Endeverafter: The Series Presents The Cursed One

Chapter Ten

Pyramid Harbor Library sat on the corner of a diagonal street. It was a two-story building that stood stoic and haunting in its appearance. Axel and Sven parked around the corner and followed Virek inside. Once through its large obscure doors, the three of them walked by different groups of people sitting around reading and studying. So basic, Virek thought. The huge windows allowed pieces of light inside, bringing in magnificent shimmers through the hand painted portraits as the smell of old books and paper circulated across the air. The three men made their way through the main floor and stopped at the information desk. An older woman with short gray hair was standing behind the desk, stamping individual books, one by one.

"May I help you?" she asked, without looking up.

"I need to speak to the manager," Virek replied.

Her eyes lifted over her glasses and she stared at the three men before she slammed the book in front of her shut. She grabbed a stack of keys and stepped out from behind the desk. "Follow me." Leading them towards the back of the library, she unlocked a door that had on a FACULTY MEMBERS ONLY sign on it. Behind the door, they followed her down a flight of stairs that led to the basement. After turning two corners, they ended up at the end of a long hallway where there was a single door. The gray-haired woman unlocked the door and pushed it open, stepping to the side. Virek, Axel and Sven stepped inside of a dimly lit room. A desk, two leather chairs and a fireplace taller than most men were inside. Shelves of books filled the walls and without a single window, the air stood still. Once the door was shut, the chair behind the desk spun around and a man with white framed glasses, dyed blonde hair and a dark goatee was sitting there.

"Mr. d'Luca, Guardian of the Imperial Watchtower," he said, smiling. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I was hoping you could translate these symbols for me," Virek said. He pulled out the piece of paper from his pocket and placed it on the desk.

The man made no effort to look at the paper. "Have you forgotten the rules already?" he asked. "I can't help you until you solve my riddle. If that's even possible."

Goddamn Sphinx Fae. "Of course, where are my manners?" Virek said, faking a smile. "Mr. Whitney Dawson, what is today's riddle?"

The man's eyes glowed a bright red. Like a machine that had been turned on. "What is at the end of everything?"

Sphinx Fae loved to torture people with riddles. Although it was amusing to them, it was a death sentence to anyone who didn't answer correctly. Dawson, a former Light Fae, enjoyed that part most of all. To hold a human's fate in the palm of his hand. His love for the species was taken away when his mother killed herself. A Hunter managed to solve her riddle and it drove her to insanity. After avenging his mother's death, he aligned himself with the Unseelie Court. Virek was one of the few alliances he managed to keep after he switched Courts. "If you forfeit, I may still let you walk out of here unharmed, Guardian," Dawson taunted. "I couldn't imagine harming that pretty face of yours."

Virek smiled. While he would've loved to stand there and make Dawson sweat, time was of the essence. "The letter 'g' is at the end of everything."

The confidence in Dawson's face fled and he sat up in his chair. His eyes flickered, like a dying lightbulb, returning to their normal brown color. Fixing his tie, he nodded and said, "Very good, Guardian. I'm impressed." He pulled his chair forward and picked up the piece of paper. "Now, let's see what we have here." He stared at the piece of paper for a long time, much to Virek's annoyance. "Where-where did you get these from?" he asked, glancing up. "Rather, where did you see these?"

"Not so fast, bruv," Virek said, shaking his finger. "First, tell me if you can read it. I know it's the language of the Demons but I don't know what it's meant to say."