The Hunter Academy

~Çhapter Fįfty-Fįvę~

I wandered around the castle and was tempted to hang up signs with how big this place is but I was sure somebody would take them down.

Julian and Artemis were talking to each other and asked for some privacy which was my cue to leave.

So now, here I was, wandering aimlessly around. It kind of hurt though, the way they both just looked at me and Julian smiled apologetically as Artemis asked for some privacy, signalling for me to leave.

I pushed open a random set of wooden doors decorated with steel patterns.

The room was enormous with height arched ceilings. There were shelves that reached were the wall began to arch into the ceiling.

Each wooden shelf was stuffed with books, they all looked old with worn and faded covers. The books were thick too. Too thick and far too heavy to carry if I were human.

A library.

I contemplated the odds of getting lost within the maze of shelves and books - which was 100% - before shrugging and wandering into the mass of books.

I marked the floor everywhere by ripping up paper and dropping it on the floor - I'll pick it up on the way back - when I came across a table wooden table with a book sitting on top of it.

I slowly looked around before cautiously stepping over to it and analysed the cover.

It was a red book cover with golden symbols on the front. I frowned and opened the book to find a sheet of paper stuck in a few of the pages. They were all covered in symbols and all of the pages had extra drawings that someone had added in themselves.

I grabbed the polaroid camera Emma gave me before taking a picture of the cover and the bookmarked pages.

It was all symbols and I couldn't actually read any of it but I hoped that somebody would be able to because this seemed... weird.

I always listened to my instincts and right now they're telling me that something was wrong, whatever was in the book or whatever someone wrote in was dangerous.

I heard footsteps echoing throughout the library, two people at least, and muffled talking.

Panic raced through me as I felt the feeling in my chest that told me I shouldn't be here or be seeing this book. Someone had left it out by accident.

I quickly closed the book but I looked around and didn't have anywhere to hide, shelves were on both side with only one exit where the voices were coming from and a stone wall behind me.

"'My aunt's a Shielder, she can make shields but also turn invisible, something to do with how the shield's made, she can absorb magic or reflect it and she can change the purpose depending on what she wants to do. She loves to scare the hell out of everyone."'

But I could barely make a regular shield let alone an invisibility shield. As the footsteps came closer as the talking clearer I realised that I didn't really have a choice.

I quickly pressed myself up against the wall, the cool stone pressing against my back. I felt a shiver slither down me spine but not just from the cold of the wall, someone walked around the corner just as I snapped up a shield.

Councillor Nathaniel and Councillor Lillian walked over to the table and sat down. Nathaniel looked right at me and maybe I wasn't invisible.

He looked down and opened the book before speaking to Lillian. I released a deep breath that I didn't even know I was holding.

"... what she wants?"

I tuned back into their conversation.

"Yes, this is definitely the book."