7. The Library

7

The Library

Morgana

A fter sending Alistair away, I turn around and head in the opposite direction toward the public library. Dad told me humans store all sorts of books there, and some even have information about magic. No matter how incorrect they may be, it's worth checking out if they give me any type of insight into my situation. I didn't plan on visiting today, but after Alistair embarrassed me by intervening in my battles, I want to explore the mortal world longer than originally intended, just to make him nervous about not being with me. I leave Sierra behind without a word as I make my way to the library, having already looked up its location with Alistair's help on a school computer since he knows more about mortals' technology than I do. I've barely touched a human-made device before this experience, but Alistair has made a fair amount of visits to the mortal realm with his father before coming of age and becoming my servant. At the moment, though, I won't be needing his assistance since I plan to extend my research to only human books.

Arriving at the grand white building is easy, but locating the supernatural or magic section is more difficult than I first thought. I wander through the aisles, looking for the correct section, annoyed at the mere size of the collection. Still, I roam each aisle until I find books that are remotely about daggers or mythology, then eventually find some more specific to those subjects. When I finally find them, I hear a familiar voice ask if I need assistance carrying the growing pile of books in my arms. I frown at my pet, standing behind me looking like he's been there the whole time, quite literally lurking in the shadows.

I want to ask why he followed me here and send him back home, but then I see a mortal walk into our aisle. Sighing in irritation, I decide not to confront his disregard of my orders to leave and resign myself to scolding him later. Handing him the pile of books, I pick a few more with daggers in the titles and others claiming to be about mythology before looking for an empty table. I find one in a corner next to some humans who are quietly reading on their own. I can appreciate that about a place made by humans—a place one can come to investigate topics of their choosing in peace, with no loud noises or interruptions. It's probably one of the only places I truly enjoy in this realm, apart from cemeteries.

Sitting down with my chosen books on a creaky wooden chair that has seen better days, I spread my selection on the equally cheap wooden table in front of me. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Alistair doing the same before sitting down next to me. I whisper my grievance at his disobedience, taking advantage of the fact that no one is close enough to hear us. He apologizes and says he just wanted to make sure I was safe since I no longer have my powers to defend myself and that he is willing to take any punishment I see fit. I sigh once more and decide it's not worth it since he had good intentions. Seeing he was just performing his duties, I let it slide this time and let him know as much. He thanks me quietly, but I ignore him, picking a book at random and skimming through the index to determine if it is worth reading. I find it is a historical account of specialized daggers from different human cultures and how some were used for rituals. I set it to the side before reaching for another one, stopping when I see a hand pull the chair in front of me back and a figure sitting down.

I look up and frown at the smile directed at me. Sierra looks at me with curiosity, her ponytail still disheveled from the encounter almost half an hour ago. She doesn't seem taken aback by my obvious displeasure at finding out both she and Alistair followed me here.

"Why are you here?" My tone leaves no room for misinterpretation. I don't want her here and my harsh words get that across or at least I thought they did. Sierra doesn't seem to care.

"I wanted to see you two again and talk more. I really appreciate you guys saving me back there." Her happy tone grates on my ears and only serves to further my irritation at her presence.

"Yeah, well I told you I wasn't saving you. I just don't like Anabelle and wanted to annoy her." I declare coldly keeping up the falsehood as I snatch the book she picks up from the table. It was too late though, she had already read the title.

"Well, I still appreciate it. You guys are nice unlike Anabelle and the rest of them. They are never nice, even after so many years of going to the same school, so thank you." She says ignoring how I just violently took the book from her grasp. "So, what are you researching?"

"Nothing that concerns you, so leave." I state coldly before turning back to my book pointedly hoping she gets the not so subtle clues and leaves me the almighty hell alone. Alistair stares blankly at our unwanted guest even as she smiles at us.

"Looks like books about daggers and mythical stories to me. Do you like mythology too?" She says inquisitively. I ignore her persisting questions and let her take a different book, already tired of this conversation. "My brother has some books like this. He's into all that magic and ghost mumbo jumbo. He spends time defacing headstones at the cemetery at night with his friends. Well, that's what rumors are anyway." Sierra remarks nonchalantly, staring at the cover of the gray book in her hands. She might not have thought anything about that but I didn't like that. If her brother and his friends were doing that then they, like the teenagers I scared off already, need to be taught a lesson in respecting the dead. I may have been a Angel raised in hell, but we only torture the humans sent down to us, deemed deserving of harsh consequences for the lives they led on their time on the Earthy plane.

Now that I think about it, maybe I'm starting my investigation in the wrong place. The cemetery I was attacked in is probably a better place to start in. The subordinates reported nothing abnormal but they could have missed something. A second glance is not a bad idea, besides I want to see the place that changed my life forever again. To see if they were left with the same scars I was adorned with.

"We have to go to a cemetery to…visit a family friend. So, if you don't mind." I declare standing up and commanding Alistair to come with me. As we turn to leave, I stop next to my chair. Considering the fact that after everything that happened in the past few days I completely neglected to check the cemetery. It was Sierra that reminded me of the crucial fact. It would be rude to not even acknowledge that. "Thank you." I say softly with my back still facing away from her. I hear a smile in her voice when she asks for my phone number before I can leave. "I don't have one." Sierra raises her brow at me.

"What kind of teenager doesn't have a cellphone?" She asks, not believing my excuse. Hell fire! I completely forgot about that. Dad forsakes the human's obsession with technological devices.

"Yet, she means she hasn't gotten a new one yet since her last one got stolen." Alistair covers for me and in return I give him an approving nod to his smooth reply. "I'll help you get another one," he continues. And by that he means he will acquire one for me and teach me how to use it. I give him a satisfied smirk and another nod in approval before heading out. Sierra bids us goodbye and I give her a wave over my shoulder without glancing back at her.

Together we march outside the building and turn towards the cemetery that started it all.