Page 80 of Lost and Bound

“Anything on the origins of Quin-state. I don’t know enough about Thales or the members of Quin-state. And I should.”

She watches me carefully, listening to every word I say before smiling at me. It’s not predatory; it’s genuine and sweet. “A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one.” My eyes flare at her very human reference, but she ignores my reaction and goes on. “While you know little of Quin-state, Maya Ellis, we know a lot about humanity. We have a wide selection of both fiction and nonfiction from inside the wall, should you ever get homesick.”

I trail after her, wondering how much more she knows about me.

She walks over to a spiral staircase tucked away from view, stopping at the bottom. “My name is Shalah, and if you need me, all you need to do is call. The position of librarian in any of the provinces of Quin-state is one that has been passed down from generation to generation in my family’s lineage. Librarians are impartial to the ways of others. Our sole allegiance is to the preservation of the written word.”

Again, she has me at a loss for words. The sparkle in her eyes suggests she knows it too. What keeps me off balance is the lack of any kind of aura around her. I’m not sure if it’s because she’s a librarian or if the library is shielded. I’m also not sure it’s any of my business, which in some ways confirms I’m right where I need to be—in the epicenter of information.

“Any other books you need before I leave you, Maya Ellis, to discover the wonders of our library and the history of your fellow students?”

I finally find my words and blurt them out before I lose my nerve, or Cane appears. “Books on alignment, and anything on the concept of fated mates.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

REVELATIONS

“Maya! Maya!” Orion sings my name like a chant while shaking the bed so enthusiastically, I nearly bounce off his mattress.

“I’m awake,” I groan, refusing to let go of the mountain of blankets. “What time is it?”

“Time for us to get ready.”

I don’t need to open my eyes to know he’s amped, as I feel his excitement pulsing off him.

“For what?” I ask, shuffling backward so he can sit-down, hopefully calm down too.

He scoffs, but at least he climbs onto the bed, so his mood tones down a little. “Don’t give me that. You know what I’m referring to.”

I smirk before wiggling deeper into my pillow and letting out a contented sigh.

“I brought coffee.”

I sit straight up, my hand extended. “You could have led with that.”

And then Orion’s status as best friend ever is cemented when he also passes over bacon and egg muffins. “How did you get these?”

I can’t remember the last time I had one. Not even when I was on the other side of the wall.

“Benefits of the full moon: the shifter’s diet increases tenfold.” He points to another bag on his desk. “Extra protein today, and a party tonight.”

The coffee turns sour on my tongue. Orion might be excited about attending the full moon party, but apparently no one else in Nomina is, including me.

“You know I’m only going because I have to, right? That as soon as my attendance is marked off, I’m leaving.”

He sighs before answering, like he’s frustrated by my answer. “It’s a party, we could stay for a while.”

“Nope. Not happening. No chance.”

He stares, searching for something, before he grins. “You know I’d never push you to do anything you don’t want to do. At the same time, I was triple-checking you’re not simply saying you don’t want to go when really you do. We could go simply to kick Arlan where it hurts.”

“Between his legs?”

Orion takes a sip of his coffee, his smile growing bigger. “We’d be less likely to miss our shot if we aim for his ego. Then we can go for Emrys’ too.” He grimaces. “Not Bael, though. Demons scare the living shit out of me. You know they can possess with a simple touch?”

I scoff, driven by my first-hand experience of Bael, and his touches. “Doubtful.”

We stop talking while we eat, both of us making some really obscene noises, but the muffins are just so damn good. Once finished, Orion scrunches his wrapper and shoots it into the trash. I try, but my aim is off, and it falls on top of the books I borrowed from the library. None of the titles are on fated mates, because supposedly anything published on the subject was destroyed by Council a long time ago.