falls asleep.”
Henry sat back down just as someone gave the back of my head a startling push. I looked behind me to spot a man I’d never seen before as he walked away.
“Who was that?” Shara asked.
“I have no idea.”
I saw Darri heading my way. I got up to stand in front of him.
“Do you know who that is?” I asked. “He—”
“Shut up.” Darri brushed me out of his way and didn’t look back.
I didn’t exactly think we were friends, but where did this disdain come from? Shara appeared as confused as I felt, while Henry only looked sad. He knew something.
“What’s going on?” I asked him.
He scrunched his mouth and shook his head.
“Let’s try to forget about it,” Shara said. “I want to visit Laney. Do you want to come?”
I selfishly considered how tired I was and how I’d rather spend my time. “Another day. I’m curious to know whether the castle has a library.”
Shara tilted her head, showing a grin like I’d told the start of a joke. “Why?”
“There’s a lot I need to learn. From everything you’ve told me, it seems like books are a good place to start.”
“They are!” She clapped her hands twice in excitement. “I have a feeling I know where it is.”
I hurried to keep up with her. “What about Laney?”
“I’ll see her after.”
The library, or “the great library” as it was called in the castle, took up the entire northwestern corner. Shara gasped at the size of it. Black and white marble made up the floor, which led through two chambers ending at a white door. More books than anyone could read in a lifetime were stacked along white rows of shelves adorned with roses fashioned from bronze. A gold railing ran along the second floor. Paintings of a war in the clouds covered the ceiling, stretching from one chamber to the next.
I couldn’t stop thinking about that white door. I walked straight to it and tried the handle. Locked.
“What will you read first?” Shara asked.
“What do you think is behind this door?”
She made a pensive face. I was glad she was taking the time to think about it, as I didn’t have a clue. Shara looked around, making sure there were no listening ears besides Henry, who stayed close.
She went to her toes to whisper in my ear. “It probably contains the answer as to how to get rid of Swenn.” The start of a laugh came out as a snort.
I didn’t care that she was teasing me. The warmth of her breath and the proximity of her lips had my mind racing to figure out how to make her keep whispering.
“I’m sure it’s nothing that matters to you,” she added, falling back to the bottoms of her feet. “Now what are you going to read?”
“I think I should start with history.”
Of the few people walking around the library, one glanced over, then started straight at us. Henry hastily moved aside as if the scowling old man was dangerous. He raised a shaky finger at us.
“Your names. Give them now.”
“Neeko Aquin.”
“Shara Solo H.”
“The great library isn’t open to you. Get out.”
“Why not?” Shara asked.
“I know what you are. The master of coin warned me.”
“Whatever he said, it’s a lie,” I argued.
“Not another word! Get out.”
Shara and I looked at each other with disbelief.
“I’ll call the guards!” He sounded enthusiastic about the idea.
Shara wasn’t following me, so I put my hand on her back and guided her out.
“Don’t step a foot on this floor again,” the old man warned us.
Henry looked empathetic, showing me a sad look. It just made me angrier.
“Don’t pretend you care.”
He reached out and patted my shoulder. I pushed his enormous hand off.
“That must’ve been Storell Ampart,” Shara said. “He’s responsible for keeping the great library, well…”
“Great?”
“No. Superb.”
“You were going to say great.”
“I was.”
Someone slammed a shoulder into the back of mine. I turned to see Swenn’s squire walk past me, looking back with a
Henry sat back down just as someone gave the back of my head a startling push. I looked behind me to spot a man I’d never seen before as he walked away.
“Who was that?” Shara asked.
“I have no idea.”
I saw Darri heading my way. I got up to stand in front of him.
“Do you know who that is?” I asked. “He—”
“Shut up.” Darri brushed me out of his way and didn’t look back.
I didn’t exactly think we were friends, but where did this disdain come from? Shara appeared as confused as I felt, while Henry only looked sad. He knew something.
“What’s going on?” I asked him.
He scrunched his mouth and shook his head.
“Let’s try to forget about it,” Shara said. “I want to visit Laney. Do you want to come?”
I selfishly considered how tired I was and how I’d rather spend my time. “Another day. I’m curious to know whether the castle has a library.”
Shara tilted her head, showing a grin like I’d told the start of a joke. “Why?”
“There’s a lot I need to learn. From everything you’ve told me, it seems like books are a good place to start.”
“They are!” She clapped her hands twice in excitement. “I have a feeling I know where it is.”
I hurried to keep up with her. “What about Laney?”
“I’ll see her after.”
The library, or “the great library” as it was called in the castle, took up the entire northwestern corner. Shara gasped at the size of it. Black and white marble made up the floor, which led through two chambers ending at a white door. More books than anyone could read in a lifetime were stacked along white rows of shelves adorned with roses fashioned from bronze. A gold railing ran along the second floor. Paintings of a war in the clouds covered the ceiling, stretching from one chamber to the next.
I couldn’t stop thinking about that white door. I walked straight to it and tried the handle. Locked.
“What will you read first?” Shara asked.
“What do you think is behind this door?”
She made a pensive face. I was glad she was taking the time to think about it, as I didn’t have a clue. Shara looked around, making sure there were no listening ears besides Henry, who stayed close.
She went to her toes to whisper in my ear. “It probably contains the answer as to how to get rid of Swenn.” The start of a laugh came out as a snort.
I didn’t care that she was teasing me. The warmth of her breath and the proximity of her lips had my mind racing to figure out how to make her keep whispering.
“I’m sure it’s nothing that matters to you,” she added, falling back to the bottoms of her feet. “Now what are you going to read?”
“I think I should start with history.”
Of the few people walking around the library, one glanced over, then started straight at us. Henry hastily moved aside as if the scowling old man was dangerous. He raised a shaky finger at us.
“Your names. Give them now.”
“Neeko Aquin.”
“Shara Solo H.”
“The great library isn’t open to you. Get out.”
“Why not?” Shara asked.
“I know what you are. The master of coin warned me.”
“Whatever he said, it’s a lie,” I argued.
“Not another word! Get out.”
Shara and I looked at each other with disbelief.
“I’ll call the guards!” He sounded enthusiastic about the idea.
Shara wasn’t following me, so I put my hand on her back and guided her out.
“Don’t step a foot on this floor again,” the old man warned us.
Henry looked empathetic, showing me a sad look. It just made me angrier.
“Don’t pretend you care.”
He reached out and patted my shoulder. I pushed his enormous hand off.
“That must’ve been Storell Ampart,” Shara said. “He’s responsible for keeping the great library, well…”
“Great?”
“No. Superb.”
“You were going to say great.”
“I was.”
Someone slammed a shoulder into the back of mine. I turned to see Swenn’s squire walk past me, looking back with a
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