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

starting to look annoyed, though, his lips pressing together tightly.

Words.  Find them.  Use them.  “Um,” Owl said.

“You’re probably right,” Leon said.  He appeared at Owl’s side - and his hand came to rest on Owl’s shoulder, warm and comfortingly firm.  “Owl’s probably too busy for a tour.  But Alex can do it herself, right? Would that be okay?”

James blinked, his broad face going blank.  “That’d be...awesome. But is it safe?” he said, looking to Owl - who nodded, after a long moment.

“Y-Yeah,” Owl said.  “It should...it’ll be fine.  The Library protects its guests.”  He swallowed.  “Stay away from any dreamers, if you see them, but...if you just wander, I think Alexandria will be happy to show you around.”  She’ll be happy to show off, more like.

A spritz of water from one of the fountains splattered across his mask, carried by the thin tendrils of a breeze.  His vision blurred in an instant behind the droplets stuck to his lenses.

“Okay,” James said, dropping his gaze back to Maya and grinning.  Oh, he definitely wasn’t going to turn down a chance to wander the Library alone with her, was he?  “C’mon.  I’ll show you, then.” He glanced to Leon, his expression going guarded. “Are you-”

“I’ll hang out here with the Librarian,” Leon said, grinning. James flashed him a tiny, grateful smile, tugging Maya’s hand in the same moment.

Owl nodded as they turned to go, caught between the amusement of watching James’ victory and the building horror of watching all the pieces he’d slotted together come flying apart again.

It hadn’t been Maya in the Library.  Someone else had been here - someone who wasn’t accompanied by Leon.  Someone who had ignored him, leading him on a chase.  Who? Owl whispered in the silence of his head.  Who did you let in?  I thought-

He squelched the thought, his hands balling up into fists.  He’d thought Alexandria had brought Leon and James in for him.  As friends.  As colleagues.  But then, what was this?

Damn it, with Jean’s betrayal still hanging over his head, he’d been relying on the fact that at least Alexandria was innocent.  She was just a damn magical library, not some sapient thing that could lash out at him.

So he’d thought.  But now-

“Hey,” Leon said, and this time, his voice was quieter.  His hand was still on Owl’s shoulder, his fingers pressed tight into the leather.  “What’s wrong?”

Owl shook his head, watching as James and Maya trundled off toward the garden’s entrance.  “It’s nothing.”

“Look, you can-”

“I said I’m fine.”  The words lashed out across the quiet air. Leon’s hand jerked, but didn’t leave Owl’s shoulder.  He didn’t argue, or debate, or even try and respond.  He just stood there, waiting.

Owl sighed, licking his lips.  Damn it, this wasn’t something he wanted to get into again.

But he didn’t want to tear into his friend, either, the one guy Owl could possibly talk to about all of this.

And, if he was being honest with himself, this was probably exactly the sort of situation that Alexandria had sent him friends for.

He pulled free of Leon, trudging back toward his bench.  Leon’s footsteps echoed behind him - and when Owl dropped onto the wooden seat, it groaned under Leon’s weight a moment after.

He heard Leon shift in his seat.  “Look, Owl, if you’re not comfortable, you don’t have to-”

“I was looking into stuff,” Owl said heavily.  “About Alex’s magic, and...other people.  Other mages.  But...”

“...Something else?” Leon said, after Owl didn’t continue.

He nodded.  “What you said earlier.  About my predecessor.  Crow.”

“The old Librarian?” Leon said.  Owl felt him shift, sitting up a little straighter.  “Wait.  Did you-”

Owl nodded, slipping his hand into his pocket.  A folded scrap of paper waited there.  His mind raced, slowing time to a crawl as his fingers rubbed against the sheet.

He shouldn’t do this.  Leon had too much information already.

He’d just been worrying about the rest of the world’s mages.  He’d been stressing over the chance of any of them finding him.

But...this was Leon.  Alexandria had sent him.  She’d picked him.  If Owl was going to trust anyone, well, he didn’t have a better choice on hand.

And if time wasn’t healing the wound of Jean’s passing, her betrayal, if Alexandria wasn’t going to let him drown the turmoil in work, then he’d have to take measures into his own hands.

The journal page crinkled as he pulled it from his pocket.  He couldn’t say why he’d cut it free, carefully slicing it out of the binding.  Something like that should stay with the rest of the Librarian journals, safe and secure behind his door.  If he lost it, if it got damaged or destroyed-

If any of that happened, then he could just ask Alexandria to make him a new copy.  Owl held the scrap out toward Leon, holding himself steady as his nerves screamed to take it back, to hide it.

Leon’s eyes clouded, his confusion simmering under the blue, but he took the paper from Owl, who returned to clasping his hands in his lap.  He stared at the garden’s ponds, white-knuckled, as Leon unfolded it one turn at a time.

He stared at the pond as Leon read the page through.  Once.

The paper crinkled as he lifted it to read again.

And then, with the gurgling of water and the gentle rustling of wind through the grasses filling the emptiness of the garden, Leon let his hands sink to his lap.

“Shit,” Leon mumbled.

Owl chuckled.  “Pretty much.  That’s...kind of why I’m a little off.  Sorry.”

“Why the hell are you apologizing?”  Leon lifted a hand, rubbing at his face.  “Fuck.”

“Yeah.”

“That bitch,” Leon said, his voice soft.  “She-”

“Yeah.”

“Fuck.”

Owl nodded, lifting his chin.  It was strange.  He felt...better.  Nothing had changed.  He was still missing seven years of his life, and he was still stuck inside Alexandria’s walls, but...someone else knew, too.  He wasn’t quite alone with it, anymore.  And...

“Daniel,” Leon whispered.  “Is...Is that your-”

Owl lifted a hand, pressing an upraised finger over the space where his mouth should be.  Leon stopped, but