Unhallowed (Rath and Rune #1) - Jordan L. Hawk Page 0,76
Rune,” the head librarian cut in, “you have disappointed me.” He looked down at the drawer containing the knucklebones he’d used the day he hired Ves. “So have you, Erasmus, but I shall deal with you later.” His cold, silvery eyes found Ves’s face again. “I see no reason to continue your trial period of employment.”
Ves’s heart beat faster. “You’re firing me? Of course you are. But Fagerlie—that is, I thought we might come up with a plan to stop him and rescue my brother.”
“My duty is to Widdershins, to this library, and to those in it.” Mr. Quinn’s cool voice turned frigid. “If Mr. Fagerlie chooses to try our defenses tonight, I assure you, we won’t require your help to stop him.” He rose to his full height. “Now go.”
Ves turned desperately to Sebastian. “I know I’ve no right to ask for your help—”
“That’s right,” Sebastian cut him off. “You don’t. Now do as Mr. Quinn said, and get out.”
Chapter 25
Ves stopped only long enough to gather his personal bookbinding kit from the bindery, before wandering away from the museum, no clear destination in mind. Gods, he was a fool. How could he have possibly expected forgiveness after the lies he’d told?
A small, bitter part of him whispered that he should never have confessed. Left the librarians to fend for themselves. His duty was to Noct, not to them. He ought to have stolen the architectural drawings when he had the chance, given them to Fagerlie, then rescued Noct while Fagerlie and his henchmen were at the library.
This was what came from caring about other people. For trying to help. He’d been so stupid, handing over his heart to Sebastian, and now he was paying for it. He felt as though someone had stuffed barbed wire into his chest, leaving it to scrape his insides raw with every breath.
Well, no more of that. From now on, it was just him and Noct against the world.
Assuming he could get Noct out alive. If Fagerlie killed him as no longer useful…
“Vesper?”
Startled, he looked up and saw Bonnie standing outside a department store, little Clara in a baby carriage in front of her and Tommy toddling along beside. Of course he’d run into her, out of all the people in Widdershins.
She’d accepted him. Let him be near her children. And for a moment, he’d thought everything he’d wanted might finally be in reach.
He’d just been lying to himself, though.
“Hello, Bonnie,” he said dully.
She watched him with a slight frown. “I imagined you would be at work now.”
“I was fired.”
Her eyes widened. “What? Why?”
“It’s a long story.”
“And what did Sebastian have to say? Does he know?”
The barbs in his chest gouged into him. “He knows. I don’t think…I don’t think we’re friends any longer.”
Her eyes softened. “I see. Well then. Why don’t you come home with me, and you can tell me about it.”
He shook his head. “I can’t. Sebastian—”
“Isn’t here, and I can make up my own mind.” She arched a brow at him. “Quite frankly, you look as though you could use a friend, and if Sebastian won’t be it, then I will.”
“You don’t know what I’ve done.”
“And I won’t unless you tell me.” She gestured impatiently. “Come on, Vesper. You can push the carriage.”
“How dare you accuse me!” Mortimer’s voice reached Sebastian even through the closed door of his office. “I am a Waite! Get your hands off of me, you ruffians! I have no idea how that rat poison got in my desk!”
“I’m sure you don’t,” said one of the museum’s security guards. His almost bored tone suggested he didn’t believe Mortimer any more than Sebastian did. “You’ve been asked to leave the premises. Come along quietly, and there’ll be no fuss.”
The commotion died down, so presumably Mortimer complied. Rat poison found in his desk…that was certainly damning.
Irene would be incandescent with fury to discover her fiancé was an attempted murderer, and a bad one at that. Mortimer would be fortunate if the police took him in before Irene could reach him.
What a mess. One librarian a murderous traitor, and their bookbinder a liar who’d meant to hand over a map of the labyrinth to this School of Night.
Maybe Sebastian should have been suspicious from the moment Ves admitted he was raised in a cult. How could he possibly be trustworthy after such an upbringing?
But no—that wasn’t fair. So many people overcame terrible childhoods without becoming treacherous liars who played on the emotions of others.