Chapter 5 - Nyssa

Chapter 5 Nyssa

I crossed my arms, staring down the toughest foe I’d ever met: the Misty Mountain Library’s door. I’d been trying to open it again all day with no luck; the damn door just would not budge. I glanced up at the sky as the sun lowered beneath the tree line. It would be dark in a few hours and I really didn’t want to climb down the mountain at night.

If I was going to do this, it had to be soon. I refused to leave without getting back inside to see what those creatures really were. They’d looked like characters from books, as if they were the spirits of the stories coming to life.

Like they were story spirits.

Wait. Maybe I wasn’t the one who had to open the door...

I rushed over to the cart full of books with a wonderful new plan: tempt the “story spirits” into coming outside so I could slip inside behind them. It was clear that they’d been taking care of the few books that were left, dusting the shelves and doing what they could to maintain the library. Which meant they probably loved books. And what book-lover could stand to see a pile of books just lying on the ground uncared for?

I eyed the dirty cobblestone path in front of the library, already cringing at the idea of putting books on it, but it had to be done. For the library.

A few lending libraries leaned over the cart full of books, hopping with excitement as I started sorting through them. One of them nudged my arm like a puppy with a cold nose begging for pets, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Fine, fine, you can each have one more,” I said, “but that’s it. I need the rest for my mission.”

They jumped happily as I searched for which books to lure the story spirits out with. I should probably go for wholesome happy ones just in case they came to life like that golem. Better safe than sorry.

With my arms full of books, I made my way to the library’s door, setting a single book on the path in front of it. Then I took a half step back and placed another book down, and then another, and another, creating a little trail of books. Hopefully it would lead the story spirits far enough away from the library that I could slip in without them stopping me.

Unless they were smart enough to realize this was a trap and continued to ignore me.

If that happened, I’d gather the books before dew ruined them overnight. If the story spirits really did love books, they’d want to do the same. They had to. At the very least, they’d probably be annoyed enough to stop me at some point.

So I kept going, placing book after book on the ground, leading a winding path away from the library.

“Nyssa?” a man’s voice called out, making me jump and almost drop the last book. Roan walked into the open courtyard in front of the library, holding his hands in the air. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Oh, hello!” I put on my best fake smile, standing between him and the trail of books I’d been making. “What are you doing back so soon?”

“I was, um, hoping to be your first patron?” He peered over my shoulder, the corner of his mouth quirking up. “But it looks like you might be busy...”

Heat burned my cheeks as I watched his eyes follow the curling trail of books to the library’s door, like candy left out for a child to hunt down. I scuffed my boot in the dirt, avoiding his smirk. Just who did he think he was coming back the same day? It would take months for this library to be repaired enough for people to return, maybe longer.

“What are you really doing here?” I raised an eyebrow. “Please tell me it’s not about those rumors going around town about this place.”

“Can’t a guy just want to read?” he asked, his smile growing.

He’d avoided the question, which meant he probably had heard the rumors. The town thought the library was haunted of all things.

Well, I had to admit, they had good reason to think that, but it didn’t help my goals at all. If I hadn’t recognized the golem as a character from a book I’d read, I wouldn’t have believed they were story spirits either. And if I barely believed it, how could I convince anyone else?

I had to keep the library safe at all costs, which meant keeping the story spirits hidden until I came up with a plan.

Roan stepped closer, his eyebrows pinching together. “I also wanted to make sure you were okay. Are you?”

“I’m fine,” I said, nodding. “But we won’t be open for a while. You’ll have to take a raincheck on those recommendations.”

He tilted his head, glancing from me to the library. “Maybe I can help out then? I’m sure you could use a hand with something.”

I sighed. “You’re really not going to leave, are you?”

“Not until you tell me what’s up with the books.” He nodded at the very suspicious book trail. “They are half mine, remember.”

Damn him and his over-the-top spending habits. He was right though. These were half his, so he had a right to know why they were littered all over.

“Okay, so here’s the thing,” I said slowly, “there’s....people that sort of took over the library while it was shut down. And they don’t exactly want me there. They threw me out actually.”

Calling them people was a stretch, but I didn’t want to reinforce whatever rumors he might have heard. Especially if I could convince him to leave before he saw any of the story spirits.

“What people?” He reached for his sword. “Are they like the lending libraries, something spawned of wild magic?” His gaze roved the area. “I knew I shouldn’t have left you here like that, I’m sorry.”

“No, no, no,” I said, holding up my hands. “It’s nothing like that. They’re just people who love the library so much that they don’t want anyone else to go inside.”

He raised an eyebrow at me, but put his hand in his pocket. “Okay, and remind me again how these books are going to win them over?”

“Oh, they’re not,” I said, shaking my head. “But I bet I can slip inside while something comes out to get them.”

“And what kind of thing do you think that will be??

“I don’t know, maybe a—” I snapped my mouth closed. I’d said some thing instead of someone. He was way too perceptive. “Guess we’ll see.”

It’s not like I could keep it hidden from him forever, but if the story spirits didn’t come out, then there was no point in bringing it up. He’d just go off on his merry way again and be none the wiser. No wild magic to see here, none at all.

“You’re adorable, you know that, right?” He grinned, making his way over to an old stone bench I hadn’t noticed. It was surrounded by trees, as if the forest was taking over the open courtyard. “Mind if I wait with you?”

He paused before sitting down, turning back to look at me. When his eyes met mine, I felt a small flutter in my stomach. He might be cocky, but he was also polite and cared about what I wanted. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad having him here. He was an adventurer, so the story spirits shouldn’t freak him out too much.

“I guess I don’t mind,” I said, joining him in his secluded hiding spot. “This might take a while anyway.”

He glanced sideways at me. “Looks like we’re having a stakeout then.”

Our knees brushed against each other, sending sparks through me. He reclined, arms resting on the back of the bench, mere inches from my shoulders. If I leaned back, I’d be encircled by him, protected by those strong muscles he’d probably spent most his life developing. Oh how I wanted to give into that urge, but I was too busy for romance. I had to focus.

Thankfully, we didn’t have to wait long for the door to crack open a tiny bit, like somebody was peeking outside. It closed again, but that peek was everything. They were interested. This was going to work!

Roan chuckled warmly. “Look at you, you’re like the cat that got the cream. They barely even opened the door yet.”

“Oh, but they will. Just you wait.” I leaned back without a care in the world. His hand flexed on the bench and I couldn’t help but smirk. “Want to make a bet?”

“Only if I can set the stakes.” He paused until I nodded. “If this plan of yours works, and you manage to get back inside the library, then I’ll help you fix the place up, free of charge.”

That sounded like quite the deal. I could think of lots of things for a strong guy like him to help with, especially with how many repairs it looked like the library needed. Turning down a chance at free labor would be foolish, but I had a feeling my side of this bet wouldn’t be as enjoyable.

“And if they don’t come get the books?” I asked, curling the edge of my shirt around my fingers. “What do you get out of this?”

He leaned closer, until my entire view was full of him and my breath caught in my chest.

“If you lose,” his eyes sparkled dangerously as he lowered his voice, “then you post a job request at the local guild for somebody to help repair the library. I’ll make sure to take it.”

I blinked. “Wait, so no matter what, you’d be helping me with the library?” When he nodded, I grinned, leaning forward with laughter. “You’re a terrible gambler. I win either way.”

“That’s how I like it.” He winked, then turned around slowly at the sound of a creaking door. “I think somebody’s coming.”

I almost jumped up to see, but his hand clamped down on my leg and he put a finger to his lips. I froze. Of course, we didn’t want to scare off whoever was opening that door. I forced myself to sit calmly as it opened.

After what felt like hours, a beautiful woman in a purple dress stepped outside, gathering the books in her delicate arms one by one. I hadn’t seen her in the library last time, which meant there were even more story spirits than I’d thought. I had the sudden urge to run inside and see them for myself, but the woman was way too close. She’d catch us for sure.

As she hummed, dancing along the book path, Roan and I slowly inched off the bench. He held up three fingers, lowering one at a time until there were none left. Then we ran.Adrenaline surged through me as I flung the door open, finally victorious!

The sounds of metal slamming against the floor froze me in place. Dozens of tiny armored knights lined the shelves, swords held against their chests and pointed at the ceiling. Pint-sized dragons circled the shelves, as if they were the knights’ backup.

“Hello,” I said, smiling politely, “don’t know if you remember me, but I’m Nyssa, the new librarian.”

I held out my hand, then realized how foolish that was since they were only a few inches tall.

“On me, knights!” The voice was quiet, but seemed to come from the knight with the most intricate glowing armor. He shifted, pointing his sword at me. “We promised Lady Lisa that we wouldn’t let them pass.”

“Remind me who these guys are again,” Roan said. “Something about people who loved the library so much they didn’t want you here? No wild magic involved?”

I laughed awkwardly, drawing my outstretched hand back. “I might have left a few details out. There’s a tiny bit of wild magic here, but nothing dangerous.”

“Right, they’re totally peaceful.” He motioned at the knights, who looked like they were about to leap off the bookshelves at us, and ducked as a tiny dragon spewed fire at him. “Maybe we should go back outside.”

“You definitely should,” a woman said behind us, “especially after playing that trick on me.”

A towering stack of books blocked her from view as she swayed, slowly walking inside. She must have picked up every book in the trail all at once! I rushed forward, grabbing half the stack from her.

“Sorry,” I said. “I just wanted to talk, but nobody would let me in.”

“Did you consider we didn’t let you in for a reason?” She smiled as she set her books down on a nearby table, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

I gripped the books in my own arms tight. Honestly, I hadn’t let myself really think about why they wouldn’t open the door, because if I did, then I’d have to accept that they didn’t want me here, and I couldn’t do that. I’d quit my job, moved out of my apartment, and traveled all the way here just to open this library. I was in too deep to give up now.

“But she’s the librarian,” Roan said as he took the books from my hands. He gave me a reassuring smile before setting them down next to the other stack. “I’m guessing you’re Lady Lisa?”

“Lisa’s fine.” The woman waved her hand in the air. “But I’m the librarian. We don’t need another.”

“You’re a librarian too?” I asked. “When did you get here?”

Was she another story spirit or had the Librarian’s Guild hired somebody else without telling me? She looked real, but so did all the other creatures I’d seen here. The golem even smelled like damp earth. The story spirits were so life-like it was hard to tell.

“I’ve been here for years.” She crossed her arms, staring me down. “I didn’t abandon the library.”

Her implication was clear: I abandoned the library. I clutched my chest, feeling like the air was knocked out of me. After my family and I had moved away, I could have visited, but it was so far away and I’d been trying to fit in in our new town. That’s what kids were supposed to do in new places, or so my parents had told me.

I’d spent the past few years working on getting back here, but now that I was finally back, they didn’t want me. What was I supposed to do?

A firm hand gripped my shoulder. Roan. “Nyssa just wants to help the library. Won’t you at least talk to her?”

He was right. They should at least take the time to get to know me before throwing me out. I was here to help them. I smiled at Roan, silently thanking him for that reminder.

“I am not leaving.” I straightened my back, ready to fight for the library. “My job is to repair this library and reopen it. Isn’t that what you want too? To see it back to normal?”

“Who says what’s normal?” Lisa asked, but then frowned as the knights and dragons behind us lost interest in me and began fighting each other. “Sheesh, they couldn’t even behave for five minutes. Golem, we need your help!”

Her voice called out into the depths of the library where I heard the rumbling footsteps of the gentle giant coming toward us.

“Not again.” I groaned, searching for another option, before turning to Roan. “There’s about to be a twenty-foot forest golem trying to kick us out. Any ideas?”

A grin stretched across his face. “I’ve got a few.”

“Any peaceful ones?”

“A few less,” he said, wincing. “My sword does absorb magic though, so we could try that.”

Lisa frowned. “A magic-absorbing sword, huh? That could prove meddlesome.”

Wild magic might have created them, but I didn’t want to dispel them if I didn’t have to. Not if they really came from inside books. That was a whole new and fascinating kind of magic that I wanted to explore, not get rid of.

“Can we talk about this?” I asked Lisa. “Are you the one running things here or is it somebody else?”

“Me and two others,” she said as a dragon landed on her shoulder. Lisa tilted her head as she pet it. “But are you sure you want to meet them? What if they also think we’d be better off without you?”

“Then I’ll accept that decision,” I mumbled, “but only after stating my case fully.”

And doing everything in my power to convince them I belonged here. This was my library too and I’d be damned if I let them chase me out of it.

Lisa nodded. “Okay, then follow me.”

Roan held me back a moment. “Are you sure about this? What if she’s leading you into a trap?”

That was a fair question, but I wasn’t worried. The story spirits didn’t feel dangerous. Even when the dragons were spitting fire, all the flames missed us. And when the knights were aiming at us, they never actually attacked. Plus, when the golem threw me out, he carried me with such care and set me on the ground so gently that I didn’t get a single bruise.

They cared about the library. I could feel that, deep in my bones, and if they truly cared about this place, they wouldn’t hurt me. I was a librarian.

“I trust them,” I said, following Lisa deeper inside.

Roan sighed, but followed as well. We’d meet this leader together. Having him by my side, ready to defend me if anything happened, gave me the space to be confident. To trust in the library I loved so much.

We’d be fine.