Page 74 of Somnium

She switched the screen back to the main message hub and was about to tap the one from Elias when the phone buzzed in her hand, and her stomach dropped at the name that appeared at the top of her screen.

Polly.

Her hands shook as she opened the message from the head attendant, her eyes skimming over the words of the woman’s desperate plea. Apparently, the bulk of her attendant stock had opted to go through the Rite of Dedication that month, leaving her painfully shorthanded. Her tone was professional, but Cadi could sense the urgency in the way she once again was offering her the freedom to select any schedule with the heavy suggestion of added perks to her role should she decide to come back.

She blew out a breath and quickly backed out of the message, pushing it from her mind. Acid churned in her gut. She hated that even after cutting ties, the Order was still trying to worm its way back into her life. Obviously, that was completely out of the question. Even if she wasn’t with Elias, the Order’s biggest challenger, she had no interest in associating herself with that organization on any level.

Her stomach settled slightly when she tapped on the message from Elias, the small reminder of his presence easing her nerves. Along with his cheeky words, he had also sent a picture, though the image struggled to load across her apartment’s cheap internet connection.

You know you don’t have to leave things behind for an excuse to come over, right?

Cadi’s brows pinched as she thought through every possible thing she could have forgotten when she’d left on Sunday. When the image finally populated, she swore.

There on her screen was a picture of Elias’s hand holding her most recent library book. The one that, of course, was due back tomorrow, meaning she would have to make the trek across town that evening if she had any hope of avoiding a fee. Sure, it was only a few cents per day, but the sphinxes that work as the city’s librarians also made sure she paid in shame every time a book was returned late.

She typed out a response to let him know she was on her way over, then pushed up off her bed and trudged back out the door.

Her stomach fluttered as she approached his apartment. All she could think about was how good it would feel when his arms wrapped around her. She had been fully prepared, albeit begrudgingly, to go the next couple of days without seeing him, making this impromptu visit a welcome interlude. Maybe forgetting her library book was an act of divine intervention.

She looked down at her phone and felt the slightest hiccup in her excitement when she saw that he still hadn’t responded to her message about coming by.

Odd. He bordered on religious when it came to his replies, even on nights when he was working. She slipped her phone back into her pocket and shoved down the unease that tried to work its way in.

Her knuckles tapped against the door, the echo fading to silence as she waited. And waited.

Even her breath felt loud as she stood alone in the noiseless hallway, picking at her nails and counting every second that slipped by without a response. Maybe he was out, dealing with some bar-related emergency that needed his full attention. But even if that were the case, she felt confident he would have at least told her so she didn’t drive across the city at rush hour for nothing.

Something felt off, though she couldn’t quite put her finger on why. All she knew was that an old voice that had been blissfully silent for weeks was now lifting its head to whisper “told you so.”

She pinched the bridge of her nose and blew out a breath. There had to be a reasonable explanation, it was just that the pit slowly forming in her stomach wouldn’t let her think of it right now.

Anxiety bled into frustration, and just as she began to accept that she would have to take her chances with the clawed librarians, the lock clicked.

The door in front of her inched open, and Elias’s brown eyes peered out through the small crack. They went wide when he saw her, and in a swift motion, he slipped out into the hall, quickly pulling the door closed behind him.

“Cadi!” he said, surprised. “What are you doing here?”

Irritation flashed beneath her skin, peppered with a familiar sting. So much for her theory about a bar emergency.

“I got your text about my book, so I came by to get it. I told you I was coming …”

“Shit.” He sighed, his features softening. “I haven’t looked at my phone for hours, I’m sorry. One sec.”

He slipped back into the apartment, and Cadi stepped forward to follow him, only to stop short when the door clicked shut in her face. She stood frozen, her jaw hanging open as she stared at the closed door.

What the actual fuck?

There wasn’t even enough time for her to fully recover before Elias reappeared, blocking the inside of his apartment from view with his body as he did.

“Here you go,” he said, handing her the plastic-wrapped book with a nervous smile that made him look like he was in pain.

“Thanks …” she replied as she drummed her fingers against the cover, not entirely sure how to process what was happening. He didn’t seem to want her there, but she couldn’t think of a single reason why that didn’t make her feel like she was going to vomit.

“I’ll call you later, okay?” Elias said, rubbing his hand against the back of his neck and casting a nervous glance over his shoulder.

Cadi cleared her throat. For some reason, swallowing had become extremely difficult.

“Yeah,” she said with a small nod, trying to push a smile to her face to cover the hurt. The instinct to retreat, to let whatever this was go, began to slide back into place so effortlessly it nearly made her head spin.