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He lifts up the shoes I left behind and a smile pinches in the corner of his mouth. I can’t hold it anymore and I burst out laughing. Naminé laughs along with me.
“Godsdamn it—please don’t tell,” I manage between a few chuckles.
Naminé wipes her eyes and shakes her head. “Of course not. What are you doing here anyway, you barefoot weirdo?” She looks genuinely curious and Rune does too.
What harm could telling them do? Maybe they’ll help me…
“Well I won’t be able to find Lucius just sitting around in my room all day, now will I?”
Naminé’s eyes shimmer with excitement. “Oh my gods—you really don’t know where he is, do you?” I frown and shake my head. She believed me so easily. Why didn’t I ever just come out and tell her before? I can’t help but feel sorry for her… She’s so trusting, as I once was. A beautiful fool. Hopefully she’ll never be broken. “Can I help? I’ve always wondered what happened to him!”
“The more the merrier.” I glance at Rune. He’s looking at all the books with awe before flicking his eyes back at me. “Care to join us?” Naminé looks at him and gives him a glare like he’d better not say no.
He ignores her but half smiles at me and nods.
We spend hours here… Okay, the entire day.
Naminé takes to clearing off a large table in the center of the library, cleaning it, and then begins making stacks as she sorts through theCreatures of Tomorrowcategories.
Rune searches the bookshelves beneath the arched window and hands anything worthwhile up to me as I perch on the windowsill. I was surprised to find it wide enough to sit on. It’s like a little reading nook and I fall in love with this spot instantly.
The suns’ rays warm me as I flip through old pages. My fingers are numb from all the pages I’ve touched and my brain is feeling mushy from all the unimportant things I found today. I take a moment to look down at my friends… Wait—friends? The thought scares me, but I can’t deny it as I look down at them.
Even in the place I’m in now, I’ve somehow managed to find people like them. They could never replace the ones I’ve left behind but… they are their own light in my world of darkness, and whether I like it or not they’ve carved their way into my heart.
Naminé’s sitting criss-crossed on the table, thumbing through an old book, while Rune’s leaning against the edge and he’s… he’s looking up at me.
My heart skips a beat at the sight of him in the sunset’s orange glow. His eyes gazing at me with the heat of a million burning suns. A few of my feathers are drifting down through the sunbeams and as one passes he looks away.
My cheeks flush and my pulse quickens.
What was that?I shake my head and look back to my book pile, refusing to admit anything to myself about that beautiful moment I just shared with him.
The pile of books I’ve selected asmaybe usefulis growing taller than I am. I sorted them by age and category. Anything with history, Violet, Rhythm Gods, and creature guides, given that I don’t know what each spirit, god, or being is capable of here. After Rune’s bloody tear healed me, I’m too curious to not look into it more.
The suns are cresting over the west wall now and it’s probably time to call it. I’ve narrowed down the books to three and carefully slip them into my inner pocket within my white cloak before jumping off the window ledge. I spread my wings to glide down softly.
Naminé looks up from her book and yawns, her amber eyes still holding that excitement of helping me search. “Find anything useful?” She stretches and slides off the desk.
I hold up the three books I hope to find clues in and shrug. “I hope so. I narrowed it down the best I could. How about you two?”
She tosses me the book she’s holding and grins like she has a secret. “This one is about Rhythm Gods. I found it hidden beneath a stack upstairs.” My eyes widen at that and she looks pleased.
“Oh my gods, Naminé, you’re amazing.” I wrap my arms around her and flinch when I realize that I’m hugging her. She returns it without hesitation and squeezes me.
“I know,” she mumbles with a laugh. My heart instantly sinks with her embrace. I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve hugged someone this tightly… but I don’t want to let go. Rune’s eyes fill with warmth too—okay, too many emotions. I release Naminé and straighten my cloak.
“Let’s meet again after the festival?” I ask and look from the Cypress to the Dreadius. They both nod and our smiles all reach our eyes. The air between us feels completely weightless, like it should between friends.
Naminé waves as she walks down the hallway in the opposite direction we do. The corridors are dark and empty. I wonder what time it is. I look over at Rune. He has a book in his hand as well.
“Find something that interests you?”
He looks down at me and shrugs. I huff.Okay, keep your secrets.
I peek down the hallway before tucking my wings close to my back and tiptoeing through the main corridors. Rune isn’t as quiet, and when I look back at him he has a shit-eating grin as he watches me try to sneak around.
Prick.
