Chrysalis

Chapter 14

Notes: Sorry for taking so long. But, I finally managed to write this chapter, even if it was quite hard :)
And I could never thank you enough for your lovely words and your support, you guys are absolutely amazing!

Warnings: This chapter is going to include some violence. I don't think it's graphic, but keep this in mind if it might bother you.

Anyway, I really hope you'll enjoy this chapter! Please review :)

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Chapter Fourteen

"Meet me after lunch at the library – it's a surprise."

The words kept echoing in Maggie's ears, making her heart beat more and more wildly as the designed hour approached. Rationally, Maggie knew that she shouldn't be nervous: it was hardly the first time she went somewhere with Alfred, only the two of them. Yet, there was something in the way he had said that – in the intimacy his wink had conveyed – that was making her stomach twist with a feeling that Maggie didn't want to explore fully.

The bus stopped, the squeak of the door opening made Maggie's heart leap into her throat. She took a deep breath as she stepped out, clenching her fists to steady herself.

The library stood in front of her, on the other side of the road. It was a tall, imposing edifice of grey stone, styled to resemble older European constructions. Its austere columns and clean front conveyed a sternness and formality that were in perfect harmony with the building's purpose. For once, however, its sight only made anxiety blossom in Maggie's chest.

What does Al want to do?

It surely wasn't anything bad, he would have never suggested anything aimed at making Maggie uncomfortable. In spite of how much she kept telling herself that, Maggie couldn't make herself at ease with the idea of missing a variable. The fact that showing any of her reluctance to Alfred would have been utterly ungrateful wasn't helping with the churning of her stomach.

Maggie forced herself to take a deep breath and squared her shoulders before moving to cross the street. Her legs felt oddly weak.

She had just started climbing the stairs when a hand descended her right shoulder. She gasped as she whirled around, instinctively raising her hands, only to find herself in front of Alfred's beaming face.

"Wow, we arrived exactly at the same time!" he commented loudly, stepping to her side. "We would have never managed if we had tried..."

Maggie's heart was beating wildly from both the anxiety and the scare, but she managed to force her lips into a smile in front of Alfred's enthusiasm. He was probably trying to look collected, but the bounce in his gait betrayed him.

"Yeah..." Maggie murmured, lowering her hands. "So, why did you—"

Alfred winked.

"You'll see. You'll like it, I promise."

Maggie fell into step behind him as Alfred climbed the stairs and opened the heavy glass door to let her into the library. The familiar smell of paper and books assaulted Maggie's nostrils, but she only registered it in a corner of her mind.

What has Alfred planned?

While the smile hadn't slipped from his face, there was a slight tension in his shoulders that Maggie had rarely seen. He looked almost nervous, yet his smile widened when his eyes met Maggie's. She could have almost ignored it... Alfred looked happy, but there was something slightly wrong.