It had been two days since Duke Elias Malvayne had fought his way inside the Silent Archive, and yet he was no closer to finding what he sought. He stalked up and down the endless stacks of the library's third floor, eyes sweeping across the dark mahogany shelves, searching desperately for something to strike his recognition.
That infuriating little archivist had disappeared somewhere in the maze of rows, and after nearly an hour of searching for her, he'd concluded that he would not find her until she came for him. It was a miracle he'd managed to spot her in the chained section earlier.
Frustrated seemed too tame a word to describe his current state. It took considerable effort to force down the thrum of power beneath his fingertips and keep from igniting something in dark flame. That girl had some nerve to misplace his book, then demand he help her find it. He would've refused had he not seen a glimmer of opportunity within her offer.
Now, though, he tried to make use of his remaining time. If they were indeed heading out at dawn tomorrow, he would do well to familiarize himself with this place in the meantime.
This floor seemed to be the third of five, though when he found the grand staircase to head further up, he was met with a dozen signs insisting that it was for employee access only. He reluctantly turned away. After barging into the Head Librarian's office earlier, he wasn't interested in drawing more attention to himself.
Instead, he skirted around the permitter. In each corner of this vast building he found the chained section,––still missing the Blackfire Codex––the Conservatory where the Archive's magics operated, and a sealed section called "The Sanctum". Somewhere back around the Head Librarian's office, Elias realized that he was completely lost.
He found himself in a small reading room with two plush chairs beside a crackling fireplace. The curtains were half-drawn to let the midday sun spill across the wooden floor. The sight of it sent something aching within his chest. It reminded him of the parlor in the Malvayne's Manor back in Esmya. Warm and quiet.
His feet brought him over to one of the chairs before he quite realized they were moving. There was a small table beside it with a smattering of discarded pamphlets and political tracts. Some were about his war in Esmya. Others weren't.
That warm familiarity chilled into something cold and hard. These papers looked far too much like the ones he saw burned before his eyes back home. It seemed that the Silent Archive made a point to preserve what his enemies were fighting to destroy.
That should've made the Archive an ally to him, in a roundabout way. Instead, it only made him uneasy. He curled his hands into fists, stood, and left the reading room behind.
He continued to wander the floor, a familiar storm brewing within him. As hard as he fought to conquer his homeland, he had little desire to return to that place. Other than a small legion of exhausted admirals, not much awaited him there. Perhaps that's why he'd sought out the Archive in the first place. A part of him preferred the horrors of Witherstone Isle over the cruelty of Esmyan politics.
Amid his desperate pondering, he nearly ran over a younger worker, who stopped short to avoid a collision. She looked somewhere in her teenage years, short with tan skin and close-cropped curly brown hair. Her arms were full of books, and pinned to her white cardigan was a metallic nameplate that read Sybil. Unlike the archivist Verena, who always scowled at the sight of him, this girl's expression lit up.
"Well, well, well. You must be the famous duke."
Elias blinked in a moment of surprise. Most of the Archive's staff had made a point to steer quite clear of him.
"Pardon me," he said, attempting to step around her.
Much to his chagrin, the girl followed him. "Wait a minute, I want to ask you something." When Elias threw a glare over his shoulder, she beamed. "Is it true that you killed ten beasts on your own near the southern docks?"
It was much more than a dozen, actually, but he did not want to prolong this conversation.
"I suppose."
The girl nodded. "'The Duke of Ruin' is a fitting nickname, then. Where did you get it?"
Elias once again made to move around her. "Something I picked up," he said.
"Another question," the girl persisted. "Do you ever speak more than four words at a time? Or am I, a lowly commoner, too far beneath your grand nobility?"
The statement caught him so far off guard that he simply stood and stared at her for several heartbeats. To this, the girl waved a dismissive hand.
"Oh, you can drop the Dark General look here. I'm only joking." She gave a small curtsy. "I am but a mere research trainee. You shouldn't waste your blackfire on me."
Elias shook his head in disbelief. There was something about her overly enthusiastic demeanor that reminded him of someone else. I have a feeling she's friends with that archivist, he thought.
"I'm going now," he said, turning on his heel and striding away.
"Enjoy your stay here!" the girl called after him.
I think I hate this place.
Still not sure where he was going, Elias wove around the endless shelves until he was certain that he left that girl behind. The longer he stayed here, the more desperate he was to leave. He attempted to make his way back to the staircase, but instead found himself circling back to the Conservatory.
The only part of the section open to view was the reception area, where a desk and large wall obscured whatever magics and artifacts lay within. Even so, he figured that if anywhere in the library had the proper equipment for a trip outside, it would be here.
Just as he pondered talking to the receptionist himself, a familiar figure strode into view and approached the desk. It was the young archivist, Verena. Elias darted behind a shelf before she could spot him. He wanted to see if she would make good on her promise to acquire the equipment.
From where he stood, he could hear the male receptionist's voice, cutting with obvious scorn. "Need something?"
"I'm going on holiday," the archivist answered in that same unbothered tone she always used. "I need equipment to get to Witherstone's docks."
"A holiday, is it? Off to the swamps of Rotwater? Maybe you'll reunite with your family there."
"Just give me the request form."
There was a pause, followed by the scribbling of a quill against parchment. Elias raised his brows as he listened. It was comforting to know that someone within the Archive disliked that girl as much as he did.
"Woah there," the receptionist said after a beat, "that's quite the list."
"Have you seen the swarms of scarbeaks out there lately? I need a backup tent in case they trash the first one."
Footsteps sounded nearby, and Elias lurched away. Somewhere further down the row, a middle-aged male librarian approached. Elias ducked into a different section, away from the Conservatory. No point in catching accusations of eavesdropping. He had heard all he needed to.
The archivist was lying to the receptionist, and by extension the entire Silent Archive. She claimed that her trip through Witherstone Isle was to be a solo venture. No mention of himself or the lost tome.
This should've given him the upper hand, but something about the situation was off. As irritating as she was, she didn't seem stupid. She had to understand the vulnerable position she was putting herself in when she offered him the deal. In which case, there must be something up her sleeve he was yet to identify.
We'll see about that, he thought.
He wasn't going to allow her the chance. In the likely event that he failed to recover the Blackfire Codex, he needed a backup plan. There must be something on one of this library's floors that could give him an advantage in his war at home.
He hoped so, at least. After all the time it took to get here, he would be remiss to leave empty-handed. No, failure was out of the question.
Elias still didn't understand the layout of this godsforsaken library, but he went off anyway, scanning over each sign and plaque he passed. The Blackfire Codex was meant to contain the secrets of his matrilineal bloodline, beyond what his father ever forced him to learn. It was at once a beastiary and grimoire, and there was nothing else like it in the world.
Most importantly, it contained the code to completing the Blackfire Pact.
Power so devastating that the Esmyan king burned all other copies for fear of the destruction it could bring.
Elias's war had stalled. He was losing soldiers quicker than he could replace them, and while he was powerful himself, he could not be everywhere at once. The Blackfire Pact was the last thing that could save him.
As he zigzagged across the Archive, desperation bloomed within him. This place had a copy of nearly every text in the Known World. If not in the Blackfire Codex, then perhaps the Pact was mentioned in something else.
At last, somewhere among the general stacks on the second floor, a dark blue tome caught his eye. It lay within a glass-paneled cabinet, and the silver lettering on the cover glinted in the candlelight.
On the Handling of Shadowborne Creatures.
The title reminded him of the beast taming rituals his father once harped on about. Could it be connected to blackfire techniques?
He reached for the cabinet's latch, but it held fast. Locked. He gave it a few more rattles, then glanced about the room. There were no librarians in sight. If he could muffle the sound of shattered glass, he might be able to break it free from the case.
Elias shook his head. Not yet. There were likely magical sensors in place that would be difficult to dismantle without detection. And if he was caught, he might lose access to everything else within the Archive. He wouldn't resort to theft quite yet.
Still, frustration stewed within him. If that damned archivist had only done her job, he wouldn't be in this situation. She claimed to be able to make copies of whichever texts he sought, but there was no guarantee that she would keep her word.
Elias had seen an opportunity when she'd offered him the deal. If she could lead him to the cache where the codex was stored, he could take it then and there, and leave this island behind.
But… was it truly wise to abandon the Archive's treasure trove of knowledge? If she made good on her promise, unlimited copies of the Archive's stash could be the key to creating a dynasty in Esmya.
To betray her, or not? He could not yet decide. For now, Elias stood and walked away, leaving behind the beastiary in the cabinet. Only time would tell.