Page 47 of What Lies Beyond the Realms

“Yes, Granger has a huge library beneath the palace. It extends three levels below the ground.” Flora says, leading her way up the stairs to the front entrance.

“Do we need permission to go?” I ask.

“I was planning on coming to the library today to do some research on a type of healing magic, so Granger is already expecting me. He’s rarely here anyways. I only ever see him when he’s throwing a party.” A servant answers the front door, and I recognize her right away as the Faery who was holding the tray of stardust with pink flowers in her hair. She’s still wearing a green suit but has no flowers today. She and Flora talk quietly for a moment, then she guides us through the palace until we reach a grand black and gold door. She abandons us there without a word, leaving Flora to open the door and lead me down a long, winding staircase. The library's first level sprawls before us, with rows upon rows of towering bookshelves that stretch at least twenty feet high. I'm amazed by the sheer size of the place, and I can't fathom how anyone could reach the books at the top of the aisles without magic. It's overwhelming, and I have no idea where to begin searching for anything.

“How do you know where to start looking?” I ask.

“I don’t, but Emmalina will know where we should get started. She oversees the library, and here she comes now.”

A petite woman in dark-green robes approached us.

“Hello ladies, how may I be of service?” Emmalina asks. Flora quickly summarizes what we might be looking for and tells her we could split up to cover more ground. Emmalina takes us to the next floor down and shows Flora an aisle where she can get started researching all the different ceremonies held in all the realms. Emmalina leads me down to the bottom level of the library, and I can't help but feel a shiver run down my spine. The air is colder down here, and the lack of light makes it seem eerie. But despite the chill, there's a certain grandeur to the space that leaves me in awe.

The endless rows of towering bookshelves, the intricate carvings on the walls, and the faint scent of old parchment all create a sense of magic and wonder.

“Here we are,” Emmalina says, breaking me out of my thoughts. “Take a seat at the table by the fire, and I’ll bring you some books that might help with your search.” I nod, grateful for the warmth of the fire, and take a seat at the table. As I wait for Emmalina, I can’t help but feel a sense of excitement and nervousness. This could be my chance to finally learn about my family’s history. After a few minutes, Emmalina returns with a stack of books and places them in front of me. “These are the ones I could find on the Lewis lineage. I hope they're helpful.” I thank her, and she gives me a smile before turning to leave. As I open the first book, I can’t help but feel a rush of anticipation. The weight of the pages and the smell of the ink only add to the magic of the library. I know this is going to take time, but I’m willing to do whatever it takes to uncover the truth.

It’s cold and creepy down here, but I’m so determined to find out more about my family’s lineage that I don’t mind. After what feels like hours of reading, I’m still no closer to the answers I seek. I let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through my hair, trying to alleviate some of the stress I'm feeling.

Suddenly, I hear someone clear their throat, causing me to look up from the book. To my surprise, it’s Colton, standing on the other side of the table, his intense gaze fixed on me. I feel goosebumps spread across my skin. I still remember the way his hand felt on my thigh last night, but I refuse to let him know that.

“So we meet again,” he says with a wink, and I can’t help but roll my eyes.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, knowing how silly it sounds since I'm in his home after all.

“How was your night last night? I bet it played out in Nyx’s favor. Am I right?” Colton says with a sly smile that only adds to my irritation.

“That’s none of your business,” I retort, trying to keep my voice steady. “And I’m not under the influence of anything right now, so it might be a little difficult for you to try to take advantage of me again. I’m also very busy, so if you’ll excuse me…” I look back down at my book, hoping he’ll go away if I ignore him.

To my surprise, Colton closes my book and sits on the table in front of me.

“What are you doing?” I ask in exasperation.

“Still trying to find out more about Euric Lewis?” he asks, ignoring my question and sifting through the stack of books in front of me.

“Don’t worry about what I’m trying to do,” I say, pushing my chair back to create some distance between us.

“Try this one.” He tosses a book at me, the cover blank and unfamiliar.

“Why would you help me?” I ask, confused and wondering what his angle is.

“Let’s just say we have a common interest,” Colton says, hopping off the table and vanishing into thin air. The scents of citrus and spices linger, and I can't shake the feeling that something isn’t right.

I open the book Colton threw at me and start to skim through the pages. It sounds like the rantings of a paranoid lunatic. This was definitely someone’s personal journal, but whose? I come across an entry that’s signed at the end—Callum. How in the world did Colton have one of Nyx’s father’s journals? Nyx never told me how his parents died, and I’m starting to wonder if his father went crazy, because his journal is mostly jumbled thoughts, and it’s all a bit ominous. He sounds paranoid. I keep skimming the pages until I come across an entry that mentions my father’s name. Callum goes on to talk about my father’s obsession with Zomea and dark magic. That doesn’t sound anything like my father. He’d never do dark magic. Callum sounds like the crazy one from the looks of this journal. Callum admits he banished my father from Nighthold after learning he was working to open some type of connection between Zomea and Eguina where people could pass freely between our world and the afterlife. That seems an awful lot like cheating death. I hear footsteps coming down the stairs, and I quickly tuck the journal into my tights and pull my tunic over it.

“Did you find anything useful?” Flora asks from across the table.

“No, nothing. But I was only able to get through a couple books. Did you find out anything?” I decide not to tell Flora about the journal. It’s Nyx’s fathers, and maybe he wouldn’t want anyone else to see it. Especially if it makes his father come off a little mad.

“I found out a couple things that could be useful. Let me take you back home, and I’ll tell you and Nyx about what I found at the same time.” Flora extends her hand to me, and I take it, letting her sweet aroma kick up around me with the wind.

* * *

“Did you two find anything?” Nyx asks from the kitchen, where we find him packing a bag with Twig.

“I didn’t find anything, but Flora may have some information. She wanted to wait and tell us both at the same time,” I say to Nyx, moving to stand beside him.

He wraps his arm around my shoulder, holding me close while we both look to Flora.