Salvage ~ V1: Nuts and Bolts (Steampunk/ Gaslamp Romantasy ~ FxM, MxM)

Chapter 30: I Want Nothing From You ~ pt. 1

It had taken almost two weeks, but Tamyn was finally satisfied that they'd done all they could, and the party returned to Caedra.

The Artifacts they had chosen were carefully packed onto carriages and would take some time to arrive in Elisaen, but Kazia had kept Mistress Jennade's notebooks that Tamyn had given her.

After catching up with work that had been left before the trip, Kazia spent several days perusing the notebooks and found several interesting theories therein which could indeed be applied to Kelvaran's transmitter.

She really would need a more thorough grounding in principles of sound, however, and decided that she should retrieve the books she had gone to the library for after all.

Late one evening, she ventured up.

She hadn't been back to the library since that incident, and she climbed the first flight of steps with some trepidation. There were still several Alchemists about on the staircase up to the library, so it must still be open in the evening hours.

She began to climb the next flight of stairs up, when Kelvaran appeared above her, skipping down the steps ahead.

She froze.

He met her gaze for a moment, but she looked away as quickly as she could make herself.

He only quickened his pace and passed her by swiftly.

She released the breath she'd been holding and continued on her way, feeling her resolve begin to waver.

It was difficult not to look back, but she forced herself ahead until she reached the library.

It was much busier tonight than it had been on her last visit. Alchemists did tend toward night-owlishness. When she entered, she found the Librarian deep in very animated conversation with another Alchemist, and she waited patiently beside his desk for his attention.

When the Alchemist took her leave, the Librarian turned to Kazia with a delighted expression on his friendly face.

"Lady Devratha, welcome back! What can I do for you this evening?"

"Good evening, Mister Cardil," Kazia said. "I suppose I should apologize for my hasty exit last time. I'm dreadfully sorry. And I really did need those books after all if you still have them about."

"Oh, not to worry, my Lady, not to worry, and yes. I saved them all aside for you here."

He retrieved a stack of books from beneath the desk and placed them on the counter.

"I thought perhaps you might return for them, and Lord Meratha did turn in a few of the good ones. Right here."

"Thank you," she replied, "that was most kind of you."

"Not at all. So," he leaned across the desk, regarding Kazia with a gleam in his eye, "anything good in the works?"

"I don't know yet," she said, bundling the stack of books into her arms. "I'll have to see if anything in here can help answer that."

Another Alchemist was waiting for Mister Cardil's attention, so Kazia turned to leave.

"Good night, Mister Cardil, and thank you again."

"Good night to you, Lady Devratha, and the best of luck to you!"

~~~*~~~

Kazia loved Neiphi, but her favorite times now were the night hours when she could be alone in the laboratory, with no one around to cause her any emotional disturbance. She could forego the Seamist, which could upset her stomach if she took too much, and just work on the Artifacts in peaceful quiet.