Chapter 1: Damsel in Distress
London, England. Alternate World: B-395.
At the sight of the immaculately-clad new arrival to the tearoom, Irene forced herself to resist the instinctive urge to hunch her shoulders. Was there any chance he wasn't coming to see her? Apparently not.
Lord Silver executed a purposeful beeline to her table. "Sitting by yourself, little Librarian? You must allow me to rectify that deplorable situation."
Without giving her a chance to object, Silver slid into the chair opposite her with enough graceful elegance to make it obvious to the world that she should be deeply honored by the favor he was bestowing on her.
Irene kept her sigh to herself. Redburn Bookshop had been one of her favorite places to visit. Several floors of books on all subjects were juxtaposed with a tearoom with delectable cream cakes. The combination was irresistible. Till now.
Her pot of Earl Gray tea had just been replenished. The newspaper called to her. She was in no mood to play games with the Ambassador of Liechtenstein and self-appointed leader of the local Fae.
Or was she?
She hadn't seen the Fae in weeks. His sudden appearance in a place she'd been frequenting on an almost daily basis couldn't be mere coincidence. And, she had to confess, the book review in the newspaper had been rather dull.
"Such a delightful surprise, Lord Silver. If you'd like to join me at my table, I'd be delighted to extend the favor."
He twisted his lips into a delicate pout and smoothed the lapel of his pearl-gray suit with his perfectly manicured hand. The proffering of favors was a time-established gambit of the Fae. High on the list of recommended procedures in the Librarians' Code of Maintaining Proper Relations with the Fae was the dictum to never find oneself beholden to the chaos-dwellers.
"Anyone else would think it was I who was saving you from having to sit alone." His lavender eyes oozed sympathy. She suddenly had a compelling desire to fling herself at him while running her hands through his shoulder-length platinum hair. Irene repressed her sigh yet again. She should take it as a compliment that he still tried glamours on her. Was this a signal that they'd entered the comfortable stage where, like two friends at the chess table, they enjoyed teasing one another with their moves?
Silver gestured with two fingers to the tea attendant. "A pot of Darjeeling, please, and"—he turned to Irene—"what is that delicious cream cake you're enjoying so much?"
He had her there. Only two bites remained. "Almond cream cake."
"Yes, I'd like two slices."
"Very good, your lordship."
After the attendant left, Silver smiled at her. "I'll leave the second slice on the table for the little mouse."
Was he trying to achieve a new record for causing inward sighs? Irene distaste for the term little librarian was only surpassed by her loathing for the nickname of little mouse which Silver had bestowed on her the first time they met. But she refused to let him have the satisfaction of viewing her annoyance. "So thoughtful of you to be concerned about London's rodents."
He smiled ruefully, no doubt disappointed that she didn't take the cake bait. "Speaking of pests, I'm surprised your pet dragon isn't accompanying you."
"I'll convey your kind regards to Kai," Irene offered, not willing to indulge in his curiosity. "Did you wish to speak with him?"
"I'm willing to admit he has occasional usefulness as does your friend, the Earl of Leeds. If you will permit me to be blunt—"
—And wouldn't that be a refreshing change? She wasn't holding her breath.
"When hunting a rare species of stag, you're well advised to not attempt it alone," he continued.
Finally. Although Silver didn't betray the seriousness of the issue by his mannerisms, his choice of venue was now clear. The rogue Fae named Lecerf whom Irene and Kai had been pursuing for over a month was also a threat to Lord Silver's comfortable life. Silver had displayed what some would call a paranoiac obsession about Lecerf's agents spying on him, even at his residence at the Liechtenstein Embassy.
"You have no cause for concern," she said, keeping her voice neutral. "Even if I wanted to embark on a stag hunt, I wouldn't know where such a rarity would be located."
"Nor did I until recently. I fear a mutual acquaintance may have been gored by the stag. She is the one who requests the favor."
"Does this acquaintance like thrushes?"
He smiled approvingly. "I knew a woman of your discernment and charm would make the connection."
Irene did not frequent Silver's elite world of parties and social gatherings. The number of mutual female acquaintances was limited to one to the best of her knowledge, and that was Helena Moreton, a Fae with a taste for Wuthering Heights. Irene had traveled with Kai and Vale to her estate, Thrushfield Hall in Yorkshire, a few weeks ago. There they'd managed to free her from the enchantment which was forcing her to act as Lecerf's puppet.
"At the time I left, Lady Moreton was no longer being pursued by stags. I gather the situation has changed?"
He nodded, his expression becoming serious. Silver had once described Helena as a delightful friend. Irene suspected that wasn't simply Fae piffle. If Lecerf had threatened her, Silver's request was understandable.
"The stag carried her off and is holding her prisoner." He paused while the attendant served him the requested tea and cream cake. "It is my understanding that you have not yet recovered a certain Chinese classic. Very likely it is at the same location as Helena. By freeing her, you may be able to secure it for your masters at the Library."
"Do you know where Lady Moreton is being held?"
He poured some tea into his cup. "Are you sure you wouldn't like that slice of cake?"
It took several minutes of word games to pry the location out of Silver, a laborious process during which several times she had to suppress her desire to simply reach across the table and throttle him. At the end of the exercise, she considered she'd earned that second slice of cream cake.
It was apparent Silver genuinely enjoyed their diplomatic chess game. By indulging in his whims, Irene had been able to secure an ally of sorts even if he couldn't be fully trusted. That alone made his friendship worth cultivating. On this occasion, Silver provided much more than just the location of an abducted acquaintance. If his information was accurate, Irene now knew where Lecerf was.
She hadn't written to Lady Moreton since the events of Thrushfield Hall. The Fae was well-respected among locals. Her fantasies about Wuthering Heights were harmless once her bond to Lecerf had been severed, and she was a generous patron to charities. She was the type of Fae who'd make an excellent role model to others, and Irene would do her best to free her.
"From your description of the stronghold, it would be better if the stag was off wandering in some other forest before any rescue attempt is made," Irene said. "I'll require your assistance."
Silver spread his hands helplessly. "Your confidence in me is touching, but there's no reason for a stag to accede to my instructions."
"Perhaps not, but he'll listen to others."
Silver briefly arched his eyebrows. "You've piqued my interest."
"We know the reason you picked this location to meet me." Her eyes flicked deliberately to Silver's manservant Johnson who was sitting discreetly at a table in the corner, undoubtedly keeping a watchful eye out for the spies Silver suspected surrounded him. "If you were to let word leak out that I'd discovered a way to reenchant the copy of Wuthering Heights which belonged to Lady Moreton, you would likely provoke the stag's curiosity."
Silver's lavender eyes sparkled like faceted amethysts. "I would indeed," he said softly. "It would be much more believable if I implied you'd become infatuated with me. If I were contemplating auctioning the book off, that could force him to make a move. Some might even speculate that you were to be included in the transaction."
Irene temporarily set aside her dismay at being viewed as his mistress by an even greater issue. "The Fae hold auctions?"
"Among my people, they're quite popular. I'm not surprised you haven't heard of them. They're held in worlds favorable to us."
Meaning high in chaos.
"London is situated on the line to a world in Venice which is famous for its auction of rarities—antiques as well as valuables of all descriptions."
"Including people?"
"But of course."
In other words, a slave market. Irene had heard rumors, but this was the first confirmation. Fae customs were as little understood as those of dragons. They rarely lifted the veil for outsiders. For the Fae, living out their fantasies was their mission in life. Irene could understand how they would pay exorbitant prices if necessary to secure objects or people considered essential for their role-playing. This was not the time to lecture Silver about her abhorrence of slave markets. She needed him too much.
"I'll need a means to secure Lady Moreton's captor," she said. "I don't suppose you have an enchanted lasso for stags?"
"My dear little Librarian, you have no concept of the gifts I could bestow upon you. But even with a lasso, you'd be well advised to take along a few friends." He gave her a smile dripping with empathetic concern. "I wouldn't want you to be lonely."
Before he left, Silver invited himself to her quarters in Warren Mews on the following morning. She would have preferred a neutral location, but in light of what he was providing, neither one of them could risk being spied upon. Having to endure his teases about paying a visit to his new plaything was the price she'd have to pay.
Although Silver cloaked his words in pleasantries, they were underpinned with a sense of urgency and an acknowledgment of the danger involved. He expected her to take Kai with her and Vale as well. Despite her desire not to be predictable, she intended to do just that.
Peregrine Vale would likely leap at the chance to go along. Kai was still on a leave of absence to visit his cousin. Before he left, Kai insisted that she contact him if she got a lead on Lecerf or Alberich, the ex-Librarian turned traitor, and she'd go along with his wishes. She could return to the Library this evening, inform Coppelia, and send Kai an email. Fortunately the world Kai was visiting was technologically advanced. The Library network would be able to re-route her message to him.
He Sheng Island. Alternate World G-51.
Kai crept through the old-growth forest, his muscles tensed. His ears were tuned to pick up the faintest rustle of leaves. A salamander peeking out from a fallen log wouldn't escape his notice. But he was on the alert for a much larger foe—one who'd lash out without warning.
She dropped upon him as silently as a memory. Kai catapulted away, spinning in flight.
He didn't fool her for an instant. She leaped forward and hooked him with an arm around his throat. Slipping underneath it, he delivered a high scissor kick. He succeeded in knocking her away long enough to catch his breath.
She executed a running somersault, vaulting onto a tree branch. Before he had a chance to flee, she leaped on top of him, slamming him to the ground.
Her hand flattened into a lethal blade, Master Wu held it tight against his throat. "Your reflexes are not at one hundred percent. You should have been able to fend me off for at least ten seconds longer." Jumping off him, she watched impassively while he scrambled to his feet.
It was conceivable his reflexes were slower than normal. On the other hand, Wu was, if anything, more powerful than ever. Her jet-black hair was braided down her back. Her brown skin shone with the inner radiance which only the martial arts elite possessed. At the time he'd met her, she appeared no older than Irene and she hadn't changed at all. Her skill both in her chosen discipline and her ability to read others were to his knowledge unparalleled.
"You may now be ready to tell me what troubles you," she said. "I'll wait for you in my hut." With that she sped off so fast, it was as if she vanished into thin air.
He hadn't originally intended to see Wu on this trip. But when he discovered his cousin Jian Yu had been called away on a diplomatic mission, he decided a visit to her island was an even better idea. She'd accepted his arrival without question even though she hadn't seen him in seven years.
This was the middle of the school term, and there were no students in the dormitory. A few other adults were there on retreat, but he could be by himself. The only time he saw her was for the daily hunt where he was the prey and she was the predator. Kai had yet to elude her. He doubted strongly anyone ever had.
He took his time strolling through the mist-shrouded forest as he prepared himself mentally for the upcoming discussion. He'd flown straight here from the capital city. Although the island was in the same world, the sites couldn't be more different. His lord uncle Ao Shun ran a kingdom of technical innovation. Wu lived on a remote island in the middle of the ocean. The island was a paradise of forested cliffs and hidden valleys. Because of its ecological significance, the only inhabitants, aside from those at the school, were naturalists engaged in research. The island had none of the civilized trappings of urban cities. Irene would no doubt be horrified that there wasn't a single bookstore and the only library was a small one in the student dormitory.
Kai had been sent to his uncle's world when he was a young stripling. It was standard practice for kings' sons to be raised at an uncle's court. The custom was designed to prevent coddling, and in Kai's case, he could confirm it was highly effective. The bullying he'd received from his cousins had been extreme enough to warrant Jian Yu's intervention. He was twelve years older and had not participated in the abuse. Under normal circumstances, adults never intervened. Kai had been lucky to have Jian Yu's protection.
Three months after Kai's arrival at court, Wu made her annual appearance. She handpicked the youths she was willing to teach after watching them perform gymnastics. Kai hadn't caught on yet to the new regimen. His actions were embarrassingly awkward. That she'd selected him was an unexpected honor. For the next ten years, Kai spent every summer at her academy. He'd mingled with youths from other kingdoms in a grueling discipline which saw many fall by the wayside. His graduation granted him the right to return to the island at any time.
Kai made a low bow when he entered the stone hut of his master. The only room he'd ever been admitted to was the front chamber. There was virtually no furniture. An intricately woven bamboo mat covered the floor. The shutters were wide open, letting in sunlight as well as the occasional bird.
Wu was sitting in the lotus position on the floor facing the door. He sat down in front of her.
"Why did you come, Kai?"
"My past has become the focus of my enemy and I don't understand why." He'd come to the island to still his churning emotions, but as yet he hadn't succeeded. Would he be able to remain calm while discussing them with Wu?
"Why do you think you'll find your answers here?"
"I don't expect that I will but I didn't know where else to start."
The only reaction she displayed was a slight slitting of her eyes. She was as inscrutable as a statue of Buddha, her gaze directed inward.
"Why did you select me to be a student?" he asked, the question forming unbidden in his mind.
"You must have wondered why there were no other princes or princesses during the years you studied here," she said, not answering him directly.
He remained silent. His fellow students on the island had all been from the lesser nobility or from families of no rank at all. His cousins told him that the training was beneath their status and that he was demeaning himself. Royal striplings were expected to devote themselves to the skills of diplomacy and government administration in preparation for becoming rulers and ambassadors. His cousins jeered that because his mother was of lesser rank, he would never be in a position of power. If he wanted to waste his time learning martial arts, it was of no importance.
"When I select a student, it's because I sense an open mind and willingness to learn," she continued. "Those are rare qualities in royal households." Before he had a chance to weigh the truthfulness of her assessment, she asked, "What in your past has been flagged?"
"An opponent knew about a sabotage attempt which occurred during my trial by air. They recreated it, nearly causing the death of my supervisor."
"I heard about the initial incident," she said with a slight nod.
"This time the sabotage was coupled with the presence of my"—Kai stumbled over the words—"the spirit of a girl I was in love with. She died several years ago. The event caused me to believe I was hallucinating. My supervisor is convinced that our opponent is attempting to drive me away from my job. They hope to convince me that I'm suffering from PTSD."
Kai couldn't elaborate without discussing the Library, a forbidden subject for outsiders. Irene had breached regulations when she confided particulars of the case to Vale. She'd secured the belated permission of Madame Coppelia, but as an apprentice, Kai had no right to bend the rules.
Wu held her arms in front of her chest, placing the palm of one hand on top of the other. "Do you believe your supervisor is correct?"
Kai shrugged. "I don't know of any magic by which someone can create a ghost and then direct its movements. The spirit of the girl attacked me. She tried to prevent me from maintaining the integrity of the tunnel."
"The dark magic to perform such an act exists. The Mo Dian contains much which may be considered dark magic, including the type of spell you described."
The Mo Dian was the classic reference manual of dragon magic. The book was attributed to the first dragon wizard. There were only a few copies known to exist. "Who has access to the grimoire?" Kai asked.
She dropped her hands into her lap. "Only masters of the art such as myself. A copy was preserved in the monastery where I studied."
A wave of unease swept over him at her use of the past tense. "And now?"
"A year ago, it was stolen. The head of our order was murdered during the execution of the crime." She studied him for a moment without speaking. "It is well that you came to see me. Your opponent may also be mine."
#
"I'm familiar with the mansion Lecerf chose," Vale said, dropping into one of the wing-back chairs in front of the hearth at Irene's lodgings in Warren Mews. As Irene had expected, Vale considered his participation in the mission to be a foregone conclusion.
"It presents some unique features," he added. "How long will it take Strongrock to return to London?"
"We'll meet him in Cornwall." As an apprentice, Kai was unable to access the Library on his own. To return to Vale's alternate, he'd rely on his preferred method of transportation—flight. But in London, it wasn't easy for a dragon to swoop down from the sky without being detected. In the rural countryside of Cornwall, there'd be less chance of him being observed.
Vale gave a short bark of a laugh. "If the locals spot him when he flies in, they'll think the legends have come to life. Have you ever seen him as a dragon?"
"No,'' she admitted. Not just Kai. She'd never seen any dragon in full draconic mode. She'd had a brief meeting with one who was only partly transformed. His face and body were human, but he had horns and skin was etched in a subtle scale pattern. His fingernails had transformed into sharp claws. He looked haughty and exceedingly dangerous—definitely not the way she pictured Kai. According to Library records, dragon size was related to rank with kings the most immense. She attributed the accounts of dragons over a hundred feet long to exaggeration.
"Lecerf's abode resembles a medieval castle," Vale said. "Its location on top a rocky mount on a tidal island makes infiltration difficult."
She nodded gloomily. "It sounds like an ideal Fae scenario. A fairytale castle on St Michael's Mount. No wonder Lecerf was attracted to it."
"There's a small village at the foot of the castle. One pub as I recall."
"The island residents are probably under Lecerf's control. We'll stay on the mainland. I told Kai to meet us at the Pendragon Inn."
He snorted. "You picked that intentionally, didn't you?"
Irene maintained her bluff. "If you're as familiar with the area as you claim to be, you know that it's the closest inn to the island. Any dragon references are mere coincidences." She didn't feel it was necessary to mention that in researching the establishment, she'd discovered the public room was known for its engravings of legends concerning King Arthur. In this alternate, as in many others, the majority of the stories were connected to sites in Cornwall. She expected that Kai was well versed in Arthurian legends. She'd often thought Kai was a frustrated knight errant. He no doubt appreciated that King Arthur was symbolized by a dragon.
In the legend of Saint Michael, the saint slew a dragon. She liked the role reversal this opportunity provided where she and a dragon would slay the Fae who'd set himself up to rule over the island. A nagging worry was if Lecerf was also playing on the atmosphere of the country. Had he developed a fantasy to portray himself as Merlin? Given his ability with enchanted books, he could feel he was the legitimate descendant of the famous wizard.
"Assuming we're able to access the castle, rescue Lady Moreton, and subdue Count Lecerf—all theoretically possible but of unknown probability—what then?" Vale asked. "Do you intend for Strongrock to chain the Fae to some distant rock in a far-off dragon world rich in order to make him suffer perpetual torment?"
"A creative thought but I wouldn't want to run the risk that he'd break free. Lord Silver brought this to me yesterday." Irene removed a small box covered in tooled violet leather and opened it. Inside was an iron collar with a snap clasp.
Vale raised a skeptical eyebrow. "A token of his affection?"
"Perhaps, in a way. The collar's been charmed. Silver assured me that if I manage to snap it on Lecerf's neck, it will lock him in position and he'll be unable to use magic. Silver will know when the collar's been activated. He's traveling incognito and will stay in the country house of a friend in Cornwall not far from Lecerf's castle. Once I've secured Lecerf, Silver wants to take charge of the prisoner."
"And you'll let him?" Vale asked skeptically.
"It's a difficult situation," she admitted. "The Library's not a tribunal. We have no power to judge anyone who doesn't work for the Library. As for the Fae, they have no central government or criminal justice system. Silver claims Lecerf will be unable to remove the collar, but I have no way of determining the accuracy of the claim. My hope is we'll find Dream of the Red Chamber and any other portal-books he may have in his possession."
"You may be able to use your mysterious Language to force him to explain how he was able to transform the books."
"It's on my list," she agreed. "The big unknown is Alberich. We assume he's in league with Lecerf but he's disappeared. My supervisor doesn't know if he is still unable to enter your world and warns against complacency. Silver has no information about him. For all we know, he could be in the castle with Lecerf."
"And since he's a shapeshifter, his identity will only be revealed by an act of his own provocation." Vale nodded with satisfaction. "The case should present adequate challenges to prevent the onset of mind-stultifying boredom. When do we leave?"
"We'll take the train tomorrow morning."
#
Kai exited the river of air at a short distance west of the town Irene had selected. The Cornish countryside was dark with low clouds hanging over the coast. Ideal conditions for a dragon to slip in unnoticed. The Pendragon Inn was on the outskirts of the peaceful hamlet of Marazion. Since it was off-season for Cornwall, there would likely be few tourists.
Kai dropped silently to the ground next to the country lane. Compressing his wings to his sides, he focused on the magic to transform his appearance. For his sojourn in Cornwall, he'd selected a tweed suit and trench coat. The items hadn't been easy to acquire on his lord uncle's world but he'd become friends with a supplier of vintage clothing.
Irene had written that the inn bordered the beach and was almost directly opposite St Michael's Mount. The air had the salty tang of the ocean, reminding him of the island he'd just left.
Had Irene picked Pendragon Inn to please him? He'd like to think so. He was familiar with the Arthurian legends of dragons. In many alternates, Vale's included, a dragon was symbolic of the Celtic Britons, often the king himself. But despite that, the local folklore was full of tales of dragons laying waste to towns and knights riding off to slay them. Dragons were portrayed as vicious kidnappers of maidens. How would the inhabitants of Marazion react if they knew a dragon walked among in their midst?
Kai didn't want to dwell on that unpleasant thought. He'd listened to the standard explanation given at school about how rogue dragons in the distant past had poisoned minds against their kind. It was one of the reasons order was valued so highly by dragons. If the local populace believed they were running amok once more, the old prejudices would quickly resurface.
Irene was showing her confidence in him by allowing him to participate in the mission. They'd capture Lecerf, rescue Lady Moreton, and then make a fresh start. Kai smiled at the irony. This was one dragon who was about to rescue a fair maiden. Granted, Lady Moreton didn't qualify as a maiden, but she was fair even if she was a Fae. She was also attracted to Irene, something Kai preferred not to dwell on. Irene had assured him that her affection was not reciprocated, and he trusted her.
He felt more in control than he had in months. He was no longer suffering from nightmares. His island retreat had brought the objectivity he'd sought. There was absolutely no connection between Irene and Ning.
Jian Yu had been right when he tried to drill into Kai's thick skull that he shouldn't blame himself for Ning's death. While it was true they had agreed to meet at the isolated cove, it wasn't Kai's fault that his lord uncle had requested his presence at court that evening. Kai had left word on Ning's voicemail that he wouldn't be able to make it. She'd gone anyway. Even if he'd been there, he might not have been able to save her.
When Kai arrived at the inn, he paused to study the swinging sign. It portrayed a white dragon and red dragon in combat over the castle on St Michael's Mount—a clear reference to the Arthurian legend. It was a refreshing change to see that the dragons were alive even if the combat wasn't depicted realistically. Kai could easily live without ever seeing any more paintings of dragons being speared by various saints and knights, but at St Michael's Mount, there wouldn't be much way to avoid it.
He entered the inn. It was late enough in the evening that the public room was doing a roaring business. Fishermen in thick sweaters crowded the counter of the pub. The air smelled of wood fire and pipe smoke, making him want to sneeze. The locals were dressed in working clothes, but there were a few clad in more elevated attire, including a certain couple sitting in the corner.
As Irene had warned him, she was wearing a glossy blonde wig such as Bradamant might wear. Her clothes were also much more fashionable than her normal attire. The deception was mandated because of the rumor Silver had circulated. They couldn't take the risk one of Lecerf's spies recognized Irene.
Vale's angular intelligent features were riveted on Irene. She was smiling at him. Anyone in the pub would think they were a couple. Fortunately, Kai knew the handsome earl's interest in Irene had no sexual undertones. Giving himself a swift mental kick, Kai banished any notion of jealousy and strode forward to greet them.
Notes: Thanks for reading! This story has 3 chapters which I'll post weekly on Wednesday. For an introduction to the world of the Invisible Library, please see the Tales from the Library page of the blog I co-write with Penna Nomen: Penna Nomen & Silbrith Conversation. Visuals for the story are on the Tales from the Library board of my Silbrith's Stories Pinterest site. The board includes my dream cast of actors as well as location pics.