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She stops when she sees us, standing in a crowd blocking most of the hall, and she tenses, like she’s getting ready to run or something. But her gaze lands on Cohen at the front of the pack and she relaxes, a small smile curling her lips.
“Cohen Faulkner, as I live and breathe,” the girl says, pressing a hand to her ample chest like a fine southern lady. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
Cohen gives her a flirty grin that has me clenching my teeth as jealousy boils like a miasma in my stomach. “Juliska Petrova, looking as beautiful as ever.”
She snorts and holds up a hand to stave off the compliment. “Please, don’t try to sweet talk me. The last time you were here, I got in trouble with Maddox because you tore a page out of a book. You, sir, are on my shit list.”
Cohen’s grin turns sheepish. “I know, I know. It’s unforgivable. But I needed that spell, Jules. It was important.”
She shakes her head. “I doubt you’ll be let back in, Cohen.” Her dark green eyes flick from him back to us, like she’s trying to judge how much she can say while we’re standing there.
Cohen shifts to the side, and motions me forward, when I don’t move right away the pressure of a gust of wind presses against my back and I stumble forward a step until he can curl a hand around my wrist and tug me into his side.
The four men around me stiffen, Cohen ignores them. “I’m sorry. How rude of me to not introduce you to my coven,” Cohen says smoothly, looping a hand around my waist and sliding his palm awfully close to my ass, making Hardin growl.
“This is the lovely Rosalind Sweeney.” He smacks a kiss onto my cheek, nuzzling just the slightest bit before he motions to the other guys. “And these assholes are of no consequence. They didn’t believe that I’d found a Librarian and a way into The Great Library.”
“So you were hoping I’d be able to let all of you in.” Jules sighs, shaking her head and then turns a smile on the four men standing behind us. “It’s all true. I can try to let you in, but The Library is particular. The most I can do is open the door. It might not let you in.”
They all nod around me like this makes perfect sense. “Andyou,I’m sure, will be kept out.” Jules grins at Cohen, and I resist the urge to growl at her, but just barely. I don’t have a claim on him. He’s not my boyfriend, unlike the other guys here. And I’ve told him that until they are okay with it, I can’t be with him.
It’s fair if he wants to date someone else.
Doesn’t mean I want to watch it happen, though.
“Does it hurt?”
Jules looks at me, a knowing little smile on her lips. “What? Going into the Library? No. Not at all. I don’t know what it feels like when it rejects someone, though. That might hurt.” She grins at Cohen. “Be sure to tell us when we get back, yeah?”
She looks at the rest of us and rubs her hands together. “Let’s do two at a time, okay? Until we know whether you’re allowed in. If I try to take all six of you and the third person in line is denied, then everyone else might be too.”
We nod and arrange ourselves appropriately. I end up at the end of the line with Fielder, Hardin and Cohen are in the middle, and Gideon and Ezra are at the front. Of course, they are. Gideon’s probably coming in his pants right now at the idea of all that knowledge, all those books. All that power.
Being a member of Hand and Tome means his magic is in the written word, in runes and symbols and magic seals. It’s why most of his body is covered in tattoos, so he has ready access to the spells he needs.
Jules guides us to a door that looks like it leads to a stairwell. She glances around to make sure no one is watching and then lets out a breath, placing both hands on the portal in front of her. The frame of the door glows, runes etch themselves along the edge, and under her t-shirt I can see that some part of her is glowing too.
When she’s satisfied, she reaches down and pushes the door open. Swirling, glittering mist greets us. “You’ll need to hold on to me,” she murmurs, reaching a hand back to Gideon. He takes it without hesitation and the white hot jealousy I’d felt before rears up.
I stifle it, but not fast enough apparently, because Fielder bends his head and presses his lips to my ear. “Don’t worry about them, Sweeney. You have all of us tied around your little finger.” The tips of his fingers run along the underside of mine, tickling the flesh there. “We wouldn’t dare stray from you.”
God, that’s a knife right to my heart. Guilt replaces the jealousy. My gaze flicks to Cohen even though I don’t want it to, and Fielder’s eyes burn into me, so I know he sees it.
I’m about ninety percent sure he knows what happened with Cohen already, or at the very least, he suspects it. It kills me, not being able to talk to him about it. It must be torture for him thinking about what could have already happened between me and Cohen, what I did behind their backs.
Fuck. I don’t want to hurt him, hurt any of them. It’s the last fucking thing I want.
But I can’t deny that I feel drawn to Cohen. Kohaku, too, if I’m being honest. I feel the kitsune shift on my ribs, curling closer to my breast. Cheeky little beast.
In front of us, Jules, Gideon and Ezra slip through the glowing door and disappear. A surprised sound emerges from my mouth, causing Fielder to make small circles over the back of my hand with this thumb. Two minutes pass and then Jules pops back into the hall, leaving the door still glowing. Cohen and Hardin follow her through next.
When I glance up at Fielder, I find him staring stoically ahead. I should say something, right? I should tell him about Cohen, find a way to break the gag spell, and tell him. But when I open my mouth to try, my lips move, but nothing comes out. His grip on my hand tightens.
“It’s okay, Sweeney,” he murmurs. “You don’t have to tell me anything.”
I sigh and shake my head, guilt nearly swallowing me. Tears prick my eyes in frustration. “It’s not that I don’t want to, Harris. I can’t.”
He squeezes my hand again, still not looking at me. “I know. I’ve gotten better at reading magic signatures. I can see his all over you. Multiple spells.”
