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I padded over to his book collection, not having seen these ones before. Since he showcased a whole library out in the living room, I assumed that was all the books he owned. Boy, was my ass wrong. Going by the looks of it, there were at least another several hundred in here. I stared in awe. It was like a freaking dream. The only books I personally owned were a handful of signed special editions that Seth had gotten me a few years ago as a high school graduation present.
I scanned the shelves, memorizing the individual authors, titles, and the different spines. There were framed artworks scattered along the various shelves, each no bigger than a small sheet of paper. Some were fantasy scenes, others were animals or abstract pieces. Each one I had a feeling he had painted himself. One in particular caught my eye. I had to reach a few shelves above me, pushing up onto the tips of my toes. I leaned against the bookcase to keep my balance.
It was within my grasp when I heard the front door open. I lost my balance and fell backward, bringing half of the bookshelf down with me.
“Oof!”
Footsteps started toward Seth’s room.
No point in hiding the fact I was in here. He probably heard me.
I sighed and pushed myself up. I heard his footsteps stop at his bedroom entryway and turned to send him an apologetic smile.
Only…
It wasn’t Seth.
Chapter ten
Seth
I spat out my coffee, spraying it all over the barista on the other side of the coffee bar Libby and I sat at. That earned me a death glare from the pink-haired pixie behind the counter. And bellowing bat of laughter from Libby leaving her snorting and clutching her stomach.
“Why? Why would you think I’d need to know that, Lib?” I held back a gag. I loved my friends but…I did not need to know their sex lives. Libby, on the other hand, as innocent as she seemed, often had zero filter and laid it all out on the table. It was not something I wanted to picture. Her and Derik.
“Oh my God, Seth. Take a chill pill,” she laughed. “Me and Derik haven’t actually done anything. He won’t make a move and I can’t take it. He’s just so scrumptious and I could climb him like a freaking tree. The pure muscle on that man. Partnered with that dirty blonde hair of his? Gah!” She started fanning herself with her hand. “He’s like right out of a damn dream.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Is this really what you wanted to talk about? Don’t you have any girlfriends you cantalk about guys with? Ya know, ramble on about your sexual frustration to them?”
Hearing about another guy’s dick size or the hots you have for him is the last thing I want to hear right now. Let alone, the guy who’s like a brother to me.
She pushed her bottom lip out, pouting. “Seth,” Libby whined. “You know I have like zero friends outside of you guys. I don’t have the time for it, and they wouldn’t understand. Especially with the gag order and not being able to tell people what we are, remember?” She sighed and hunched forward in her stool.
True. If we told humans about the dangers that were truly around them, they would flip and the world would fall into pure chaos.
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, you have a point but I’m sure you could make it work.” Libby was always a magnet for women and men alike. Partially because of her looks but also because she was a beaming ray of sunshine. To the point where it could become overbearing. I tried to be positive, but she was on a whole other level. I sipped what remained of my coffee. “But what did you really drag me out here for?”
Libby fidgeted with her coffee cup, either trying to gather her thoughts or avoiding what she wanted to bring up. Which only meant it was probably another subject I wanted to avoid thinking about.
I grumbled, “Just spit it out, Lib.”
She sucked in a breath. “I…”—she shot a glance at me before looking away—“I’m worried. About the increase in Demon activity, especially with the fire at Riverside and the disappearances. We still haven’t found anything and it's been a few days since it all went down. We’re usually quicker on these things…but I’m worried about you too.” Libby’s eyes met mine, searching.
I feigned ignorance. “I don’t know what you mean. Josh, Derik, and the others are working on it, and I’m picking up the loose ends.”
Or trying to,at least.
“You do realize I know you better than that. And so does Derik. What’s really going on, Seth? Let us in.” Libby rested her hand on my shoulder.
“Lib, I don’t know.” I shrugged her off and crossed my arms, leaning against the coffee bar. She waited. Her wide-eyed stare bore into my flesh. I caved. “I just…I’m scared. She’s new to this world. And…I couldn’t protect her last time. What if it happens again? I…I can’t lose her, Lib. We don’t even know what she’s capable of. I haven’t had any inclination from any of the guides, not even Nicolai.” I buried my face in my hands.
“So does this mean you’re finally being honest with yourself? About her?”
I didn’t respond. My lips pressed together.
“I’ll take that as a ‘yes’ then,” Libby said. “Seth, she’s going to be okay. She just started experiencing all of this. Give it time. Have some faith in the girl. She’s got some serious fire. And as for the guides, you know they always have a stick up their buttcheeks. The only one with any heart or fraction of giving an honest damn about being blunt and to the point, is Nicolai. So if he hasn’t visited you or said anything then either he doesn’t know or he’s been gag-ordered about it.”
“You’re probably right.”
