Page 42 of A Legacy of the Light

I want to go straight there and do exactly what he told me not to do— a trait I get from Mom.

“Beyond that, you are free to go wherever you wish in the library. You’ll find these throughout.” He gestures to a black book floating on a stone pedestal right next to my desk.

“What are they?” I ask, standing to touch the book to find out how it’s held in place. I feel nothing. The book comes away easily and I bring it back to the desk. Its pages are completely blank and I look to Finneus in explanation.

He offers me a pen. “Write down your first question in here.”

I take the pen from him and look at my list, copying the first question onto the page of the book.

What is the Craobh Beatha?

Underneath my writing, in a delicate cursive, a list of books appears, along with what I assume is their location in the library.

What in the Harry Potter is this?

“You can ask any question. These will not only tell you what books will help, but will guide you to their location.”

As he speaks, a question appears underneath the list:

Would you like help finding them?

Astonished, I tentatively write, ‘Yes, please,’ in response to the book. The moment I finish writing, a series of shimmering white threads shoot from its pages and head in three different sections.

I gasp, dropping the book, and jump back into my seat, almost spilling my tea. Finneus takes it from me with a grin and follows one of the shimmering threads. I scramble to follow him. We stop a few rows away, the thread leading me to a book entitled Relics of the Seelie Realm.

Finneus hands it to me. The white thread vanishes into mist when the book is taken from the shelf.

“What are they?” I ask, my voice thick with wonder.

“These are the Seòlta. They’re the library sentries, and have guarded this place for millennia.”

We follow the other threads from the Seòlta until I’ve collected all three books relating to the pendant.

“If they’re the sentries, then what’s your job here?” I ask politely, not wanting to offend him but eager to know how he fits into this. We go back to the desks and sit to drink our tea.

“I’m simply the librarian, dear. As my father was before me and his mother before him. Part of my magic is connected to this library. I don’t need the Seòlta to find books that aren’t sealed away and I can wield in ways other Seelie can’t within this space.”

“What do you mean?” I ask.

Finneus smirks and snaps his fingers again. A tome plops on top of the pile of books I had just collected, making me jump again.

He hands me the book. Seelie magic: A wielding history.

“You’ll find the answer to that in here.”

I like Finneus; he has powers any book lover would dream of, is patient, and radiates a warmth that puts me at ease. It’s definitely what I need after the events of today.

“This is . . .” I try to find the words to express how I’m feeling—the awe, wonder, and, let’s be honest, fear—but I draw a complete blank.

Finneus finishes his drink and the cup disappears.

He rises from his chair. “I’ll leave you to it. The Seòlta should be able to help you, but if you can’t find what you’re looking for, I’ll be at my desk.” He doesn’t wait for me to respond before moving with impressive speed back through the library.

I spend the next half an hour writing my questions in the Seòlta and following those magical threads to books all over the library. By the time I’ve gathered them all, I’m actually out of breath.

Embarrassing. I’m glad no-one is around to see that. Well, aside from the two Seelie at the back, but they’re lost in their research.

There are about twenty books scattered on the desk, and I place the Seòlta back on its stand. The tea that Finneus left earlier has gone and in its place a jug of water appears beside the plate of cookies from before. I pour myself a glass and nibble on some shortbread while deciding where to start.