Ch. 2
Jules has been skulking behind a shelving unit in the library. She couldn't make up her mind about meeting with the assistant or leaving town. She decided early this morning that she should at least find out whether it was a genuine offer of help or a boastful assistant hoping to score some extra appreciation.
"Or it could be a trap." She whispers to herself. There has been nothing out of the ordinary this morning, but she hesitates to be seen. Today is her fourth day here, she should move on soon regardless, but what if the assistant was telling the truth? He has been sitting at the desk for the past quarter hour, head swiveling at any sound. She hopes it is just her he waits on.
"Can I help you, miss?" A scholar she has never seen before is standing right behind her, quiet as a ghost. She jumps, knocking into the shelves and moving a few steps back, out into the open atrium.
"No, thank you," Jules stutters, shaken that someone could sneak up on her so easily. The commotion has caught the attention of the assistant at the desk. He looks at her eagerly.
"Addie? Addie!" He calls to her, waving her over. He waits until she is closer before continuing, "I'd like to apologize about last evening. It seems I may have unnerved you. For that I'm sorry." He gestures for her join him at the desk. "I hope you don't think me a fool." With nowhere else to go, she slowly walks to the desk and sits down in an empty chair.
"You said you could help me?" She inquires. She is hoping the assistant will keep things professional now. She cannot afford any more delays. "I will be leaving in a day or so, and would really appreciate being able to read through your scholar's notes."
The assistant laughs, not unkindly. Seeing that she is not amused, he wipes his eyes, and sobers. "I'm sorry if I misled you - the scholar left his entire life's works to his favorite and most eager student. I would be willing to send a letter requesting a meeting for you if you are able to stay long enough for a reply." His eyes light up and she can picture the idea forming in his head. Them reading together in an alcove, organizing sections, her deciding to stay with him. 'Sorry, but that's not going to happen' she thinks to herself before arranging her face to appear disappointed.
"If only I could wait that long. I have an appointment a few towns over to speak to a Professor Enridge. I hear he had a giant collection of folklore about the Alchemist, and I don't plan on coming back this way." Hoping to catch him off guard so as to not question her fake professor, she learns over the desk slightly, and grazes his hand with her own. "It's been a pleasure spending time here. Perhaps I'll come back one day." She gives him her best smile, pulling her hand away.
"Probably for the best anyway, Everless is a long way away. Any even if it were not, Lord Liam is not the easiest person to convince to help someone. He was great with scholar Aaron, but barely tolerated the rest of us." The assistant moves to stand, signaling the end of their conversation.
"Lord Liam studied here?" Still sitting in her chair, gazing out towards the stacks of books, papers, scrolls, and taking in the silence of the expansive room, she could picture him here. Sitting at a table by himself, papers thrown about, or standing near a shelf, his nose in a text.
"Yes, as well as dozens of other libraries, universities, and archives across the kingdom. He may lack basic manners, but he is well educated." The scorn comes easily. It would seem that it is easier to insult those who are out of reach.
Jules opens her mouth to defend her friend, and pauses. Since when has she considered Liam a friend? Up until the heart-to-heart they shared in the field near Ambergris, she had been terrified of him, of what he could and would do to her and those around her. She ran from him for years, fearing he would drag her back to Everless, and throw her in the dungeon.
And yet, when she actually was in the dungeon, he was the one who orchestrated her escape. Easing back into the chair, she allowed herself to return to that event. Barely hearing the assistant as he bid her goodbye and returning to his duties, Jules was again falling backwards into memory. She was not slammed back into memories of other lives, flailing about trying to grasp anything familiar; this time it was of her own accord, and it was controlled. The feel of his arms holding her up, of his hand in hers leading her down dark and narrow hallways, the look in his eyes as he tells her of his plan for "their" escape.
'Sorceress, I hope he's ok. Perhaps I should stop using that phrase…" A smile spreads across her face, the first real smile since Everless. She tells herself that the smile is due to the joke, but she knows in her gut it's because of the memories. She needs to know what is happening at Everless. A plan forms in her head.
He allows his mood to become fouler as each day passes. The Queen and her handmaid will be back at Everless in three months to negotiate the alignment of their families. Other than 'I don't want to', Liam is unable to come up with a reason to refuse. His parents, grief stricken, are willing to agree to almost anything, and he is stuck in the middle of it. As the heir to Everless, and of the great Gerling name, he must fulfill his duty. How he hates duty.
As he enters his chambers, his thoughts distract him from all else - How did Caro convince Ina to agree to this? Ina hates me. She cannot allow this to happen. Why me? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? He flings himself into his high-backed chair, lost. Then a thought he has been unwilling to allow to the surface takes form over all others - Is this her revenge? Does she know I helped Jules escape? It definitely won't break her heart to hear of my fate, but would it make her feel guilty enough to come back? Try to stop it? Sorceress, I hope not.
As the sun falls, Liam's mind wears itself out from worrying. Only in his dark suite of rooms can he allow his emotions run free. In the silence, he is able to take in his surroundings. His wine carafe has been replaced, and a letter sits on the side of the platter. Hinton may be young, but he has gotten to know Liam's habits well. He fills a cup with wine and takes it and the letter back to his chair. Sipping his drink, he reads the label, the flowing letters almost familiar.
To Lord Liam Gerling
Everless
From Scholar Aaron
Arnsberg
"Scholar Aaron?" He asks incredulously to no one in particular. The scholar he studied under in Arnsberg had run out of time in the spring of last year. He had attended his funeral.
Liam,
I hope to find you well. I have heard of the passing of your brother, Roan. If I remember correctly, you two were not too close, but a sibling does carry a part of us with them, and in their passing, it can seem as if a part of yourself is also gone. And for that alone I send my deepest condolences.
Unfortunately, this is not my primary reason for contacting you. I write to you in troubled times – it pains me to inform you that we, at the Arnsberg Library, have had some ill luck. The tree outside our Sublunary and Astronomy wing was hit by lightning, caught fire, and in turn, burned approximately half of our texts with it.
I implore you, my Lord, send us your S&A research so we may be able to salvage some of our more valuable texts. We will work as swiftly as possible as to copy and return your journals to you.
Please advise,
A.J.E
"Jules", Liam whispers to himself. He dares not say her name any louder. Caro's ears are everywhere. The letter is good. The seal is unbroken; it has passed through several hands before ending up in his, and even if it had been read by others, it is a believable request from an old friend. But it takes only a simple inquiry to the correct people to know that this letter is a forgery. How foolish of her, or desperate, he cannot decide which. Either way, he cannot let this opportunity slip passed him. He rises to make preparations.
Two days later, before dawn has even hinted at the horizon, Liam meets Hinton in the stables. The boy has been discrete, but with discretion comes the need for time – time Liam did not wish to waste. Hinton has secreted all of Liam's journals about the Sorceress and Alchemist out of Everless, and hidden them from unwanted attention. Liam, in turn, had spent the last two days making sure everyone in Everless knew he would be traveling to Coleswell to take care of discrepancies with their taxes, and to not expect him back for about a month. His horse is loaded down with supplies for a longer journey that he expects to make, but any inconsistencies between his story and his actions could cost him his life. Hinton leads the horse to the southern gate, which lines up with Coleswell. Liam must ride five miles to the south to pick up his journals before turning northeast towards Arnsberg, and Jules.