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She kisses my cheek again and hurries away before I can insist that I will admit to nothing of the sort.
I stand, watching her go, dread swelling in my belly as I realize how sad I am to see her go.
Chapter 10
Annie
Stomach churning with an unpredictable mixture of anxiety, hope, and morning sickness, I make tracks for the circular staircase leading back to the library proper.
I’m pretty sure Baron bought my excuse about having a little too much to drink last night. After all, he has no reason to suspect this pregnancy is even possible, but I’m a big fan of “better safe than sorry.”
Especially when I’ve just won a major victory…
I can’t give Baron an excuse to back out of this deal. This is the window into his heart I’ve been waiting for!
I’m looking forward to the coming week like every Christmas Eve family book swap from my childhood rolled into one. Our chemistry this morning proved the connection between us is more powerful than ever. After a week of forced proximity to our Fate-blessed love vibe, he’ll have no choice but to give our relationship a chance.
That’s what I want with him—a relationship, something deep and meaningful that’s going to last the rest of our lives. And you can’t have that kind of connection without trust. I’m already hiding an enormous secret from the man.
Adding another deception into the mix could be fatal…
But I can’t seem to stop myself from taking a right and then a left, swinging by the shelf Kitty described to me in her note last night on my way to the stairs. As I pass the section on Vampire Clan History and Lore, the title on one spine practically reaches out and slaps me across the face—The Tragic Tale of Christopher Blackmore nee Starling II, fifth Baron of Clifton.
Christopher…
Somehow, I know that’s Baron’s real name, the human one he left behind when he sentenced himself to a life without love and family.
After a quick glance over my shoulder to ensure he hasn’t followed me for some reason, I carefully drag the book off the shelf and tuck it under my arm beneath my coat. Then I make a guilty dash for the stairs, like when Blaire and I were twelve and took turns shoplifting tampons from the drugstore so we wouldn’t have to wear the giant pads my mother bought in bulk.
We both did our share of liberating needed items from the stores around town, but I was the primary offender. Even when dashing out of the store with guilt written all over my face, people never seemed to suspect the pale, scrawny, nerdy little Wonderfully girl was doing anything wrong.
Being underestimated is my superpower, and I’ve rarely been more grateful for it than when I step over the velvet rope guarding the stairs into the catacombs from the rest of the library, and a magical alarm blares loud enough to wake the dead in the cemetery down the street.
Sophie dashes out of her office, also still in her pajamas, though she’s wearing cozy blue-and-white-striped flannel much more appropriate for a dash through a cold winter morning. Her eyes wide behind her glasses, she rushes over, pulling her hair into a ponytail as she moves. “There you are! I was dead asleep when I got this horrible feeling that you were here and in trouble. Are you okay? What happened?”
“I’m okay,” I say, discreetly tucking the book further under my arm. I’ll soon be the librarian in charge of all things catacomb, but until I’ve completed my training, I’m not allowed to check out items from the supernatural section.
There are dangerous books and artifacts down there, and Sophie always puts safety first.
But this book isn’t dangerous—at least not in a mortal peril sort of way—and I need to know what else Baron is hiding far too much to hand over my prize so easily.
“I’m fine, and so is Baron Blackmore,” I say, doing my best to keep my voice from caressing his name and failing. But thankfully Sophie seems too worried to notice. “But just barely.” I briefly explain my vision of Baron burning in the morning sun and the last-minute rescue before adding, “Apparently someone broke into his house and tore it apart, so he and Laura decided to spend the day in the catacombs until they could talk to the rest of the clan, but he had trouble picking the lock.”
Sophie exhales a shaky breath. “Of course, he did. After Janet attacked Blaire, I had all the doors warded to be almost impossible to open from the outside.” She curses. “I should have told the Blackmores and the other vampires in town. I know some of them come here to blow off steam when they’re on the outs with their mate or need a break from clan drama. I’ll call Herbie and ask him to write up an article for the paper right away, make sure nothing like this happens again.”
“Sounds good, but don’t beat yourself up about it too much. You were just trying to keep our books and patrons safe.”
“And Bethshapet happy,” Sophie says with a roll of her eyes. “For someone who’s been sleeping the better part of the last two thousand years, she gets really cranky when people wake her up.”
I wince. “Well, she may be in a mood today, then. I’m pretty sure Baron’s bear is hanging out in her aisle.”
Sophie waves a dismissive hand. “Oh, that’s fine. Bethshapet likes animals. It’s people she can’t stand.” She sighs again, rubbing at her temples with her middle and pointer fingers. “And I can’t say I fault her for that. People are exhausting. Always plotting and scheming and telling lies when the truth would be so much easier for everyone.”
Ignoring the pricking of my conscience, I nod. “Agreed. And don’t forget stealing and destroying things for no reason. Baron said at least half his collection of rare books was damaged or burned.”
Sophie presses a hand to her chest and sucks in a pained breath. “Oh, no. Oh, dear Goddess, that hurts my heart. He had a first edition of Little Women, Annie. He let me borrow it a few years ago to make copies of some of the artwork. If that book was destroyed… It can never be replaced.”
“I know,” I say, fighting the instinct to pull my sister in for a hug. But if I get any closer, she’s going to notice the book-shaped lump beneath my coat. “Hopefully at least some of the volumes can be restored.”
