Beetle

Chapter 19

The bookstore ends up being on the corner of a very busy street.

It's uncanny how many monsters there are who just walk freely in sight. I don't care what the government says, if these freaks are considered supernaturals than I'm sure as hell not.

I drag a few steps behind Adric who drags a few steps behind our headmaster, somewhat hoping I can just drift off; out of sight.

The bell on the door rings as Lightner opens it, alerting the shopkeeper to our sudden arrival. He takes us in, "what can do for you?" I'm not really sure who he's directly addressing but Adric is the one who replies, "we need some textbooks."

The shopkeeper who must be a goblin sighs like he doesn't have the patience or time to deal with Adric. "Obviously, you need textbooks- what are the titles?" Adric looks to Lightner and she hands over two lists which she grabbed out of her vintage designer bed. I'm only able to recognize the brand as vintage Chanel because Kaylee was always teaching me about fashion. Actually, that might of been the only history Kaylee was able to understand. I feel a stab of anger when I think of her but I'll take anger any day over sadness.

The goblin reads over the first list and than drops it. As it falls to the floor the paper shreds itself into little pieces and the small strips of paper curl and turn black. After he's done reading the second list it disappears from his hands. I look to the ground, expecting to see it but not only is there no paper but the first booklist which was black, shredded, and in a pile is now nowhere to be seen.

The goblin doesn't comment about what just happened as he turns to go find the books. He doesn't make it far before he slips on something and Lightner moves to help him.  I don't know why she made the effort because there's nothing there.

I assume the goblin slipped on air until our headmaster successfully, grabs something I can't see. I watch as nothing turns into a paper; the booklist. I watch as the goblin gets up, "for future reference, it would be nice to know that a student of yours harbours the responsibility of invisibility." What an interesting and accurate, way to word it. After all, what Adric and I have isn't power. Power is choice, freedom and a gift that people actually want. What we have is a responsibility that hinders our freedom and lives.

Let's just say, I can guess which booklist was mine even if there wasn't only two but I still want to ask why the lists get destroyed in a way to match the person it's for. I decide to ask the goblin because I like how crabby and blunt he is.

He doesn't look to Lightner to check if it's okay to tell me the answer which makes me respect the old bastard a little more. "It's insurance that the people I sell my knowledge to don't have one of the seven."

"What's the seven?" Adric asks, stealing the words right out of my mouth. "They don't need to know Lightner starts but the goblin smiles and begins to answer. I wonder if it's payback for Lightner not telling him that the paper would turn invisible, not just disappear. It makes sense because Adric can disappear but he's still there.

"There are seven powers that are seen as too powerful to be trusted. Each power would become unstoppable if given the opportunity and means of resources and knowledge. I make sure not to sell to anyone who has the start of one of them."

"How do you know that we don't?" I appreciate that the goblin doesn't talk in riddles or waste my time because he answers right away, "the paper that was your booklist would of turned into a talisman of sorts if you had." It's probably a bad sign that I'm so relieved that I don't have one of the seven because that means I just acknowledged that I do have a power. "That's enough!" Lightner calls out but the goblin's smile only grows. "Your books are at the front", I wonder how that could be because he didn't even grab book.