The Librarian: A Remnants of Magic Novel (The Librarian of Alexandria Book 2) by Casey White (reading list txt) 📗

ringing like a metronome against the quiet. He’d forgotten how damned quiet the place was, without guests. Without friends to fill it with noise.

He’d been outside before. He’d had a decade and change’s worth of days spent under the sun. But the last two days had changed...everything. Everything was different, and it was too damn quiet.

As the hallways churned around him, leading him deeper and deeper, he thought. Plans for escape. Tricks he could pull. Could he convince Rickard and Indira to turn on each other? Could he manipulate their underlings? Or could he call out that strange magic again?

The magic that’d abandoned him when he really needed it. It still itched at him. What had it been—and where had it gone, when he was in trouble? His mind went back to it over and over, devising schemes, but he cast aside each of the plans just as quickly as they appeared. They were just wishful thinking, little more. He needed something concrete, not fragile dreams.

He walked, and walked, and walked. He hardly noticed the Library growing darker still around him, until finally he opened a door only to find the sitting room beyond.

He slept. He awoke again. And he walked.

Day after day. The hours slipped by, grating against his senses until he was left numb. He drifted. Now and then, a stack of books appeared on a shelf, as though waiting for him. As though Alexandria was reaching out, pulling him onward. Pitying him.

He took them. He shelved them. And he kept going.

At first, the desperation within him burned bright as a sun. As the days fell away, though, even that faded.

His captors were mages. He was purely, simply human, no matter what tricks Alexandria had up her sleeve.

There was nothing he could do, not really. He was just the Librarian.

He had his Library, and he had his books. That would have to be enough, for as long as he could stay. Sooner or later, they would come, or they’d get rid of him. He was helpless so long as he was inside, so why worry?

Books in arm, he walked, deeper and deeper, day after day.

Until something scratched against the edge of his senses. A noise. Footsteps.

Ice flooded through his veins. It was time, then—they were here. He’d known they’d come eventually. He turned, his still-aching leg heavy underneath him, and faced the hallway behind.

Protect the Library. Protect Alexandria. His eyes narrowed, one arm coming up as his other tightened around his precious literary cargo. His fingers splayed, and in the hallway beyond, the air shimmered ominously. It seethed, burning with the nervous energy trapped inside him after the endless days inside Alex’s walls.

“Come on,” he whispered through gritted teeth. His nerves sang, poised right on the edge of exploding. “I won’t give this place up so easily. If you want her, come and get her.”

His hand shook. The footsteps echoed down the hallway, bouncing along the stony walls and up into the high, vaulted ceilings. Closer. Closer.

His teeth ground together. “Come on. Would you just-”

The door beyond burst open, slamming into the wall. A figure darted from within. Daniel’s fingers tensed, ready to snap-

Until he saw the familiar, brassy-haired man stiffen, relief washing across his face, and bolt toward him.

Leon.

Frozen in place, he hardly felt Leon’s weight slam into him, driving him back onto his heels. Arms wrapped around him tight enough to drive the air from his lungs.

And Leon’s voice rang in his ears, terribly thin and tight. “You’re here,” Daniel heard him whisper. “Damn it. Damn it, you’re here.”

Daniel let the breath he’d been holding slide back out—and slowly, leaned into Leon’s embrace.

“Sorry,” he mumbled.

With Leon’s arms around his shoulders, it was easier than ever to droop, wilt like an overwatered flower. The exhaustion he’d battled since this began flooded back in. More than just the accumulated physical hurts. He was tired.

For a long time, the two clung together, all alone in the grand hallway. There was no hurry. They had all the time in the world.

Eventually, though, Daniel felt Leon shift, and drew back. “I was expecting someone to show up,” he said, his voice hoarse with emotion and disuse. “I wasn’t expecting you.”

Leon chuckled, but the laughter didn’t reach his eyes. “That would explain the...y’know.” He raised a hand, wiggling his fingers.

“Sorry,” Daniel whispered. “I wouldn’t- I wasn’t going to-”

“I get it,” Leon said. “You didn’t actually attack me. We’re good.”

Daniel smiled weakly. “Y-Yeah.”

Leon just took a step back, raising his hands to rake at his hair. “But...you’re here.” His eyes tightened, falling into shadow. “That means-”

“Yeah,” Daniel said. “I...I don’t know exactly what happened. But Olivia and I were running, trying to get back to the car, and then-”

His throat closed around the words. “Well,” he whispered. “Yeah.”

“We knew something was wrong when you didn’t call,” Leon said. “We waited. And then we tried calling you.” The corners of his lips twitched up. “You didn’t answer.”

“And so you came in after me.”

Leon leaned against a bookshelf, his eyes dropping. “We didn’t know what else to do. If something went wrong...we knew we could at least meet back up here in Alexandria.” His eyebrow arched. “Hopefully you haven’t been waiting too long.”

It was Daniel’s turn to make a face, shrugging half-heartedly. “I...I don’t know. It’s hard to say. Couple days. Maybe a week. Maybe two.”

“Christ,” Leon mumbled. “I’m sorry. I should’ve come faster. If I’d-”

“No,” Daniel said. “No, it wasn’t your fault. It’s…” He let out a sigh, drooping. “It’s mine. I really thought we could get out. And then...They caught us off guard. They had someone. Another of their mages. And-”

“Hey,” Leon said. He closed the distance between him and Daniel, grabbing hold of his shoulder. “It’s okay. We’ll figure this out, right?” He grinned. “We’ll figure out where you’re at, and where you’re going. And then, after that, we just need a new plan.”

“What?” Daniel whispered. His gut churned.

Leon rambled on, muttering to himself, but Daniel couldn’t hear