Ash and Dusk

Chapter 25

The road back was short and uneventful. I left Van Eck's meeting place with the cover of invisibility, after telling him all the details he needed to know for my plan to work perfectly.

The moment I stepped in the full morning light, I knew that it would be too late for me to sneak back in as if nothing happened, as if I hadn't been missing for at least a couple of hours. At this point, I could almost feel the presence of questions I will be asked. I didn't want to think about what that could possibly mean, so I put an even stronger wall to the bond.

Making my way silent as a ghost, I went straight to the main entrance, not caring how the image of a door opening by itself would look.

I was welcomed by the great circular hall, the first room on the Ravkan Embassy's long list. Unfortunately for me, there was echo, so I walked softly toward one of the two stairs that framed the place. Still hidden with the cover of my power, I passed some servants, making them stop in their tracks to look around. When they couldn't see anything unusual, they just continued on their path, furrowing their brows or shrugging to themselves.

I kept walking until I reached the library, the one room I knew I was going to be searched in. At that early hour, there wasn't a single soul besides me in the entire two floor space filled to the ceiling with books. In the center, there was a circular wood table with chairs all around and a large whole in it, to make room for a massive globe, representing the Earth. The sphere highlighted Ravka and its surrounding countries with a different color, so that it was visible even from the second floor.

Resuming from my observation, I went to the section referring to the Little Science and grabbed the first books I put my hand on. I carried the pile to the very corner of the library, passing shelves after shelves, until I found a little hidden spot near a window pane, in the form of a rose in full blossom.

I sat at a table and waited.

I knew he would come.

  ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   ⠀ 

~~
 

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀   ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

"Took you long enough."

I spoke without much interest, flipping another page of my book, just as the Darkling appeared from between the two shelves separating me from the rest of the library.

I didn't bother to look at him. I found that when I threw even the slightest of glances at his figure, I had to contain myself from strangling the breath out of him.

He approached almost soundlessly, but remained at a safe distance, behind the other unoccupied chair at the opposite end of the table. He didn't sit.

"Where were you?". His voice was smooth like silk, but I knew better than to fall into that trap.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're takling about. I couldn't sleep so I came here to read."

I forced my eyes to continue moving across the words on the page, even though I wasn't paying attention to the book.

"Really?" he asked, almost mockingly.