Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 114925 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 575(@200wpm)___ 460(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114925 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 575(@200wpm)___ 460(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)
Recognizing him, I blanched. “That’s the emperor of Ourland.” But the truly shocking part? Slithering shadows twined around every statue, the throne, Bala, and even Mr. Vyle and the emperor. Especially the emperor.
“He celebrates the capture of the berry field,” Domino said, determination hardening his voice. “He shouldn’t. We’ll get it back soon enough.”
“I’ll help you, however I can,” I vowed.
“Thank you.” The librarian gave my fingers a soft squeeze.
I unveiled a wry smile. “No need to thank me for doing my duty, Dom.”
He snorted, and it was a little too cute for my liking.
The shadows must have sensed us, even if the men did not. They drew together to form a wall in front of the pair, spoiling our view.
“Come.” Domino drew me up into the air, through the ceiling. The higher we went, the faster we traveled, until boom, we stopped inside a bedroom I recognized. The one I’d seen before, when I’d spoken with Ember’s boyfriend.
I stood beside the librarian, who sat at the foot of the bed with his dog perched at his feet, peering at him with adoration. No longer was Domino’s body solid against mine, but mist.
Frowning, I waved my hand through him. He wasn’t mist. I was.
“You’re the solid one, and I’m invisible,” I gasped out.
“Yes.” He bent over to scratch the adorable and increasingly more excited dog behind the ears. “This is Archive.”
“Hello, good boy,” I cooed, wishing I could pet the animal too. Cyrus owned cats who hated me. “You have a charming name.”
“It’s fitting. He helps me shelve books when he isn’t eating my shoes.” Domino stood and strode to a small area with a hutch, where he prepared a bowl of kibble.
As Archive chowed down, the librarian walked to a wall without decorations—then he walked through it.
Reeling, I followed him. One second I was in his bedroom, the next I was standing in a library. The library. A massive three-story room with thousands upon thousands of leather-bound books meticulously stacked along freshly polished shelves.
Shimmering golden sunlight filtered through stained glass windows that bore the same symbols carved into the Rock, spotlighting certain areas with brilliant multicolored lights. Hand-carved tables made from various types of wood displayed the most sublime treasures. Musical instruments I yearned to hear played. Vases overflowing with flowers I longed to sniff. Jewelry glittering with gemstones brighter than any I’d ever seen. Cushioned couches and chairs offered spots of relaxation under flourishing trees that grew from the floor.
Flower-heavy branches extended in every direction. People moved about in harmony with a soft melody that seeped from speakers I’d never seen. Many called greetings to Domino. The scent of clean, worn leather, sweet peaches, and creamy coconut teased my nose. My second-favorite fragrance after Cyrus’s, and yes, okay, the librarian’s.
“Where is the soil that nourishes the trees?” I’d always wondered.
“Here, everything is a type of soil.” Domino started forward, and I quickened my steps to remain at his side. “It is born of Tsuri, and he is soil. In him, we are what he is.”
A perfect explanation too vast to fully absorb in a mere moment.
Anyone we neared moved out of his way and into mine, but I ghosted right through them. And it was weird. Though I felt only a flash of warmth, I inhaled sharply each time. “May we visit Ember? I’d like to thank her in person and ask about my mom and Mykal.”
“Her quarters are restricted, but I’m currently receiving the information you seek.”
My brows drew together. “Like a download . . . in your mind?”
“Yes. And no. Revelation flows through our bond to Soal. One day, you’ll be able to do the same.” He paused, slanted his head in that way of his. “As a precaution, your mother has been assigned undercover Soalian guards who see to her protection. Mykal still roams the streets. She’s staying with a group of rebels who reject both CURED and Soal.”
Hey, it was progress. “Anything new from Victors?”
“Not at this time.” Domino led me into a small, private room with two chairs tucked into a single table, where a lamp in the shape of a swan in flight spotlighted an open tome.
Tremors of reverence slipped over me. “Mine?” I asked, hopeful.
“Mine,” he corrected, his tone deeper, almost guttural. He closed and lifted the precious book with a careful grip, then offered me a closer glimpse of the leather binding. After opening to a yellowed page, he asked, “What do you see?”
I eagerly scrutinized . . . “The code.” I pursed my lips. “Am I able to decipher it?” Since we were bonded, I supposed it wasn’t outside the realm of possibility.
“Arden.” Cyrus’s voice penetrated my awareness. I heard him, but it sounded as if he called to me from a long, echoing tunnel. A soft snapping wrecked my concentration.