Page 46 of Witch’s Ruin

“Of course. A popular section. You will find it in section D aisle forty-four.”

“Perfect—wait. You said keeper? Is that—”

“The keepers of Corinna have kept the library since its beginning. We have weathered the years, stood the test of time, to protect and preserve our great collection. Here, you will find books from every country, those that still exist, and those that have fallen into mere memory. You will find books of knowledge, and books of pleasure, books of intrigue, and books of controversy. You will find that there is nothing, absolutely nothing, that isn’t covered, in this great place.”

She said these words as if she’d rehearsed them a thousand times. I studied her, my eyes attempting to peel back the layers. If she were a mere librarian, that would have been her title. I was tempted to push harder, but instead, I tucked it away. “Thank you.”

She spared me a final, appraising look, then turned and calmly strode off, disappearing into an alcove.

“Keepers,” I whispered to myself, grunting. “I bet there’s a whole section on that, if this place is as extensive as she claims.” I looked up again, taking in the levels that opened up and circled the atrium where I stood, intricate railings protecting patrons from falling to the mosaic tile beneath my feet. I counted—there were eight levels. I could have asked which one housed section D, but I was too eager to explore for myself.

I set off. Scattered throughout the stacks on the first level, scholars and patrons occupied sofas, tables, and alcoves. A deep hush filled the air, almost tangible. I couldn’t help the smile spreading across my lips. No wonder Rixon loved books. No wonder he had so regularly occupied the library at the Citadel. Growing up with something like this at hand? He’d been lucky, in that respect.

I found what I was looking for on the second level; an entire section dedicated to the city of Corinna. History of kings, buildings, and even its founding. I zeroed in on that, pulling a stack of books before I located a table and set about reading.

Corinna was founded nearly two thousand years ago, making it one of the oldest settlements in Raeria. The land was discovered, supposedly, by explorers from Uscain, across the sea. According to my current text, the Uscanians had found a largely uninhabited stretch of wilderness and founded a shipping outpost, right here at the mouth of the river, which they later named Runnel. They hoped to make Corinna a gateway into the continent beyond. I read and read, trying to memorize things that felt more important.

Corinna is said to be the name of the ship that…

My eyes began to blur. I blinked, taking a deep breath. Forcing myself onward, I consumed paragraph after paragraph. Most of it was dry exposition. At times, I skimmed, searching for information about how the city was laid out, designed, engineered. My head jerked, nearly falling off my wrist. I blinked, focusing my gaze on the words. Too many sleepless nights were catching up with me.

How long had I been sitting here?

The scuff of a boot was my only warning. Two strong hands braced themselves on the table caging me in; Rixon’s body pressed against my shoulders. “I should have known you’d find the library,” he murmured, nipping at my ear. My insides curled as his scent washed over me, remnants of the soap we’d washed with, mixed with his characteristic musk. He laid a teasing kiss on my temple, then pulled up a chair beside me. He flipped it, sat down, and rested his forearms along the back.

“Well, hello.” I looked him over. “How was the meeting?”

“Pure torture. You try sitting through hours of discussions on trade and tell me how you find it.”

“Well, it can’t be much better than this.” I slid the open text his way.

He glanced down, grunting. “I could have told you where Corinna got its name, and how it came to be settled by the Uscainians.” He reached out then, and rubbed his thumb over the corner of my mouth, failing to hide the twitch of his.

“Stop that!” I batted his hand away, ignoring his amusement at the drool that had apparently formed there.

“Well,” he concluded, “I hope it wasn’t a complete waste of time. Surely you found something?”

“You are so very lucky, Lord Wielder, that you are sitting there, and I am sitting here,” I said, keeping my voice low. “It’s been a challenge staying awake, and now you tell me I’ve only been learning details you already know? Fantastic. Utterly fantastic.”

He chuckled. “I take it you’re searching for some sort of information about the tunnels? We should inquire with the master builder.”

“Firstly, I don’t know who that is. Secondly, what makes you so sure this master builder of yours won’t run straight to your father and tell him what we’re up to?”

“So?” He lifted an eyebrow.

“So? The last thing I want is for him to know we’re exploring the tunnels.”

“Hm…” He rubbed the stubble along his jaw. “Suppose you’ve got a point.”

I tried to fix him with a look, but his eyes were too unfocused to notice. Unlike me, he hadn’t gotten the luxury of sleeping for another blessed hour. I captured my bottom lip between my teeth. “Are you free now?” I asked. “Or must you go back to work?”

He snorted, his eyes focusing on me again. “Free, I believe, but one never knows. I’m probably missing some sort of appointment with my betrothed to pick out napkins or some fucking ridiculous thing.”

I burst into laughter, immediately clamping a hand over my mouth. Nearby, a scholar glanced up sharply, fixing me with a glare, before turning back to his books. “Well, as much as I enjoy being here, I could use some food.”

“I was going to say the same,” he drawled, but there was a hungry gleam to his eyes that had nothing to do with sustenance. Still, he said, “Why don’t we shelve these and head out into the city?”

“I’d love nothing more.”