along the surface, transforming the iron into thick, ropey vines before they dragged open like curtains to allow them inside.

Once they passed through, the vines swung closed before the gate melted into iron again. Zarya didn’t have time to marvel at the wonder of his magic as they exchanged a quick glance and then went in opposite directions. They’d agreed they were looking for anything about the vanshaj, dark magic, or the Jadugara. There were so many books, and Zarya couldn’t even begin to imagine the magnitude of the secrets they contained.

She illuminated the spines with the tiniest flare of light, searching through the titles. Randomly, she tried a few books, perusing their contents, but found nothing that seemed right.

It felt like it was taking forever as they hunted through the shelves, checking on one another and shaking their heads.

But then she noticed it. A whisper buzzing in her ear. She’d heard the same thing when she’d stood before the gates last time. She’d nearly forgotten until this moment, but now that same chorus of indistinct voices sent a ripple of premonition racing down her spine.

She spun around, following the sound as it wove through the stacks, coalescing into a specific spot. Something was guiding her or perhaps calling to her. Finally, she noticed a book titled Age of Shadows: History of the Vanshaj and eagerly slipped it from the shelf. She flipped it open, scanning a few pages. This was exactly what they’d come for.

Before leaving tonight, Row had shown her how to use her spirit and earth magic to enchant a notebook to act as a copying device. Pulling it out of her pocket, she dropped to her knees, pressing the pages against the book, and counted to ten, waiting for the words to imprint onto the blank page. Once she was done, she flipped to the next and repeated the process.

Rabin sank into a crouch before her, and she glanced up.

“I think this is what we need,” she whispered. “Search this area for anything similar.”

With a firm nod, he jumped up and began combing through the nearest shelf. Zarya continued copying Age of Shadows, counting to ten under her breath as sweat gathered on her temples and under her collar. She tugged off her hood to get some air.

While Rabin continued searching, she moved as quickly as she could. Counting to ten and then flipping to the next page. Slowly, she worked her way through and was about a third done when someone called from a distance.

“Hey!”

Zarya looked up, peering past the bars, her nerves twisting with fear.

“We need to go,” Rabin said. “Now.”

“I’m not done yet,” she said, desperation in her voice. They couldn’t leave yet. They’d never get another chance like this again.

“Zarya, they’re coming.”

More shouts drew their attention outside as Zarya flipped to another page, pressing a blank sheet against it. “1… 2… 3…”

“In here!” another voice shouted. “The library. They’re in here!”

That had both Zarya and Rabin looking at the gate and then each other.

“Shit,” Zarya said. She still had half the book to go.

“We’re leaving,” Rabin said, grabbing her by the arm and hauling her to her feet. He picked up the book and shoved it back into its slot.