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Unlike me, the majority of the student body were not interested in a lonely start to the semester. No worries. I had friends. Thousands of them in the library. No harm getting a start to the readings. I was, after all, an Easternwind witch. This meant there were expectations. High expectations, if my grandmother’s lecture was true.
If my father’s family name meant I had a high bar to reach for, my mother was the exact opposite. She expected me to take over the accounting for the Easternwind Boutique. My mother loved working there but she liked math and did all the accounting in the back. The non-magic blood was a grave concern to my father’s family since I was their only child. At least until I hit puberty. Then, it was obvious I had that Easternwind magic running through my veins. Running slowly, but running nonetheless. My mother had my sister when I turned fourteen. She didn’t seem to age like others, but again, she worked in the fashion industry and took exceptional care of herself. I wasn’t sure why they waited to see what puberty held for me, but they did. So now, I had a six year old little sister and a four year old little brother growing up together and without me since I would be here, in the magic realm for college. Still far away from my family.
I was about to feel sad when I opened the door to my dorm room. Inside was relatively spacious. This was one of the two person rooms so it was not as large as the ones that held three to four people. I had heard about those from my grandmother and aunts who had attended before. I was the first to experience this room. I liked it. I really wished it had a bathroom attached, but everyone had the shared space for showers and toileting which was fortunately at this end of the hall.
I placed my backpack at the foot of my bed, the one closest to the window. I was certain my trunks would arrive early as well, but they were not in my room yet. If they were not here by nightfall, I would ask. I reached into my backpack, the gift given to me by my grandmother for its ability to store just about anything, and pulled out the suitcase that had my most essential items in it. My father had assured me that I could rely on the system. That was very likely the case—which meant my trunks would arrive on time, whereas I was here early.
I sighed. Nothing to do about it now. I had to take advantage of the fact that I was first in the room. I hung a few items in the wardrobe, placed a book on the nightstand, and finally, claiming the desk I wanted, I pulled out my favorite lamp and hooked it up. “There. That should do it.”
Settled that I had at least unpacked a bit, I headed out of the room and toward the library. I figured that would be open for the professors, so it should not be too difficult for me to slip in and become familiar with my second home. I planned to spend a considerable amount of time in that location despite having a desk in my room. The passageway was eerily quiet and I could see how the whole vibe might be different when filled with excited freshmen, like me. Located on the very top floor, we would be getting our steps in for sure. My room, located at the very end of the hallway, may prove to be either the best location or the worst. I considered this as I imagined the variety of students that may be bustling about this hallway next week.
Would they be welcoming? Would I? I tended to be a bit awkward in social settings, so that sometimes came off as snobby. I think that had to do with my heritage. My father’s family was quite shocked when he married my ordinary mother, and once they knew I was of their stock, for lack of better phrasing on their part, I discovered a whole other side to them.
I reached the main floor and then headed down to the library. It seemed a bit odd to put the library underground, but I was so conditioned by the traditional city structures and life that I found the sound of my own shoes against the floor odd. Lonely. It was so quiet I was certain I could hear my thoughts echoing off the walls. Once I was underground, I realized there was more than just a library down here. The signs pointed in various directions indicating a weapons training facility, what essentially amounted to the athletic department which boasted additional signage for the pool and workout rooms, and then, the library.
Inside the climate controlled room, it seemed like the books were endless. I walked around a bit and noted the archives room and the sign that said off limits without permission. Boo. I walked through the stacks and wished I could just read them all.
I finally made my way to the section I was anxious to see. My father had written many books but they were not sold in mortal stores, so I rarely got to see them shelved anywhere other than his office in our home.
Excitedly, I found the location only to lose all of that energy when I realized the books were shelved higher than my current height and arm reach would allow. I looked up and down the aisle only to realize there was not a ladder or step stool here like there had been in the main section and upon entry.
I considered walking back to the front. I’d already had quite a trek just to get here, would have to climb all those stairs to get back to my room. I bit the corner of my lip, looked up to the ceiling and hoped that I would not get in trouble on my first day. Especially since it was before my first day of classes. I spoke the words quietly, which may have been why the order of the books moved a bit too drastically.
Huffing out a breath, I decided at least I could reach them on the bottom shelves. Now, I just had to find them again.
CHAPTER2
Brazrothan
As one ofthe only tutors for Defense Against the Dark Arts studies left this year, I knew I needed to get a head start on the curriculum. As a junior and double major in defense and offense studies, it had been a minute since I reviewed the freshman reading list. I was looking at the list and seeking anything new that had been added or anything I might want to refresh on at that basic level again when I heard something.
I placed the book back on the shelf and just in time to watch it disappear and then another book appear in its place. “Huh.”
I moved, quietly, as the books in this section continued to relocate themselves without much sense to their organization. This led me to one row in these stacks where a voluptuous redhead was moving to her hands and knees as she grumbled and began crawling,backward, toward me.
I tilted my head and tried to listen. She was so caught up in her hunt for whatever she was looking for, she hadn’t even sensed my presence. I, on the other hand, was becoming more acutely aware of her with each lift and lower of toes, knees, and hands on that floor.
Closer, I could hear her say, “Where are you? You should be here.”
She was talking to the books, not me, of course.
“Dammit.” She sat up, resting that full ass on her heels. “Okay, this time, I want it right here, okay?”
My brow quirked. My inner demon had lots to say about that statement, but I was not going to let those thoughts win. One aspect of my life, being part demon and part gargoyle, meant I was destined to be single forever. Most gargoyles wanted to be sure they also had gargoyle descendents since we were almost extinct by some standards and most demons just… wanted to have fun at this age, so… yeah. Solitary living provided lots of time for academic excellence and I was excellent at academics.
I was also excellent at using my gargoyle to my benefit, which is why when she turned slightly to look around before casting what I now realized was her second spell in the library, she didn’t even seem to notice the new addition to the end of the aisle. That would be me in a statuesque form of my choosing. Well, apparently, my demon’s choosing as I ended up squatting with my elbow on my knee and my chin perched precariously so that if she did not watch herself, when she resumed backing down that aisle, she would back right into my—
“Ouch!” she yelped as the very pointed tips of my horns poked her in the ass. She stood quickly and turned to look down at me. “You.” She pointed. “I can’t believe I forgot you were there.”
She touched the tip of one horn with a finger and said, “I wish you could help me. I can’t seem to get my spell to work in here the way it does in any other library.” She puffed out a breath. “This is so frustrating.”
I wished I were looking up so I could see her face. I was really glad she was not paying as close attention to me or she might realize it had been what felt like ages since someone… fondled my horns. Actually, I wasn’t sure anyone had touched them like she was now. As a man of stone, I was definitely feeling hard… everywhere.
“What in the world?” One of the librarians was a few rows over. “Who's here?”
“Shit.” The beautiful horn fondler patted my head as though I were a pet of some sort before saying aloud in response to the librarian, “Me. I’m here. I… couldn’t reach a book.”
I heard her steps as she moved to the end of the stack and toward the librarian. I shook out of my current state of arousal and insanity and moved in the opposite direction.
