AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Oh, um… you see—”
Whoops. I leave Jake to figure out how to explain about Whiskey Rose while I quickly cross over to the other side of the library, aiming for the depository.
Our depository is basically a chute that leads to the outside of the library. For patrons who find it more convenient to return their books either after hours or without having to come all the way inside, they can drop their library book in the chute and it lands in a padded box on the inside.
It’s my job to empty the depository box whenever I’m on an opening shift. There’s usually a couple waiting for us in the morning, with plenty coming through as the day goes on.
I already cleaned it out twice today. Crouching down, reaching into the box, I see that there’s another entry.
My fingers twitch as they touch the leather of the cover, a jolt of electricity running from the tip down until my whole wrist seems to tingle.
Okay. That was odd.
Shaking out my hand, I grab the book again. It’s heavier than I thought it would be. Tightening my grip on it, I lift it up and turn it over so that I can get a good look at it.
There’s a barcode sticker on the back, but it’s not one that belongs to Westfield Library. Just like I expected.
Flipping over the book, I see that it has a star embossed in gold in the leather with a circle hitting each point of the star. The leather is pitting, obviously very old, and the book as a whole has a musty scent to it that’s likeold booktimes a hundred.
I actually kind of like it.
There’s no title, though. No author. I open the book, careful not to crack the spine, searching for the title page—and frowning when I see that there are a list of four names written on the inside cover.
Susanna Benoitis written in cursive.AMYis a blocky print right beneath it that looks like a child did it in crayon or something. Beneath that, in a thick pencil, isShannon Crewes, followed byKennedy Barnes.
Weird.
The title page is even weirder. It’s done in a thick type-set font, printed deep in the page, and it says the book is called:Grimoire du Sombra.
And that’s about all it says.
I still don’t have an author name. There’s no copyright date, no information about who printed it, or anything other than those three words. Flipping through the yellowed pages, going slowly so that I don’t tear them, I notice that none of it is in English.
I… I have no idea what language itisin, either.
Okay. I need some help.
Walking back to the counter, I see that Jake is missing. My boss probably sent the charming library clerk on break to give herself a few minutes without him being in her face because it’s not like anyone ever gets fired here. Not that that stops me from fearing it every other shift, but that’s life as Hope for you. I take the worst case scenario and convince myself that it’ll happen every freaking time.
Hopefully this isn’t one of them.
“Hey, Moira?”
“Yes?”
Oof. She’s still a little short with me. Jake’s attempt at an explanation must have ticked her off even more.
Yup. Definitely sent him away for now…which means that I can’t even tell her to forget about it and see if he can help me figure this out.
I lift up the book, showing her the cover. “Sorry, but I think we got another freebie.”
It’s pretty common. People think that, just because we’re a library, they can drop off any book and we’ll be tickled pink to accept them. They don’t understand how often we have to cull shelves just to make room for the books we already have, or that we have strict standards for our material.
Moira holds out her hand. “Let me see.”
I give it to her, waiting as she does exactly what I did. Shetuts when she sees the retail sticker on the back, frowning when she sees that four different people scrawled their names on the inside cover, then closes it, running her finger over the strange design on the front one.
“It’s unique,” she says at last, “but you’re right. It’s not one of ours. Still… I think our patrons might find it interesting. Why don’t you go ahead and enter it into the system and print a tag for it.”
