one. I read all the way to chapter three by yesterday morning, and five by nightfall.” Fagerlie had some sort of guards or ruffians in his employ. Noct had identified at least three present during the day and five at night. Having to rely only on the muffled sounds of footsteps and voices drifting up from below, Noct likely couldn’t be sure whether there was any overlap between the three and the five, or if they were looking at eight minions in total.
“It sounds captivating. You’ll have to tell me more when I return tonight.” “You’re a captive now. I’ll rescue you tonight.”
Ves tilted his head back and stared at the sky. All their hopes and dreams, everything that had seemed so close, were now ripped away. There would be no release from the curse of their blood, no train to San Francisco where they would begin new lives.
He’d failed Noct. And why not? He’d failed and disappointed everyone else in his family. How could he ever have thought this would end differently?
Heartsick, Ves headed in the direction of the museum. He had a confession to make.
Ves entered the bindery and removed his crude map of the library from the drawer. He stared at it for a long moment, then closed his eyes.
He needed help. Noct needed help.
Sebastian would be angry. Of course he would. But with luck, he’d understand why Ves had acted as he had. Surely Sebastian would have done the same for Bonnie.
He found Sebastian in his office, bent over O’Neil’s commonplace book, a worried frown on his face. “What’s wrong?” he asked, leaning against the doorframe.
Sebastian glanced up. “One of the books is apparently no longer hidden. Someone out there has it.”
Ves’s heart sank. “That’s not good news.” Doubly so, given what Fagerlie had said about the books’ power waxing tonight.
“I know.” Sebastian took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes tiredly. “But I suppose that’s a problem for another time. Were you able to talk to the prisoner?”
“Bob Underell. Yes.” Ves frowned. “Unfortunately, he didn’t know who had employed him. Let’s go to Mr. Quinn’s office, and I’ll tell you both everything.”
“Good idea.” Sebastian rose to his feet and crossed the room. He glanced out into the hall, and finding it unoccupied, pressed a kiss to Ves’s lips.
“I can’t stop thinking about last night,” he murmured. “I want to do it all again, and more.”
Gods, please, please let Sebastian not be too angry when he found out. “So do I.” His throat felt dry. “I like you, Sebastian. A great deal.”
Sebastian’s smile brightened his hazel eyes. “I’m rather fond of you, as well.”
When they reached Mr. Quinn’s office, the head librarian was seated behind his desk. A fountain pen held in his long, spidery fingers flew across a page of fine paper; though hurried, his script was precise.
He looked up as they entered and set the pen aside. “Mr. Rune, Mr. Rath. What do you have to report?”
Ves swallowed thickly. “I…I have something to confess, which doesn’t reflect well on my character. I beg you, hear me out before passing judgement.”
Sebastian frowned. “Ves?”
“Just listen.”
Ves held nothing back. He revealed his goat eyes to Mr. Quinn, told them both of Noct’s existence and his inability to pass for human. About Fagerlie and his offer, and Ves’s own deception. About the map, and his visit to Noct today, and their decision.
He fixed his gaze on the skull on Mr. Quinn’s desk as he spoke. It stared back at him, the fleshless mouth seeming to grin and the empty sockets to leer. Only when he was finished did he gather the courage to look at Sebastian.
His expression of shock and growing anger cut Ves to the quick. “I’m sorry,” Ves said, and pulled out the nearly complete map. “Here. Take it, just so you know for certain I’m not giving it to Fagerlie.”
Sebastian struck the map from his hand. The stack of papers fluttered onto the floor. Ves didn’t flinch externally—he’d been hit too many times in his childhood for that—but his soul felt like it was curling into a ball.
“How dare you say you’re sorry,” Sebastian grated out. “You knew I was worried about Kelly. You pretended to help—”
“I didn’t pretend,” Ves protested weakly.
Sebastian spoke over him. “And the whole time, you were creating this map of yours, planning to hand it over without question to a sorcerer whose motives you didn’t at first know—”
“I thought he meant to steal a rare book!”
“That doesn’t make it better!”
“Mr.