Heir of Dreams and Princess of Light

Chapter 8: The One Who Left

One Year Later

"Nyx? Are you listening?" Nyx snapped his head up, nodding enthusiastically. 

"Yes. Yep. Listening," He said, giving his cousin a thumbs-up. Azura rolled her eyes and dropped the book she'd been reading from, leaning forward to glare at him. 

"No, you're not. You zoned out again. Why do you always come here asking to help if you're not even going to listen to me?" 

Nyx sighed, slumping forward again and scrubbing at his face. "Because Katra and Artemis don't know to look for me here yet." 

Azura snorted. "Still?"

Nyx shook his head. "I guess they figure 'book' and 'Nyx' don't go together. But they'll figure it out eventually. Then I'll be out of your hair." 

"Hey," Azura leaned forward and squeezed his hand. "You're not in my hair. I enjoy your company, even if you're a useless sack of potatoes." 

Nyx smiled at her, though it felt fake. "Thanks, Zuri." He gestured to the book in front of them, which was open to a page that had a suspicious-looking stain across the top. "Anyway. You were saying?" 

Azura cast him an unimpressed look, but picked up the book again and cleared her throat. "Though mortals have long served only as slaves, the War became a time when it was possible they could be more..."

Nyx felt bad about it, but it wasn't long before he was tuning his cousin out again, his eyes drifting from the notes he was supposed to be taking to scan the long library hallways. He wondered how many books were in these vast halls. More than he could read in a lifetime, probably. Not for lack of trying these days. He guessed he'd spent more time in the library in the past year than he ever had in his life. It was strange, but something about the place calmed him  bit. Quelled the restlessness that plagued him day and night. 

It was always there, now. Inside his bones, tugging at his blood, telling him to move and to do something. He still couldn't figure out quite what it was this feeling demanded of him. But for now, all he could do was keep outrunning it as best he could. 

As he was scanning the shelves, he heard a noise below the balcony he and Azura were seated on. Without thinking, he stood up to see what it was. 

"Oi!" Azura complained. "You could at least pretend to care, you know." 

"Sorry, I just-- oh SHIT." Nyx suddenly barked, scrambling back. "Shitshitshitshit-- don't tell her I'm here!!" 

With that, he yanked every existing shadow in the room toward him, vanishing into a corner. Azura's face remained both appalled and confused, and he silently prayed for her to play along. She stood there for a moment, arms spread, mouth gawping, when she seemed to hear the same thing he had. Alarm lit her face, and she dove back for her seat, burying her nose in the book just as Artemis tromped up the stairs. 

"Alright, where is he?" Artemis demanded. Azura made a show of lowering her book, keeping her eyes on the page. 

"Who?" She asked innocently. 

"Don't 'who' me, Azura," Artemis said, slamming her hands on the table. Azura jumped, then made a sound of annoyance. 

"Don't do that, don't you know this is a library?" She hissed. 

"I'm aware," Artemis replied dryly. "I'm also aware that Clotho keeps track of who enters her library, and she informed me that dear Nyxie has been here the past two hours. Now where is he? He missed training. Again." 

Azura's mouth popped open, and Nyx winced as she stood up, indignant. "What?! The little shit didn't tell me--" Realizing her mistake, she snapped her mouth shut, eyes widening. "Wait. No. I mean--"