by Casey White
Which meant that it was back to work for him.
His mind spun with the plans he’d slaved over for so many years. What should he do? He could continue working on the AI bridge. Translating Alexandria into the real world would be...challenging. Moreso now that he knew intimately how magical she was. How was he supposed to begin doing something like that? How would that function?
If technology can’t do it, maybe magic can.
He stumbled, nearly tripping over his own feet. The thought had slipped into his mind so smoothly, so easily. It was wrong. Idiotic. And yet...having seen the underbelly of the Library, he couldn’t push aside the notion that this was the only way to make it work.
But that didn’t make it the right thing to do. And is this even a smart plan to pursue? his inner thoughts shrieked at him. You’d open yourself and the Library to real-world access. It’s dangerous.
Swallowing a sigh, he nodded, wrapping his arms around the book more tightly. He’d...He’d poke at it. See where he got. He was still finding information out there that might help - like the text he clutched. Maybe, somewhere in them, he’d find the solution he needed. Until then-
Owl stopped mid-step. The hallway ahead of him should have led back to the study, and his office. Instead, a familiar set of doors waited at the end of the hallway.
The entry. The way out - and the way in. He stared at it for a long moment, narrowing his eyes.
“Alex?” he said at last. “Is this you?”
A low chiming drifted through the Library, like a distant music box. He sighed. “Okay, that’s just creepy. Look. We talked about this. It’s not safe. So-”
He turned around, intending to head back out into the wings, but the hallway behind him had vanished. Only smooth stone lay in his path.
“Oh,” he said, scowling. “That’s great. Thanks, Alex.” Without even turning around, he knew what she’d done - trapped him in, yanked his exit out from behind him and cut off any of the side hallways. Just a hallway that went nowhere, and a door at the end.
When he turned back to the entryway, taking a begrudging step, he heard the rumbling of stone behind him. “Perfect,” he muttered, rolling his eyes. Peeking back over his shoulder, he saw what he’d already assumed. The hallway was closing in behind him, growing shorter with every step he took.
“Okay,” Owl said, coming to a stop a few paces in front of the doors. The hallway behind him went still, the braziers flickering innocently. “Look. Alex. You remember what just happened, don’t you? The tricks? Indira’s lackey trying to pull one over on me?”
He stared at the wall. The wall stayed right where it was, as wall-like as ever.
“I don’t want them here,” Owl said, shaping each word with care. “They’re up to something. They’re dangerous. I know you want guests, but...we’ll...we’ll find them somewhere, all right?”
A low creak rattled through the increasingly-short hallway. Owl turned.
The doors to the entryway were swinging open - and the entrance beyond lay enshrined in light, tantalizingly beautiful. A breeze wafted through the hall. The key hanging from his hip bounced from his leg.
“Yes,” Owl said through gritted teeth. “I get it. You want me to open the Library. I don’t want to.”
He waited, glaring at the stonework as though it’d part before him, but it didn’t. With an irritated sigh, he threw himself against the wall. “Should’ve known better than to test the patience of a building,” he muttered.
The minutes slipped past with no change. Owl ground his teeth together.
“Maybe,” he muttered, wrinkling his nose. “I guess...I was pretty angry. I’m not letting in any guests.”
The lights around him flickered, like Alexandria sighed.
“But maybe...” he mumbled, staring at the ground. He hated giving up so easily. His opinions here were valid, damn it. It’d been his pants Olivia had tried to get inside. He shouldn’t have to put up with that.
And he didn’t, the whispers in the back of his mind crooned. You don’t have to ever let her inside again. And even if you let them back, you never have to trust them again. But maybe-
He turned back to the doors with a snarl, his head aching with frustrations that had no escape. He didn’t have to let anyone through the doors.
But maybe he could let someone in the door. He could talk to them.
Maybe they could find a solution. A way out of this. He had to do something.
Every step slow and drawn-out, he trudged across the entryway, glaring at the door. Lifting the key, he paused, running his fingers over the iron.
“Whatever,” he mumbled, and jammed the key into the lock. “Have your way. You always do.”
The Library brightened, coming alive around him just like it always had. Despite his anger, Owl found a smile creeping back onto his face. “Spoiled brat,” he muttered, kicking his foot forward into the wall ever-so-gently.
Hanging the key back from its loop, he stalked off into the Library again.
* * * * *
The chair groaned underneath him. Owl leaned as far back as he could, lacing his fingers behind his head, and kicked away from the desk. Another kick, and he was spinning.
Around and around he went. The walls of his office flew past, covered in books and posters and charts. Things he’d thought would help him nail down his pet projects. Things he’d cared about, at one point.
He was finding it harder and harder to feel the same way.
The windows of the room were open, with their iron bars giving way to soft-glowing light from the main study hall. The only sound that reached his office was the gentle creaking of the rafters overhead, shifting in a nonexistent wind. It’d been...well, never since he’d heard the Library be so quiet for so long.
And despite his hesitations, he didn’t like it. Not for weeks and months on end. The Library should be warm and cozy, not lonely and haunted. It deserved better. She deserved better. He stood with a groan and a squeak from the chair, stretching his arms high over his head. He could...He could make another circuit of the wings. It’d been a long while since he’d last collected market data. His model probably needed a boost.
Nodding to himself, Owl stepped forward, and-
And stopped, ears pricked.
Silence.
It dragged on and on, setting the hair on the back of his neck to standing. He narrowed his eyes, his fingers brushing against the wooden wall. Maybe it was nothing. But he was sure he’d-
“Owl!” The call was low, nearly-inaudible, but he recognized the voice. A grin split across his face.
His steps were a little more brisk as he hurried out of the office, closing it up tight behind him.
Leon. It’d been- It’d been so long. Too long. Owl took the stairs three at a time, dropping from the balcony in a rush of leather and cloth. He was back. Alexandria had finally- She’d let him in.
Because Owl had unlocked the door? His mood darkened a fraction, his good cheer tempered. She’d let Leon in before when the Library was closed. She could do it. But, then...she’d chosen not to, this time.
His grin faltered, twisting. But he shook his head, forcing himself onward and through the door of the study. Not today. Not now. Worry about it later. For now...find them.
It wasn’t difficult. With every step, Leon’s periodic calls grew louder and louder. The bastard had lungs, Owl had to admit. He sped through the halls, right on the verge of breaking into a run. He wouldn’t run, of course. He wasn’t desperate.
But he did breathe a sigh of relief as he turned one final corner into a wing, and saw three figures wandering the halls ahead.
Any other trip, Owl would have played their usual game and tried to sneak up on Leon. This time, with months of fear and labor between them, he didn’t bother.
James turned first, his head snapping around at the sound of boots against the floor tiles. His shoulders tensed, coming up - and just as quickly, he relaxed at the sight of Owl. “Oh.”
Leon and Maya spun at the sound, eyes wide. Maya slumped forward just as quickly, pressing a hand to her chest. “Jesus Christ,” Owl heard her mutter. “You’re so quiet.”
“Owl!” Leon said. His eyes lit up. “Hey. Wow. So, uh...hi.”
“Hey,” Owl said, raising a hand in a pathetic wave. “Cool. You guys.” Suddenly, face-to-face with the moment he’d been waiting for, he realized he had no idea how to approach this. What should he say? What should he do? Sorry, it’s been a while because the whole place almost burned down and the semi-conscious building seemed to view letting you back in as a reward for me cooperating?
It sounded crazy even to him, and far too much to unpack just like that. Especially when Leon was right there in front of him, beaming from ear to ear.
James, on the other hand, didn’t look so happy. “So, what the hell was all that about?”
“W-What?” Leon said, stopping a few steps away and spinning. Owl drooped. “James, I thought we agreed to-”
“It’s cold,” James said, still scowling. Owl eyed him over Leon’s shoulder, letting his eyes sweep over the man’s face. The scowl was a front, he knew - but underneath it lay some actual, all-too-real bitterness. Hurt? “You said you’d help. I came this close to flunking a final.”
Maya kicked him. “Stop that,” Owl heard her hiss. “It’s not all about you.”
“Yeah, but-”
“You okay?” Leon asked, bringing the other two up short. He was still smiling, but something in the expression had faded. “Only...no one’s heard anything for so long. We thought-”
“It’s okay,” Owl said. “I’m okay. Alex is okay. Um...” Damn it, stop repeating yourself. “There was just...a lot happened.”
“With-”
“With the last guests that were inside,” Owl said quietly. Behind Leon, he saw James and Maya stop their bickering, half-turning toward him. “Alexandria was...injured.”
“She’s a building,” James said. “A library. How the hell do you injure a library?”
“But...those were guildmembers, weren’t they?” Leon said. His good humor faded by the second, replaced by a severity that looked out-of-place on him. “So...are you saying they-”
“It’s been a lot,” Owl mumbled, dropping his gaze to the floor. “I just...yeah. Alex closed up for a while while she...got better.”
“From her injuries,” James said, his brow furrowed. Maya kicked him again. He turned away with a sniff.
“Jesus Christ, James,” Leon mumbled, shooting him a sidelong glare.
He rolled his eyes. “I’m just saying.”
Owl clasped his hands together in front of him. One thumb rubbed against his palm, pushing and stroking away the tension that seethed beneath his skin. “It’s...complicated,” he said at last. “Let’s...I’ll tell you about it. While we walk?” He needed to move, to take action. Even if that action was just meaningless pacing.
To his relief, the others nodded. “Gotta see these injuries we’re hearing so much about,” James said under his breath as he turned. “But maybe after that, you can-”
This time, Maya’s kick wasn’t so soft. “No one cares about your damn final, James,” Owl heard her hiss.
James turned away with a snort, a grin starting to dance at the edges of his lips. Owl chuckled too, shaking his head. The man just couldn’t be satisfied unless he was pushing buttons, could he?
But there was noise in the Library again. There was life. Things weren’t back to normal, but...they were moving in the right direction.
Smothering his smile, he hurried on to where Leon waited with the rest.
* * * * *
“Well, shit.”
Owl chuckled under his breath, nodding at James. “Right?”
“So, what,” James said, scowling over his shoulder to where Owl followed. “That Olivia woman tried to pull one over on you? Why?”
He shrugged, trying to ignore the beating of his heart. “Ah...I don’t know. But she was...well, it was weird. Really weird.”
“No kidding,” Maya said, shooting a sympathetic look his way. “And then the place burned down? So...what now?”
“That’s pretty much where I’m at,” Owl said heavily. “I have to figure out another way to keep Alexandria happy and well-read, or...I’ll have to let them start coming back in.”
“Was what they did that bad?” James said.
Maya rolled her eyes. “James. Magical firestorm.”
“They...didn’t start the fire,” Owl said. “That one wasn’t on them. But...”
He stopped again, glancing to Leon - who walked a few paces behind him, his eyes dark. He...hadn’t been able to tell the full story. About Olivia, and him, and...what they’d almost done. Something in him screamed to stop, to hold that back for now. Even if he didn’t know why.
Leon shook his head, lifting his eyes to Owl’s and smiling faintly. “We’ll have to figure something, won’t we?” he said. His voice was hoarse. “Unless we want them starting that again. Next time-”
“Next time the building might not save him,” James said with a snort.
Leon’s eyes tightened, his lip curling back.
“It’s fine,” Owl said hurriedly. “She...She looks after me. I’m good. We’re all good.”
“Still,” James said, cracking his knuckles contemplatively. “More people, huh? We might be able to find some. Rustle ‘em up somewhere.”
“Where?” Maya said. “What, we going to stand on the side of the road with signs? That’ll look great. ‘Hey, magic library here, anyone interested?’ They’ll love it.”
“We’re in college,” James said, furrowing his brow and glaring sidelong at her. “I think we can find someone.”
Maya snorted, but was already nodding. “Maybe. I do...I know some people. If we think of it like a big study group, it might be easier. But-”
“No,” Owl said quietly. The pair stopped - and turned back to face him. He heard Leon come up alongside him as well, still all but silent. He shook his head. “I can’t have you three putting yourself in danger like that.”
Maya half-turned back to face him, her lips pursed. “But maybe-”
“It would be a little obvious besides, if all the people came from one campus,” Owl said. “And if you guys became known as the gatekeepers, if word of Alexandria got out...”
A room filled with blood and cages. The sour tang of rot in the air. Shelf after shelf of perilously thin books. Lives, each and every one of them.
Again, he shook his head. “No,” he said, more firmly. “Not happening. Stay out of it.”
James scowled at him, but Maya smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. You’re right, I guess.”
“We got in, didn’t we?” James said, letting a leer slide onto his face. “Maybe your building will let some more people in on its own, if it gets desperate.”
Owl chuckled. “Maybe.”
James and Maya turned back to the hallway ahead, already back to talking - theories, and ideas, and what-ifs. None of them sounded particularly likely. Owl sighed, returning to his trudge behind them.
A hand brushed his shoulder, falling away just as quickly. Owl jumped.
“We’ll figure it out,” Leon said from alongside him. “I’m just...I’m glad you’re okay. It sounds like that went pretty badly.”
Badly? Owl swallowed a laugh, remembering...all of it. The fire. The horrible winds. The ghostly figures, and Alexandria’s lifeblood lapping at his ankles. “Yeah,” he said quietly. “It was...close. I don’t know what would’ve happened if things got much worse.”
“Yeah,” Leon said. He inched ahead of Owl, flashing a grin his way. “But...we’re back. Alex is whole.”
“Mostly,” Owl mumbled.
Leon snorted. “Mostly. We can figure this out. Just give it a little time.”
Owl nodded, chewing on his lip. “Yeah. You’re right, of course.”
“I usually am,” Leon said, winking his way.
And he was. Owl chuckled sourly
. Something in his chest twinged when Leon turned away, starting to walk, and he twitched forward. “Hey.”
Leon glanced back, blinking. “What?”
Owl froze, one hand hanging in midair halfway to Leon’s wrist. What? What had he wanted to say? What had been so urgent?
How was he supposed to respond right now?
“I, uh,” he began, inching closer so that they were more in line. “Look.”
“I’m looking,” Leon said dryly.
“Thanks,” Owl mumbled.
Leon blinked again, a confusion entering his eyes. “What?”
Owl’s ears burned, safely hidden behind his hood. “For...always coming here and helping me. For letting me vent at you.”
“Oh,” Leon said, starting to grin. “Isn’t that what we do? Shit, wasn’t it not too long ago I was feeling all guilty for dumping my baggage on you?”
“Maybe,” Owl said. “But...it helps. A lot.” He shook his head, still scrambling for the right words. “It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. Why you keep coming, just to hang out. Why you spend so many of your nights here. But I’m...I’m glad you do.”
To his relief, he saw that Leon’s cheeks were turning a faint pink, too - and his friend looked away, rubbing at his nose. “Well, I dunno,” Leon said. “I’m not really suffering, I think. Don’t worry about it too much.”
“Yeah,” Owl said. “Sorry. Don’t want to be weird. I just...” He shook his head. “You’ve always got my back. I don’t get it, but...yeah. Thanks.”
“Well,” Leon said. He took a step after the rapidly-receding forms of James and Maya, jerking his chin for Owl to follow. “Ah. Well, I guess, that’s...that’s because-”
Both jumped as bells crashed overhead. For a moment, the Library was filled with noise, with raucous tolling and the slow groan of shifting timbers.
Bells. There were bells, which only meant one thing. And he’d just unlocked the door.
When Owl looked to Leon, though, he found him smiling faintly. “Go, Daniel.” Leon said. “That’s what you were waiting for, wasn’t it?”
Not really, no. But it was a first step. He had to figure out where he stood before he could decide what to do next. And there, with his name hanging in the air and his friends filling the Library, he could do it.