The Library (The Librarian of Alexandria Book 1) by Casey White (surface ebook reader .TXT) 📕

Finally, he trudged off the landing, and glared at her on her own level. “What?” he said.

“If I stare at another record of this or that festival from a thousand years ago, I’m going to go insane,” she said, enunciating the word clearly.  “I need to get out of this room.”

“Well, if you want to go out into the Library, I’m sure Alexandria can provide more-”

“I don’t need another stack of books to file away,” Olivia said, wrinkling her nose.  “I want more, Owl.”

More?  He folded his arms, suddenly thankful for the mask that concealed his expressions from the woman.  “You know the deal,” he said, a chill entering his voice.  “You help me with my chores, I let you into Alexandria.  You’ve already learned plenty about how my home works.  Don’t expect me to turn around and let you-”

“W-What?” Olivia spluttered, waving a hand furiously.  “No, no, no.  That’s not- I’m not...”

Halfway across the room and secure behind his desk, Will sighed, pressing a hand to his face.

“I’m sorry,” Olivia stammered, her face starting to go red.  “I didn’t mean I wanted you to show me more of your Librarian business.  B-But.  I thought...maybe...”

“You thought what?” he said, furrowing his brow.

Olivia leaned back against a chair.  “Well...I haven’t gotten to see much of Alexandria at all.  Just my room, and this study, and the common area and...whatever rooms she decides to put in front of us while we’re searching.  It’s just...”  She wet her lips, suddenly looking guilty.  “It’s a lot of books.”

“This is the Library.”  Christ on a cracker, had she thought this place would be some kind of resort?  “It’s only natural that-”

“I-I get that,” Olivia said, going right back to waving her hand as though she was a matador warding off an incoming bull.  “B-But, this place is fantastic, right?  There’s got to be some really juicy places.”  She leaned in, grinning.  “So how about it?  You’re the Librarian.  You know Alexandria better than anyone.”

“I guess, but what-”

“I need somewhere breathtaking,” she said, spreading her fingers wide before her.  “Someplace unique.”

“I don’t know if that’s-”

“Oh!  One minute,” Olivia said, thrusting a finger in his direction.  She whirled, darting back toward her room before he could reply.

Owl just stood there, one hand upraised and his mouth still hanging open.  He shut it with an audible clack - and glanced back to where Will still worked.  “I’m guessing she’s always like this?”

“Yep,” Will said wearily.

Owl sighed.  “Great.”  He supposed he hadn’t actually wanted to finish a sentence anytime in the next two months.

But, well...the ‘work day’ as Alexandria divided it was coming to an end, and with Olivia so antsy, he got the feeling he wouldn’t be getting much of anything done regardless.  Fine.  If she wanted to get out and stretch her legs, he’d do his best.

Olivia’s door screamed open a second later.  She dashed back out from within, still grinning - only now, the straps to a wide, hard-sided backpack hung from her shoulders.  “Okay,” she said breathlessly.  “Lead on, Master Librarian.”

He lifted his chin, glaring at her.  She only grinned back, the picture of innocence.

“You coming?” Owl said, turning his eyes to Will.

Will, however, froze, his shoulders hunching.  “Uh,” he said.  Good lord, the man was actually turning green.  Was the thought of having to spend time alone with him that terrifying.  “N-No,” Will said, shaking his head.  “I should- I have a lot of work to get done.  We’re already a third of the way through our stay.  I’ll...I’ll let Olivia.”

“It’s okay,” Owl said, trying his best to sound reassuring.  Those fabled upsides of wearing a mask were, unfortunately, also the downsides more often than not.  “There’s no pressure.  Whatever you want to do.”

Will’s head dropped lower still, a feat Owl hadn’t thought possible.  “I’ll- I’ll be here, Librarian.  Sorry.  I’ll-”

“Oh, come on,” Olivia said, leaping forward with a crooked grin.  “Let him be boring and stay behind.  Later, Will!”

He raised his hand in a half-hearted wave.  Olivia’s hands closed about Owl’s arm a moment later.

“Don’t just pull me,” he said, bemused, as she started towing him from the room.  She chuckled, and released him as soon as they’d crossed the threshold into Alexandria at large.

Somewhere special, huh?  Somewhere breathtaking.  Owl trudged on, his lips pursed.  What, was she expecting him to pull a mountain vista out from under his jacket?

Could Alexandria produce a mountain vista?  He lifted his eyes, arching one eyebrow.

The Library seemed to sigh around him - and the lights dimmed.

That’s fine, he whispered silently, masking a chuckle.  No big.  I was just wondering.  Um...any suggestions?

He could lead Olivia to the water gardens he’d sat in with Leon a month or two prior.  But...somehow that felt...wrong.  Having Olivia trampling all over a place like that would just...cheapen it, a little.

He could take her out back to the practice yard.  But she’d already seen it.  The greenhouses, maybe?  He’d often spent a visitor-less afternoon in there, abandoning his uniform for a tee and shorts and letting the breeze rattle the panes of glass.  It was pretty, with the arched ceilings overhead and the sun shining through.

Whatever you think is best.  He rapped his knuckles against the stony wall of the main hallway as they worked their way deeper.

The seconds ticked past, turning into minutes.  At first, they walked in silence.  And he liked silence.

All too soon, Olivia’s steps became a little less mechanical behind his.  She meandered.  Peering through windows and doorways, he had to assume.  He couldn’t quite hear what she was saying, but he heard her muttering under her breath.  Then...

“Hey,” Olivia said.  Her footsteps accelerated.

She appeared from the edge of his vision, falling into step beside him.  “How much farther?”

He shrugged.  “However long she wants it to be.”

“Where are we going?”  Her face was glowing, her eyes alight as she looked this way and that.

Owl smiled faintly.  She was like a goddamn hurricane, yes, but the sheer delight she seemed to take from Alexandria was hard to resist.