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"Am I allowed to?"
The question drew a frown from Zophia. "Were there many places at your home that you weren't allowed to go?"
"A few," I replied. "I was allowed to use the Council library, although it was frowned upon." Reading wasn't high on the list of things my mother thought I should spend time doing. It took time away from practicing magic, and helping her clean the house. Practical shit like that.
"So you're a bit of a rebel?" Zophia's smile was back. "That's good. Some of the people here can be so stuffy and uptight."
I thought of Bain and nodded. "Yes, so I've noticed. So, you were going to show me the library?"
* * *
The libraryin the Council was smaller and duller than this one. While it contained shelves upon shelves of dusty documents, and classic literature, the library in the Vault contained books I actually wanted to read. Wooden shelves ran from the floor to the ceiling and held paperback, hardbacks, and leather-bound books in every genre I could think of. And a few I had never heard of before.
"I don't even know where to start," I said in awe.
"How about here?" Zophia handed me a book and laughed when I opened it to see the pictures inside.
I gaped. If the statues and friezes in the Vault were explicit, they were nothing to this.
"Can people really bend themselves like that?" I asked. I turned the page sideways and peered at it. I tried to imagine myself like that, with Bain or Dex crouched beside me, but couldn't. Although maybe if we—
I realised Zophia was watching me and closed the book. "Shifters aren't shy about sex."
Zophia laughed. "No, we're not. It's perfectly natural. I've never understood why humans are so embarrassed by it."
"I don't know," I said. "Witches are just as bad." I handed her back the book. "Maybe something with a plot?" I looked around, eyes wide. "We're really allowed to take books from here?"
"Of course. Calista collects novels from all over the world and they end up here after she reads them. As long as we don't damage them, we can help ourselves."
"She's read all of these?" I was impressed. "Well damn. I have some catching up to do."
Zophia grinned. "That's nothing, you should see the pile of books shehasn'tread yet."
I shook my head. "She has some catching up to do then," I joked. I pulled out a book and opened it at the first page. It seemed to be about dragons of some kind. That was as good a place to start as any. I tucked it under my arm.
"Is that the only one you're getting?" Zophia picked up two, then added a third to the pile.
"If I get one at a time, I have an excuse to come back." I wandered over to a window set in the far wall. Two plush armchairs sat in front of it. Even sitting, I had a view of the bay from here. I scanned the water, but couldn't figure out where the Vault ended. Did it end? Were we even on the same continent? Hades, we might be in an alternate universe for all I knew. One I couldn't leave and see my mother again.
A stab of homesickness left me breathless for a moment. I looked to the horizon and imagined for a moment I saw a doorway. I pictured myself stepping in and being welcomed home. Even the Covener was there, smiling and happy to have me back.
No, that wasn't how I wanted my homecoming. I wanted him and Max on their knees, grovelling for forgiveness. Chains around their wrists and ankles were optional, but preferred. Then I would exile both their asses so fast their heads would spin.
Honestly, the idea left me cold. I hadn't realised until now, but the Covener always wanted me gone. If Zophia was right about a potential coup, he had good reason to send me away. If there was no coup, then all he had was stone cold hate and bigotry. And no one lifted a finger to stop him.
Fuckers.
I sighed and turned from the window.
Zophia still stood beside the novels and watched me with open curiosity. I had the sense I could trust her somehow.
"I'm hungry, would you care to join me for breakfast?" Zophia asked.
It was probably closer to lunchtime, but I nodded. "Yeah, I'd like that. Thanks."
Zophia offered her arm. With only a moment of hesitation, I looped mine through.
To my surprise, rather than taking me to a dining room, Zophia led me to the kitchens where we helped ourselves to food before we stepped out a small door into a garden full of herbs and vegetables.
