Unhallowed (Rath and Rune #1) - Jordan L. Hawk Page 0,9
reply. The head librarian kept his thoughts to himself, so it was impossible to guess whether he was motivated by prophecy, dark knowledge, or whim at any given time. Or perhaps the director or board had suggested hiring from outside Widdershins to expand the pool of talent within the town.
As he mulled it over, footsteps sounded in the hall behind him. Vesper Rune appeared from around the corner, unaccompanied, his expression giving nothing away. “Mr. Rath? Mr. Quinn said you would give me a brief tour of the library, so I’ll be ready to start work straightaway in the morning.”
Sebastian’s heart sank. Bad enough to have seen Kelly laboring behind his mother’s desk, but now an outsider would be there. If only Sebastian had done as she wished—
But it was far too late for that now.
“You’re hired, then?” Irene asked in surprise.
A frown flickered over Rune’s lips, there and gone. “On a trial basis, yes.”
“Huh.”
Rune lifted a brow at her rudeness. “And you are…?”
“Irene Endicott, Librarian.” She thrust out her hand; looking startled, he shook it.
“Vesper Rune,” he said, “binder and conservator. At least for the next few months.”
Perhaps Kelly would return by then. Sebastian straightened his shoulders. “I’ll show you the bindery first.”
The door was unprepossessing, with only a brass plaque reading Bindery and Conservatory to indicate what lay beyond. Sebastian opened it and led the way into a room much larger than the door would have suggested. Light streamed through the glass dome of the ceiling, as well as the tall windows along one wall. Long tables offered plenty of space to do work, a book press, and other various tools. Cabinets lined the walls, concealing supplies within. There was also a desk and two chairs.
“I’m sure this all seems quaint to you, compared to Boston,” Sebastian said as Rune turned in a slow circle, taking it all in. “The Ladysmith handles a much smaller volume of books and periodicals. Many of our acquisitions are quite old, and require conserving in various ways, from repairing tears in pages to rebinding if the damage is too great.”
Rune wandered over to the table where the piled periodicals awaited binding. “I’m familiar with the job requirements, Mr. Rath.”
Sebastian’s cheeks burned. He’d managed to sound as if he questioned the man’s intelligence and competence alike. “Of course.” He cleared his throat awkwardly. “Ordinarily there isn’t so much of a backlog, but the work has been piling up since Mr. O’Neil disappeared.”
Rune turned to him in alarm. “Disappeared? I thought he resigned.”
Sebastian bit his lip. “He sent a letter of resignation through the post. No one knew he meant to leave until then. His things were gone from his apartment, so presumably he moved elsewhere.”
“Without asking for references?” Rune asked dubiously.
Sebastian shrugged. He didn’t want to discuss this any further with the man who’d come in to replace Kelly. “If you’ve seen enough in here, follow me, and I’ll give you a brief tour of the rest of the library.”
Ves trailed after Rath, keeping his eyes steadily on the back of Rath’s blond head, rather than letting his gaze stray to his shoulders or seat. It was easier than it might have been otherwise, since Rath had made it clear he didn’t think very highly of Ves.
Gods only knew what had put the man off. Over the years, Ves had come to suspect that some people simply had better instincts. They realized upon meeting that there was something profoundly wrong about him, even if they couldn’t put their finger on it. Perhaps Rath was one of those.
The librarian, Miss Endicott, had seemed more curious, even though her manner was rather off-putting. She was clearly one of the “New Women” the newspapers wrung their hands over, with her startling bobbed hair and fashionable clothing. She looked Indian, and her accent was British, though blunted enough to suggest she’d spent some years in America.
Well, it didn’t matter what anyone thought of him. He would only be here a short time. Just long enough to memorize the floor plan of the library, replicate it, and pass it off to Fagerlie. What he did with the information was his business; the only thing Ves cared about was having the curse lifted from himself and Noct.
A week from now, they’d be on a train to San Francisco, or Seattle, or Portland. Somewhere out west, where they could start over.
Rath led him past the first line of stacks, and his heart plunged.