Bowstring

Vol 1 Ch 15 - The Devil Hardly Leaves Traces

Three days ago, Seth found her wet and barely conscious in the gates of Helder Keep at the tail of dawn.

The last thing she remembered before arriving was that Laska carried her by horse. She heard no word from him during their travel, even if she tried to hold her alertness. He did not even answer the many questions she said, and only responded with an enigmatic grin. She could not figure out if he does not want her to know or thinking that she was stupid for not realizing the obvious.

But her mind was too muddled at that time that it almost felt like a dream as she thought about it. But the green beads in her wrist are proof that the ghastly scenes of that night did transpire. Another puzzlement she failed to ask—though she doubted if he will answer—was that the bracelet was not just slipped to her hand. It simply materialized by the time she was hauled from the well.

While it was possible to maintain calcified sorcery for a long time, only stronger Weavers can make that happen. Seth and Julien are one of those people. And if Laska can produce such, then he must be someone tough. And while there are so few clues to conclude his identity, there was only a fraction of skepticism to derive that he is a sorcerer.

Laska... she whispered despite her panting as she marched in one of the castle halls.

"Laska Vrubel is a taboo in the castle."

Corel clenched her fists.

She has not yet fully recovered, but as soon as she realized that she can move, albeit fidgeting, she quickly rose from her bed, wrapped herself with a robe, and darted to Idris's chambers.

But the gentleman was not there. His attendant fearfully responded upon seeing her that he is in Misri for tax collection, and he will not be back for days because he has tasks in Lokapriya afterward.

She chose not to follow his whereabouts. She also did not look for Seth or Riyad. Julien was not an option as well. If they managed not to bring up the name as she grows, they will not talk about it now, especially in the series of misfortunes that the Keep has labored to contain.

But she will not have it. She does not want to remain in the dark. Not after recalling the red-haired man in her childhood, who likely brought her to the castle when he found her in Frigg. And neither of them mentioned it to her during the long years of her stay. As if they endeavored to bury the memory to oblivion.

She hastened her strides in loud movements. She ignored the gazes of both students and teachers, who might have been frightened at the sight of her if not scornful.

The large doors burst open when she reached the library, and the person in the reception glared at her due to the noise. The librarian's gaze could have been the only expression she found pleasant because it did not seem to be contemptuous, other than the annoyance of her interruption to the silence.

She shunned it nonetheless, and went straight to him. "The genealogy section, where is it?"

"Tsk, disrespectful as ever, aren't you?"

Corel was still most thankful that he ignored her hair of blazing green. And did not respond with disdain despite the rumors of a Vestri that could have spread the blight.

"Row 15, last column to the wall, not by the window."

She gestured a short bow and hurried to the said location.

The shelf has the same size as the rest in the library. However, it was almost empty, and only the top row was occupied. There are only a few hard bounds too that she can count with her fingers.

She eyed the largest size and fetched it with a struggle because her strength has not returned fully. It made a loud thump when she placed it on a nearby table, and dust exploded. Some specks entered her mouth and she coughed at the sting in her throat. She was still careful to browse the pages to not tear, since they have become crispy out of age.