Page 33 of Nothing to Lose

“Fuck off with that,” I retort, but I’m smiling as I say it.

I lead Hunter through the Theology wing, remembering the directions that were whispered to Silas a few weeks ago. They didn’t know I was sitting on the other side of the Veritas Tree, and while it didn’t interest me at the time, it does now.

The entrance is completely concealed behind an ornately carved bookshelf that looks different from all the rest. But it’s a book that I’m looking for. My eyes scan the spines of the tomes until a faded gold script stands out to me. Susurros—whispers. Pulling it out gently, a lever releases with a soft crack, wood creaking as the shelf pops open, revealing a narrow spiral staircase that descends straight into darkness, just wide enough for a single body to slip through. Hunter’s expression is exactly what I was hoping for. Pure shock and pride.

“You aren’t serious. How did you find this place? Only a few people know how to get in. Or even if it’s real. This place is actually real.”

I raise my eyebrows at him. “I have my ways. You coming?” The Noctis Archives is a hidden chamber off the library that holds the more obscure knowledge—extremely old and rare editions of books on various topics like occult history, alchemy, magic and rituals, divination, and herbalism. It contains manuscripts, journals, and maps. While basic information on these topics can be found in the library upstairs, the Noctis Archives is the keeper of all the deep, dark secrets.

Together, we walk down the tight spiral staircase, the hidden door cranking closed behind us, bathing us in complete darkness. Then, like they were waiting for permission, sconces holding candles start to light, one after another, leading the way down. It’s eerie as fuck, and out of all the places Hunter and I have ended up the last few days, this takes the cake. At least for right now it does. We’re not done yet.

“You sure you know where you’re going? This is creepy as fuck.”

“You know, today has been a real eye-opener,” I tell him, leading the way farther and farther down.

“Yeah? How so?”

“I realized what a fucking baby you actually are.”

Hunter moves quickly, grabbing my arm and shoving me against the cool stone wall. He crowds my space, dropping his hips and pinning my wrists above my head. He bumps his nose against mine before kissing me, forcing his tongue into my mouth. Not that he has to try hard. I’m more than willing. Eager, even.

He pulls back by biting my bottom lip, dragging his teeth across my flesh before it pops free of his hold. The moment our mouths aren’t connected, I fucking whimper. Whimper. Chasing his mouth with mine to get more. Hunter laughs, low and dark. “You want to say that again, baby boy?”

“Kiss me.”

Hunter tsks. “That’s not what you said. You said I was a baby. But I’m pretty sure you were the one just whimpering.”

“Point proven. Now give me your fucking mouth.”

Hunter smirks before diving back in, putting me out of my misery and giving me what I want. We stay like that for long minutes before breaking apart, both of us panting, not ready to stop. “We’re running out of time. We need to get the bell.”

With a deep breath of damp, stagnant air, Eli releases me, and we continue our descent. Once we finally reach the bottom, a large stone archway leads to a massive open room, bookshelves lining every wall, the old wood planks weathered and bowed in places, strong and solid in others. Tomes older than I can begin to imagine sit untouched, covered in dust from age, some bound in human skin, while others are chained across the binding with large, rusted locks holding them closed.

“Well, we made it. Now what?”

Now this is where things get interesting.

Chapter 20

Hunter

The Noctis Archives are real, and it’s fucking with my brain. This place is nothing but a rumored whisper to ninety-nine percent of the school population. How Eli found this place is beyond me. Old reading tables sit scattered against walls, abandoned journals and tomes left open on the tops. It looks less like people abandoned this place and more like they vanished in the middle of an ordinary afternoon. The scent of old parchment fills the air, and while I should be looking around and taking it all in, I can’t pull my focus from the man in front of me.

Eli leads us to a large room, candles flickering in rusted sconces. I watch as he runs his hand over a wall, searching for something. Once he finds it, he smiles back at me, a look that says, “Watch this.” He pushes with the flat of his hand, and the wall groans and creaks as it cranks open, revealing a narrow passageway behind it.

I pull out my phone, click on the flashlight, and peer in over Eli’s shoulder. Ivy has forced its way through cracks in the walls, creeping and weaving through stones; candle wax has long dried, hanging from the metal sconces on the old walls, frozen in place.

“You ready?”

“Yeah, baby, I’m ready. Lead the way.”

“Because of course you wouldn’t go first.”

“Why would I when I’ve got a big strong guy in front of me to lead the way?” I say with a little wink.

Eli shakes his head, smiling so fucking beautifully. I love him like this. Himself. Unrestrained. I want it to be like this all the time. Every day. Always.

He walks in first, batting away cobwebs and dust that fall as we disturb the area. We walk through the narrow passageway, the dim light of our phones only letting us see two feet in front of us. I can’t believe all this exists. Tunnels, and many of them, wind under the school. I suddenly want to know everything there is about them. Old Latin and symbols are carved into stones, and if Eli and I weren’t in such a rush, I would take my time to trace them, to take photos of them. But there’s no time for that now.