Lisa Shearin - Armed & Magical

“I want to thank you for what you did in the square yesterday,” Silvanus said. “I was on that stage. Your skills are very impressive—your strength even more so.”

“You’re welcome.” Thanks was the last thing I expected from him. It’s been my experience that if one hand is extending an olive branch, the other hand is about to stab you in the back. “I’m glad I was there to help.”

Carnades saw the books in Nelek’s hands. “Ah, Rudra Muralin’s journal. I understand you’ve been studying all afternoon, Mistress Benares. Study is admirable.”

One of my hands curled into a fist, ready to fight for that journal if I had to. “You’re familiar with Muralin’s works?”

“I have a keen interest in goblin history. It’s a hobby of mine.”

“An elf studying goblin history. That’s unusual.”

“Understanding your enemy is the first step to defeating him. Education is the key to that, not ignorance. We bury our past at our peril.”

I could add bigot to the list of reasons why I didn’t like Carnades Silvanus.

“My interest is academic,” Silvanus said. “What is your interest?”

“The same as yours,” I shot back smoothly. “Education.”

A boom shattered the silence and I almost jumped out of my skin. A black-robed librarian quickly bent and scooped up the massive book that had landed flat on the marble floor.

I felt the barest touch on my wrist. Silvanus.

My memories of the past week flashed through my mind in an instant.

I reacted instinctively, which meant in the next instant Silvanus’s hand was twisted at what I knew to be a painful angle. Any hand that touched me without permission got treated the same way; it didn’t matter if he was man or mage. No means no.

Vegard and Riston weren’t at attention anymore, and I think Nelek was about to faint. I held up my other hand indicating that they should not interfere. To my surprise, they stayed put.

“I’m not that kind of girl,” I told Silvanus quietly. “If you have a question for me, ask it.”

The mage’s breath came in a pained hiss. “You’re infected with that filthy goblin rock.”

I leaned in close. “And you’re rude. You don’t touch anyone with a questing spell. If I wanted you to know my memories, I’d tell you.”

Silvanus thought a word. It wasn’t a very nice word. I’d also been called worse before.

Neither one of us moved or blinked. After another moment or two, I released Silvanus’s hand and took a step back. I liked Vegard and Riston, and I didn’t want them to magically bite off more than they could chew. Carnades Silvanus was the senior mage on the Seat of Twelve, and if the power I’d felt coming off him was any indication, my two Guardians would be in way over their heads. I didn’t want a fight. I wanted to take my books and get out of there.

Silvanus’s pale eyes glittered. “You are a danger to everyone on this island. You should be locked up—and I’m going to see to it that you are.”

With that, he turned and left, the heels of his boots echoing sharply on the marble floor.

Vegard stepped up beside me. “Are you all right, ma’am?”

I never took my eyes off of Silvanus’s retreating back. “Never been better.”

The big Guardian shifted uneasily. “If anything happens to Justinius Valerian, he’s in charge.”

That was one more scary thought.

“We try to take really good care of the old man,” he assured me.

Silvanus’s silk robes swept around the corner. I kept my eyes on the spot. “Let me know if I can help.”

Lucan Kalta’s meeting must have ended early. He was waiting for us at the front desk. Nelek’s good friend must have been the sick-looking librarian standing behind Kalta.

Crap.

On the upside, Carnades Silvanus couldn’t lock me up until Lucan Kalta unpeeled me from the ceiling. I glanced up. The student wasn’t on the ceiling anymore, which left plenty of room for me, my inner pessimist chimed in.

I turned to Nelek. “Give me the books. I’ll take it from here.”

His eyes went enormous under his spectacles. He presented the books to me like I was condemned and the books were my last meal.

I sighed. “Yeah, I know. It’s not going to be pretty.”

I turned and stepped up to the desk and Lucan Kalta. “I would like to check out these two books for the paladin.”

Kalta smiled. I’d never thought of Death as the smiling sort, but give this guy a scythe, set him at the gates of the lower hells, and no one would know the difference.

“I understand checking out books for the paladin is done quite often,” I said reasonably. “As I’m sure you know, the paladin is a busy man.”

Kalta’s smile broadened and he held up two sheets of paper. I recognized them.

The chief librarian leisurely glanced at one, then the other. “Let’s see, Mistress Benares. The first is a letter from the paladin granting you access to the Scriptorium. The second is the list of the books the paladin requested that you see.” He carefully folded both pages and put them in the envelope we’d brought them in. His black eyes narrowed gleefully. “Neither page mentions allowing you to remove any book from this Scriptorium.” He held out a skeletal hand. “The books, if you please.”

I made no move to hand them over. Kalta’s smile turned from satisfaction to anticipation. My smile told him to bring it on.

“An oversight on my part,” Mychael said from behind Lucan Kalta. “As Mistress Benares said, I am a busy man.”

Kalta’s breath came out on a hiss. I think I might have growled. When I started a fight, I wanted to finish it. I know; it’s not one of my better qualities. I hesitated, then took one step back from Kalta. I had to take the civilized high road sometime. Kalta’s professional mask slid back into place.

“Are there checkout forms prepared for my signature?” Mychael asked mildly.

Nelek’s librarian friend held out two pieces of paper. His hands were shaking.

Mychael took them, and looked around the desk. “Does anyone have a pen?”

Chaos ensued as all of the librarians on duty scrambled to get the paladin a pen. Their cooperation warmed my heart. Kalta shot a withering look at Nelek. The little librarian quickly looked down at his shoes and then resolutely met his boss’s eyes. He didn’t look away again. Someone had just grown himself a backbone. I resisted the urge to wink at him. I didn’t want to get him in any more trouble than he already was.

Mychael signed the checkout forms, and gave them to an expressionless Lucan Kalta. I walked through the opening in the counter with my two books, Vegard and Riston right behind me. The books didn’t vanish, and I didn’t float up to the ceiling.

“Thank you for your assistance, Lucan,” Mychael said. “I will have these returned as soon as I’ve finished with them.”

He fell into step next to me.

“Your timing is impeccable,” I whispered as we walked toward the doors and freedom.

Mychael’s voice was next to my ear. “Timing had nothing to do with it. Though I was hardly surprised to find you nose to nose with Lucan Kalta.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just what I said. You are who you are; he is who he is. I was not surprised. As to my timing, I received a report that Carnades Silvanus was seen hurrying into the Scriptorium; you weren’t seen coming out. The Seat of Twelve knew about the Saghred even before we docked with it. And knowing how Carnades feels about anything goblin…”

I felt a little smile coming on. “So you came after me.”

“I came after you.”

My little smile widened to a grin. “I hope you left your white charger outside.”

Mychael’s blue eyes lit with boyish humor. “I did. I didn’t think our chief librarian would approve of the mess he’d make.”