The Library (The Librarian of Alexandria Book 1) by Casey White (ebook reader 8 inch .TXT) 📗

“Owl!”  The call was low, nearly-inaudible, but he recognized the voice.  A grin split across his face.

His steps were a little more brisk as he hurried out of the office, closing it up tight behind him.

Leon.  It’d been- It’d been so long.  Too long.  Owl took the stairs three at a time, dropping from the balcony in a rush of leather and cloth.  He was back.  Alexandria had finally- She’d let him in.

Because Owl had unlocked the door?  His mood darkened a fraction, his good cheer tempered.  She’d let Leon in before when the Library was closed.  She could do it.  But, then...she’d chosen not to, this time.

His grin faltered, twisting.  But he shook his head, forcing himself onward and through the door of the study.  Not today.  Not now.  Worry about it later.  For now...find them.

It wasn’t difficult.  With every step, Leon’s periodic calls grew louder and louder.  The bastard had lungs, Owl had to admit.  He sped through the halls, right on the verge of breaking into a run.  He wouldn’t run, of course.  He wasn’t desperate.

But he did breathe a sigh of relief as he turned one final corner into a wing, and saw three figures wandering the halls ahead.

Any other trip, Owl would have played their usual game and tried to sneak up on Leon.  This time, with months of fear and labor between them, he didn’t bother.

James turned first, his head snapping around at the sound of boots against the floor tiles.  His shoulders tensed, coming up - and just as quickly, he relaxed at the sight of Owl.  “Oh.”

Leon and Maya spun at the sound, eyes wide.  Maya slumped forward just as quickly, pressing a hand to her chest.  “Jesus Christ,” Owl heard her mutter.  “You’re so quiet.”

“Owl!” Leon said.  His eyes lit up.  “Hey.  Wow.  So, uh...hi.”

“Hey,” Owl said, raising a hand in a pathetic wave.  “Cool.  You guys.”  Suddenly, face-to-face with the moment he’d been waiting for, he realized he had no idea how to approach this.  What should he say?  What should he do?  Sorry, it’s been a while because the whole place almost burned down and the semi-conscious building seemed to view letting you back in as a reward for me cooperating?

It sounded crazy even to him, and far too much to unpack just like that.  Especially when Leon was right there in front of him, beaming from ear to ear.

James, on the other hand, didn’t look so happy.  “So, what the hell was all that about?”

“W-What?” Leon said, stopping a few steps away and spinning.  Owl drooped.  “James, I thought we agreed to-”

“It’s cold,” James said, still scowling.  Owl eyed him over Leon’s shoulder, letting his eyes sweep over the man’s face.  The scowl was a front, he knew - but underneath it lay some actual, all-too-real bitterness.  Hurt?  “You said you’d help.  I came this close to flunking a final.”

Maya kicked him.  “Stop that,” Owl heard her hiss.  “It’s not all about you.”

“Yeah, but-”

“You okay?” Leon asked, bringing the other two up short.  He was still smiling, but something in the expression had faded.  “Only...no one’s heard anything for so long.  We thought-”

“It’s okay,” Owl said.  “I’m okay.  Alex is okay.  Um...”  Damn it, stop repeating yourself.  “There was just...a lot happened.”

“With-”

“With the last guests that were inside,” Owl said quietly.  Behind Leon, he saw James and Maya stop their bickering, half-turning toward him.  “Alexandria was...injured.”

“She’s a building,” James said.  “A library.  How the hell do you injure a library?”

“But...those were guildmembers, weren’t they?” Leon said.  His good humor faded by the second, replaced by a severity that looked out-of-place on him.  “So...are you saying they-”

“It’s been a lot,” Owl mumbled, dropping his gaze to the floor.  “I just...yeah.  Alex closed up for a while while she...got better.”

“From her injuries,” James said, his brow furrowed.  Maya kicked him again.  He turned away with a sniff.

“Jesus Christ, James,” Leon mumbled, shooting him a sidelong glare.

He rolled his eyes.  “I’m just saying.”

Owl clasped his hands together in front of him.  One thumb rubbed against his palm, pushing and stroking away the tension that seethed beneath his skin.  “It’s...complicated,” he said at last.  “Let’s...I’ll tell you about it.  While we walk?”  He needed to move, to take action.  Even if that action was just meaningless pacing.

To his relief, the others nodded.  “Gotta see these injuries we’re hearing so much about,” James said under his breath as he turned.  “But maybe after that, you can-”

This time, Maya’s kick wasn’t so soft.  “No one cares about your damn final, James,” Owl heard her hiss.

James turned away with a snort, a grin starting to dance at the edges of his lips.  Owl chuckled too, shaking his head.  The man just couldn’t be satisfied unless he was pushing buttons, could he?

But there was noise in the Library again.  There was life.  Things weren’t back to normal, but...they were moving in the right direction.

Smothering his smile, he hurried on to where Leon waited with the rest.

* * * * *

“Well, shit.”

Owl chuckled under his breath, nodding at James.  “Right?”

“So, what,” James said, scowling over his shoulder to where Owl followed.  “That Olivia woman tried to pull one over on you?  Why?”

He shrugged, trying to ignore the beating of his heart.  “Ah...I don’t know.  But she was...well, it was weird.  Really weird.”

“No kidding,” Maya said, shooting a sympathetic look his way.  “And then the place burned down?  So...what now?”

“That’s pretty much where I’m at,” Owl said heavily.  “I have to figure out another way to keep Alexandria happy and well-read, or...I’ll have to let them start coming back in.”

“Was what they did that bad?” James said.

Maya rolled her eyes.  “James.  Magical firestorm.”

“They...didn’t start the fire,” Owl said.  “That one wasn’t on them.  But...”

He stopped again, glancing to Leon - who walked a few paces behind him, his eyes dark.  He...hadn’t been able to tell the full story.  About Olivia, and him, and...what they’d almost done.  Something in him screamed to stop, to hold that back