Phantom of the Library - Lidiya Foxglove Page 0,68

he fired back at the same time,

“I bind you to me, covenant of Soundhunter…”

His magic was stronger than mine, and he kept his hold on the tablet. Now he went on the offensive, hitting me with a barrage of spells to bind and trap me, but Marisa blocked them.

Byron locked on the tablet he wanted as Albert went to stop him.

“Finders, keepers, you shall not touch,” he said, casting a spell on the collection so Byron was zapped when he tried to touch any of the stones.

Byron manifested the Way of Paths to his hand and moved one of the lights. He blocked the librarian from Etherium and broke the spell, then the Way of Paths vanished again and the stone was in his hand.

“Ta strengest baer, nae rode en waer…” He began to read the lilting old language while Marisa held her ground. She was making a slight sound of strain but showed no sign of actually breaking. Byron’s low voice had a melodic quality that was so beautiful speaking Cyprium and reminded me of my brief moment in Lord Abiron’s arms before he died.

Piers looked exhausted but his eyes blazed with determination.

“Bevan of the House of Soundhunter, familiar of Helena von Hapsburg Nicolescu, I demand you come to me.”

If there was any hope that this was not Bevan’s covenant, it died as he flashed into existence at Piers’ feet, already on his knees, hands hitting the floor. He looked around, confused.

“Helen—”

“Silence,” Piers commanded.

“Relinquish!” I tried again, hoping to catch him off guard.

“Never, Helena,” he spat. “I will die of exhaustion before I bend to you.”

“Just don’t hurt Bevan,” I said. “It’s his covenant; I just want it back.”

“You want a lot more than that,” Piers said. “You made it out like you were nearly leaving the magical world; like you wanted some commoner job. Did your mother put you up to this all along?”

I snorted. “My mother? Yeah, right! I’m a total disappointment to her. She didn’t want anything to do with this! She only turned around when she found out Chester was dying to get away from you!”

“She sides with you now,” Piers said. “Do you really not know? But of course she does. She sees that the power has shifted and she’s a conniving bitch, just like you and Harris.”

“I’m the opposite of conniving,” I said. “I make impulsive decisions. I follow my gut even when my brain says I shouldn’t. And I don’t want power. I really don’t. I would like a little more money, maybe…but I live in a truck. Piers. If I wanted power, do you think I’d be turning twenty-seven and living in a pickup truck!? Or a sleeping bag on the floor of my latest project?”

“I think you’re waking up to your potential,” Piers said. “And I’m afraid I might just have to get rid of you before it goes too far—as I should have gotten rid of your brother! Briser!”

His destructive spell roiled the entire room as it barreled toward me, as Byron activated the ancient holy guard and resoundingly blocked it.

Just in time.

Maybe Marisa could have fought it off anyway, but I think that one might have hurt. Piers was getting genuinely angry, and darker magic was coming to him more easily. I wasn’t sure Byron had done much good trying to block him from using Ethereal magic.

Piers was only a breath away from chaos.

Piers was family. But he scared me. He was always an angry kid. I had a few dim memories of some of the other kids at big gatherings teasing him and Chester. Chester was so little and cute, while Piers was a scrawny kid. He didn’t used to fight back much then. In his late teenage years, he started to change, earning the praise of his teachers and all the adults for his incredibly skilled and controlled spellwork. But no one liked Piers, and no wonder. He was arrogant and both awkward and sexist to girls, like Harris without any of the better qualities like a sense of humor or loyalty to friends.

“I’ve got you, angel,” Byron said. “I know you have it in you.”

I switched tactics to more of a psychological spell, trying to enchant him into defeat. “Piers, I know you always hated us. You were jealous, weren’t you? It must have really eaten you that Harris found a family while you got jilted by your fiancee. There was one person who was always there for you, right? Chester. But you pushed him