Page 74 of Bound By the Sleeper’s Harp

“Purposefully, I’d assume.”

“No matter,” Marsh said. “We were just discussing her book.” He held it forward again. This time, I snatched it from his grasp, clutching it to my chest. His smile widened, the expression disarming, transforming his face into the kind of handsomeness that made me forget what I was doing here. I blinked.

“What are you doing here, Marsh?” Bastian’s question made my thoughts sharpen. Helped me remember where I was. Unlike so many others, Marsh didn’t appear intimidated by the goblin.

He waved a dismissive hand. “Board of trustees meeting for the university. All-day thing. Thought I’d get some fresh air. I find libraries so…quiet. The perfect escape.” His eyes met mine and held.

A shiver crawled down my spine.

“Well then, we’ll leave you to it. Sugar, you ready?” I nodded and Bastian placed a palm at the base of my back, steering me around Marsh. He stayed silent until we reached an empty study room, closing the door behind us.

“Are you okay?” he asked, keeping his voice low.

“Fine, I suppose?” I exhaled, slumping into a couch near the window. “Something about him gave me the creeps.”

“Yeah. The feeling is mutual. He’s a royal pain in my arse.”

“You seemed to know each other pretty well. He didn’t look very afraid of you.”

“Oh, he should be very afraid. In terms of power, I far surpass him, though we’ve never had the opportunity to face each other. He knows I’m a threat, but he’s also a lot higher on the food chain in terms of status. Fae don’t like the threat of low-borns, but they like bastard half-breeds even less.”

“I only recognized him because of the news.”

“Ah yes. He’s a well-known public figure, politically. Supernaturally? He’s one of three reps on the SC. He’s also hoping to replace Endorian as pinnacle.”

“Pinnacle?”

“Every supernatural creature race is represented by three delegates on the SC. Of those three, there is always a pinnacle, a point of power. The other two are supports. Being pinnacle comes with additional privileges. Even though the SC relies on a voting system, it’s still a coveted position.”

“Huh.” I frowned. My gaze darted down to the book and I was reminded of why I’d wanted it. Fae politics were the least of my concern right now. Pushing my disarming encounter with Marsh Thadur out of my mind, I focused on the matter at hand.

Bastian plopped onto the couch beside me. “I take it this has something to do with the missing harp?”

“Yep.” I began flipping through the pages. “Gabriel’s Harp.”

The pages had been combed through so many times, there were finger smudges, pencil marks, even passages highlighted and underlined. History of Music was a popular course in the art history track. Music was art, expressed through instruments, after all. And since my minor had been in anthropological archeology, this course had been one of my top choices.

I found the chapter on various instruments. There was an entire subsection on harps, specifically Gabriel’s Harp. I cleared my throat and read the first few paragraphs out loud to Bastian.

While harps have always been iconic throughout music’s history, there is none more so than Gabriel’s Harp. His harp is believed to be the first “frame harp” ever constructed. Prior to this, harps were shaped like bows and couldn’t handle significant string tension. By including variations of a straight forepillar, this allowed for increased tension and higher string counts. Given the early stages of evolution, Gabriel’s Harp had only twelve strings. Historians have speculated over this number, in particular.

The invention of Gabriel’s Harp came during a time of musical revolution in Europe. Minstrels become akin to celebrities. It was an honor to host one at large events and a luxury to play host for smaller, more intimate settings. Those who could afford to hold private concerts were considered of high status.

The historically famous painting, Harper in the Throne Room, depicts a minstrel playing for the king and queen of Freyland. Records indicate that this was a recreation, a depiction of Gabriel showcasing his talents, given the portrayal of the harp in his hands. There is a myriad of controversy surrounding Freyland’s history during this time period, and this painting is one of the only surviving pieces. Freyland was thrust into a time of upheaval during which, much of its art was destroyed…

I stopped reading and looked up at Bastian. “I take it you weren’t alive during those times?”

He grunted, rubbing his chin. “I’m old, sugar, but not that old.”

Freyland was no longer a country—hadn’t been for nearly a thousand years.

“But you know something of King Aloc and Queen Neris?”

“Heard of them, sure. Something of a troubled reign of terror?”

I bit my bottom lip. “Right. Yes, and no. After reading about the harp, I went back to the history books and looked up information about their reign. That’s what prompted my questions to Professor Miller. As someone who learned to connect various events in certain time periods and bridge the connection with famous objects, I had an eye for that sort of thing.”

“Well? What did you find?” He’d angled himself toward me on the sofa, with his arm slung over the back and his knee bent in front of him.