The Wolf with the Iron Jaw (Elysium #1)

Chapter Twenty-Four

 Trinket was exhausted by the time they returned home, but she was too jittery to go to bed. The shock and relief of seeing her torturer dead had set off her nerves and hallucinations. Mice scurried through the kitchen, and bees poured from the spout of the cooling kettle on the stove.

Dead, dead, dead, dead, dead, dead, dead—

She closed her eyes and gripped the kitchen table. Her fingers slipped on something thick and warm coating the wood.

Dead, dead, dead, dead, dead, dead, dead—

The smell of iron filled her senses and sent her pulse racing.

Dead, dead, dead, dead, dead—

"What in the world did you do to that tea?"

Her eyes shot open, and she found Booker standing beside her, furrowing his brow at the cup of tea in front of her.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"It's green."

A soft smile pulled at her lips as she lifted the cup to her nose and let the slightly bitter scent replace that of the phantom blood. "Well, it should be, seeing as it's green tea."

"And you enjoy it?"

"Yes. It's both refreshing and calming."

He raised his eyebrows doubtfully. "May I?"

She passed him the cup, and he sniffed at it suspiciously before taking a sip. His face scrunched up as he swallowed and handed the cup back.

"It's an acquired taste, I suppose," she said.

He stuck out his tongue. "If you can call that taste at all."

"You're one to talk about taste."

"I'll stick to my black tea, thank you very much. Anyhow, aren't you tired?"

She shrugged. "Yes, but I don't think I can sleep just yet."

"In that case, would you care to help me with some research?"

"What kind of research?"

"Wolf related, of course."

"Of course. What else was I expecting?"

"So will you assist me?"

"Well, I suppose I am your assistant, so assist I must. Shall I make you a cup of tea first?"

"That would be wonderful, thank you. Meet me in the library."

He went to leave, but she stepped towards him and repeated, "The library?"

Turning on his heel to face her, he wrinkled his brow. "Yes, the library. Did I not show you the library when you moved in?"

She shook her head.

"Ah, I apologize for overlooking that little detail. The library. It's next to your room. The door is closed but not locked. Just come right in. I'll be waiting."

With that, he again turned to leave, and she set about making up more tea. Unexpected excitement hummed through her body. What would a library owned by an eccentric doctor be like?

~

Several minutes later, she made her way upstairs to join her employer. The door to the library had been left ajar, so she bumped it with her hip, her hands full with the tray of tea. As it creaked open, she got her first look at the mystery room.