Page 15
I swallowed hard. “The monster is the priority. Then I should get back to Evermore.”
“Whatever you need.”
We returned to the library, and I bypassed the upholstered lounge chairs and inviting settees dotted with colorful cushions to start with the leather-bound volumes at the opposite end of the room. The bookshelves were floor to ceiling, so I had my work cut out for me.
I couldn’t love this room more if I tried. The smell of leather had a way of easing my addled mind. The Fates knew how much I loved books, which was why they’d nicknamed me “skoulíki,” which was Greek for “worm,” as in bookworm. It wasn’t a compliment. They weaponized my hobby against me. Once I’d talked back to Clotho during a lesson. When I returned to my room that night, my entire book collection was gone. The Fates had built a bonfire outside my window and burned them while I watched in agony. I’d never fought back tears as hard as I had in that moment. I couldn’t let them know they’d won. I’d affected an air of disinterest and shut the curtains. Over time, I learned not to share anything with them for fear the information would be used against me. Even my rock collection was a secret. I’d collect pretty pebbles, slipping them into my pockets during training sessions. There was a loose floorboard that I’d managed to pull up and create a hiding spot for the pebbles. Each time I yanked off the floorboard and was greeted by the glistening rocks, I felt a sense of calm. They were the only things I owned that were exclusively mine; I’d chosen each one with great care.
When I finally made the decision to leave the Fates behind, I’d agonized over the pebbles. They were too cumbersome to take with me. In the end, I left them. Part of me hoped that whichever unlucky girl occupied my room next would discover them and treat them like the treasures they were.
“Yamato?” Vale asked.
It took me a few seconds to emerge from my deep thoughts. “Sorry, what?”
“Could be Yamato no Orochi, the Japanese sea serpent.”
“They usually have eight heads.”
“Ben didn’t get a clear look. Maybe he only processed seeing one head.”
“Yamato’s bodies are more colorful. This creature’s body was white.”
Vale closed the book in his hand and returned it to the shelf. “Nearly every culture has a horned serpent. I don’t think we’re likely to narrow it down with books.”
“Then what’s the alternative?”
“We find it.”
“Smarter to know what we’re dealing with before we actually have to confront it. It would also help us track it down. Does it prefer mountainous regions? Can it fly? Does it lay eggs or have live births?”
Vale’s gaze intensified.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing.”
“You had a look.”
He turned fully toward me and leaned against the bookcase. “All right then. I think your talents are wasted on Evermore, and I think you know that. The question is—why stay?”
“It’s an island of older supernaturals, Vale. Many with nothing to lose. You don’t see the potential danger there?”
“It’s a different kind of danger. Your skills would lend themselves better to—”
“To what you do? Is that it?”
“In a nutshell, yes. It would be good for you in other ways, too. You could have a life on the mainland.”
“I have a life, Vale.”
“You have the appearance of life, Maya. Not the same.”
I regarded the shelves of books. “You know what? You’re right. The books won’t be of much use, which is all well and good because I need to get back anyway. Let me know if you come up with a lead. I’ll come back to help if I can.”
I strode out of the library without a backward glance, not that it mattered. Vale didn’t try to stop me. Didn’t even call my name.
The air was relatively still, which allowed me to fly home rather than take a boat. I was too angry to wait. My face was hotter than the sun and my limbs shook with rage. How dare he make assumptions about my life?
It was only when I reached my cottage that I bothered to ask myself why I was so incensed. What had Vale said that was so deeply offensive? The answer came quickly and clearly, causing my face to burn all over again—this time not because I was angry.
