City of Magic (Happily Ever Afterlife Book 1)

by Patricia Thomas

  "Honestly, that makes as much sense as about anything else around here."

  "Good. It always makes my day when I can convince somebody else to see my point of view. I'm Jamie by the way. Jamie Franklin, should you ever feel the need to credit that incredible theory to its rightful source." Jamie gave me a wide smile. As his lips parted to reveal his teeth, something looked slightly out of place. Not quite normal.

  Not quite human.

  But Jamie's teeth were covered again before I could get a closer look.

  I froze for a second too long, thrown by his grin and my uncertainty about whether I should give him my real name or not, but too soon the silence became awkward and I knew that remaining quiet any longer would only draw more of the wrong kind of attention to myself. "Kadie Meyer."

  "And what brings you to the library today, Kadie? I mean, besides your workout?"

  Good question. "I really just like it here. Best place in the city." God, that sounded lame. I was guessing, but it was the best answer I could come up with but it was one that Jamie seemed to appreciate. "It's a beautiful building, there's never a shortage of entertainment, and you run into the most interesting people."

  "I have noticed that." He looked at me again, forcing me to shift my gaze away as soon as his eyes met mine.

  "How about you?" I looked down at the stack of books on the table. "Here for a little light reading?"

  "Essentially. That's the trait I can't seem to shake, but I wouldn't want to anyway. And while there's a regular library near where I live, let's face it, those places have nothing on the Archive. Anything I could want to read, it's here. I've been coming once a week for a while now, and picking stacks of books at random. I usually just keep reading the first chapters of a bunch of them until something catches my attention and I can't put it down. And it's funny, I've only lived in the city for a few years now, but I've learned a lot more about the After by reading these books than I have by actually going places."

  "How do you mean?" I asked, trying to sound like I was just politely continuing the conversation while I was actually desperate for whatever he was about to say next.

  "You start to see patterns in the stories. Things that happen again and again in different books that you can easily relate to something out in the world."

  "Such as…"

  "Kadie." A deep voice called from nearby, snapping my attention away from Jamie. I turned to find Grayson standing at the other end of the sitting area, watching me. Us. "Can I borrow you for a second?" he asked.

  I turned toward Jamie and winced apologetically. "Looks like I'm being summoned away."

  Jamie stuck out his hand and I shook it automatically. "It was very nice to meet you," he said. "Hopefully, I'll see you around here some other time. And if you ever need a workout buddy, just let me know."

  I said goodbye with a wave and made my way over to Grayson, my smile falling immediately. The two of us walked away from Jamie without saying a word to one another, it was only once we were out of earshot that Grayson said anything at all.

  "What did he want?"

  "Nothing. I kind of bumped into him. We were just chatting." I shrug helplessly. I’d been having a good time, but Grayson’s eyes were stormy as they studied me.

  "I thought Joanna told you that you shouldn't be interacting with the Archive’s patrons. You might draw attention to yourself."

  I didn't point out that I absolutely had drawn attention to myself by sticking my ass up in the air for anyone to see, but that I didn't think it was a problem. "And you don't think summoning me over here like that didn't raise some red flags? Are most people that come here on a first name basis with, well, you?"

  Grayson didn't have a quick come back for that one but the set of his jaw tightened like he was grinding his teeth together.

  "It was worth the risk. Somehow you managed to strike up a conversation with not just any random person who came in to read, but with someone with known Literati ties."

  "I have no idea what that even means."

  "We're not talking about this here. With your luck, we’ll be overheard in a matter of seconds. Needless to say, the Literati are people that you especially need to avoid. But they aren't really on friendly terms with anyone here at the library. They stand for the antithesis of everything we believe in."

  "Jamie just seemed like a guy who likes books."

  "By the same standards, I'm just a guy who likes books. Maybe you can accept that there's more going on here than you understand."

  "And whose fault is that? We've been given the bare minimum of answers and basically told to just stay out of the way. To jump when you say jump, in case we can somehow help you. But no one's really looking to help us. Me, Devon, and Marc. We’re just a science experiment to you people." And Harper, but I didn't say her name aloud. It was too late to help her. "We’re the victims here. We're being treated like we’re both useless and inconvenient all at once. Except for maybe when you need us. If you need us. If our very existence isn't just some big mistake."

  "I don't believe for a second that your existence is a mistake, Kadie. I know, believe me, I know that you were brought here for a reason. And not just you, everyone who arrived that day. There has to be a reason behind it, and figuring out what that reason is has become maybe the most important thing to anyone who works in the Archive. Our entire belief system stems around the fact that the Archive is the heart of the After. The After has a plan for all of us. The plan changes and grows as more books appear in our world, as the knowledge we have and the people who populate our world change, but there's always a plan."

  Grayson was quiet, but only for a second. It would seem that once I got him started he was a lot more enthusiastic to chat than he had been any time before. "And the Literati believe the very opposite of that. They think that the characters should be the ones shaping our world, and that they know better than the After about what is best for everyone. Your friend wasn't the first person to be disappeared. It's been happening for years, maybe generations. People that the Literati deem unworthy, or too dangerous, are deprived of any chance to make a fresh start for themselves and are forced back into their origin stories, just in case their influence might taint the After. So, it stands to reason that those mercenaries who came after you had much the same thing in mind. If the After brought you here as a way to change things for the better, then they would be the ones who wanted to undo that change in an attempt to be the decision makers."

  I was finally quiet, finally ready to stop arguing. Well, almost ready.

  "Okay, and that explanation took all of two minutes. So maybe if someone had taken the time to tell us all of that before, I wouldn't have struck up a random conversation just because I was looking for someone to talk to. Don’t you think this is the kind of thing that we should know? I get that everyone here is so busy, and so behind, but if our being here really is as important as you think, it wouldn't kill you guys to put in a little freaking effort. I'll do my best to be useful, but you gotta give me something to work with."

  Grayson stopped walking, and turned to look at me. I noticed then that he had a long scar running just under his jaw. I wouldn't admit it out loud, but there was no way that anyone ever could describe this man as merely just a guy who likes books. He looked to me like a guy who could change the world.

  And apparently, he was looking at me and seeing someone who could do that as well.

  After what felt like forever, Grayson shook his head, looking somewhat resigned. "You're right, I'm sorry. We didn't expect any of this. We were already struggling to keep up with how quickly things were changing, and then this threw us for a loop. Most of the time, leadership in the Archive is mostly ceremonial. Cities and countries govern themselves, but the Archive affects everything. Even then, most of the decisions we make don't have an immediate effect on the world around us. But everyone knows that this could be different. This could be the big one. We're doing the best we can."

  "Please believe me when
I say that that's what I'm trying to do as well. That guy today, he just stumbled on me so we started talking. He wasn't here looking for runaway prosaics who had shown up in the city when they weren’t supposed to. He just wanted to read some books. And now, if I see him again, going out of my way to avoid talking to him will only draw more attention to me. So, I think"—I paused, trying to build a little suspense around my proposal—"the best thing you can do is to better arm me, and Marc and Devon, for whatever is coming next. Information is a powerful weapon, and we’re surrounded by it here. Right? If the After wanted us to be here, it probably didn't want us running around blind and clueless."

  "Well, that’s one idea…"

  "It’s a damn good idea. Now what are you going to do about it?"

  Grayson stood nearly motionless, his gaze drifting from my eyes to my lips and back again before he spoke. "We’re already doing everything we can. But there is no room for mistakes here, Kadie. I would think you would know that better than most." Immediately, my mind jumped back to that moment near the docks, right after I’d lost Harper, when Grayson had held me as I’d cried, overwhelmed and exhausted.

  I wanted to wish that he hadn’t been there to see me like that, that this man who was now part of deciding what happened to me had seen me at my most vulnerable. But if he hadn’t been there, it was all too possible that I never would have made it as far as the Archive of Ink and Soul.

  But if nothing else, the memory did remind me that at least on some level, Grayson had been looking out for me since the very first moment I’d seen him.

  "Fine. But this can only go on for so long. We’re people, not puzzle pieces."

  "Understood," Grayson said, his voice gruff. "It was never our intention to treat you as anything but guests, but this could be much bigger than any of us anticipated. It's better to be prepared for all possible outcomes.

  And without another word, he was gone, leaving me standing alone and bewildered somewhere in the endless maze of library books.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  I woke up the next morning, heart racing, to the now familiar sound of someone knocking on the door to my room. I couldn’t say for sure what I’d been dreaming about, but whatever it was had left me with an almost overpowering need to run. Nowhere in particular. Just away.

  Afraid of something I couldn't explain, I stayed frozen, still mostly hidden under the covers for a few seconds, trying to orient myself when my visitor knocked again.

  Right. I was supposed to answer that.

  "One second." I called out, springing out of bed at the same time. It was probably Devon, but we’d still only known each other for a couple of days and weren’t exactly the see-each-other-at-our-most-ragged type of friends yet. I changed out of my pajamas in record time and into the first outfit I found on the floor, and took all of ten seconds in the bathroom to run my fingers over my hair, trying unsuccessfully to tame it.

  With a huff, I finally made it to the door, swinging it open.

  There was no sign of Devon. Instead, Jonathan Credence stood at my door—the Head of the Archive, and councilor for all the librarians who worked in the building. He was carrying three parcels at chest level, each wrapped in brown paper.

  He looked organized and together whereas I looked at least a little homeless, and not remotely respectable. Great.

  "Sorry for the wait," I said, mumbling the words and unsure of what time it was and not wanting to admit I’d still been sleeping.

  "No apology necessary. I shouldn’t have popped by unannounced but I didn’t want to miss you before you left to meet Doctor Maiz."

  It was still a little unnerving, hearing someone who looked like a teenaged boy talk more like someone half a century older, but I nodded along, doing my best to keep my expression neutral. "What can I help you with?"

  Jonathan waved his hand dismissively. "You’ve already done more than enough. I’m actually hoping I can be of some use to you. Since it looks like the three of you will be with us for at least a little longer, I thought the least we could do was to provide you with a few things to make you more comfortable."

  Jonathan paused, his gaze dropping down to the packages he was holding.

  "Oh. Did you want to come in?" I held the door open and he stepped inside before dropping the stack of parcels on the nearby dresser. As soon as the stack hit the wooden surface, the one on top floated back upward, drifting toward me.

  My eyes went wide, and I reached out to grab the package before it could bump into my face.

  To my surprise, Jonathan laughed out loud, the sound light and boyish. "Soryr, sorry," he said, catching my expression. "I’m so used to using magic, it’s easy to forget that you lot might not be the most comfortable with it."

  "It’s fine," I said in a rush, not wanting to draw any more attention to all the ways I was other from the people who surrounded me. "Just takes some getting used to."

  "Oh, I suspect that the longer you stay here, the more accustomed you’ll become to seeing these kinds of things. Go ahead and open that."

  Without any need for further invitation, I ripped open the packaging, uncovering a simple cardboard box beneath the paper. The box itself couldn’t have been any longer than my forearm, making it difficult to imagine what might be inside that would be all that helpful.

  Inside, sat a folded-up piece of white fabric, so thick it must have been forcibly shoved inside the box to fit. I sat the box down and pulled it out, unfurling a gorgeous sweater. "Thank you so much," I said breathlessly. It was a little strange to receive such an elegant gift from someone I’d barely spoken to before, but I was willing to go with it.

  "That’s just one piece, keep going."

  I looked up, trying to be sure I’d heard him right. If there was anything else in that box it had to be tiny. But I put the sweater down and peered back inside the box. Another piece of cloth sat right near the top, visibly a pair of blue jeans.

  It took nearly five minutes to unpack everything that had been magicked inside that one container—there was no way it hadn’t been packed without magical assistance. I’d have trouble fitting everything Jonathan had brought me into my dresser, let alone get it back inside that one box. At the very bottom sat a hairbrush, a toothbrush, some soap, and a bottle of face wash. I’d been making do without… barely. And still, just seeing those items there sent tears welling up in the corner of my eyes.

  "Let me or one of my aides know if there’s anything you’re missing, or anything at all I can help with. I know this won’t be nearly enough to ensure you feel at home here, but hopefully it can at least help make up for some of the inconvenience."

  "Thank you," I said again as it was all I could think of.

  "My pleasure. It was never my intention for you to be treated like this, and I see no reason to hold you here, but for now this is the best we can do."

  Jonathan was watching me with a curious expression. On a whim, I decided to press my luck, "Is there any chance at all we’ll be able to get out of here soon? It feels a little weird being inside all the time, and I’d love to see more of the city." I paused, trying to gauge his reaction, but Jonathan’s expression remained passive, listening. "We would go as a group," I said, elaborating quickly. "And you could send someone with us, if it would help."

  "I appreciate can appreciate that this transition is alarming enough without the extra stress that's been added for all of you. But for now, it's out of my hands. While the four of us can debate things until the early hours of every morning, we have to come to a consensus before anything is decided, at least when the safety of others is at hand. It's only been a few days, and I suspect we'll know more soon. For now, this is the safer option."

  "And there's nothing we can do to help move things along? Or change people's minds?"

  Jonathan shoved his hands in the pockets of his pants, gray and freshly pressed. "Well, maybe there's something. I can't make any promises, but, could I have a look at your shoes?"

  I looked down at the f
loor to where he was pointing, and sure enough my running shoes were sitting in the corner between my bed and the wall. It was a strange request, but no stranger than anything else I'd been through. If handing over my shoes could be a step toward getting a chance to stretch my legs somewhere other than the library, I was all for it.

  I passed him the sneakers that Harper had purchased for me that day in the bazaar, hoping he wasn't going to do something to permanently damage them.

  Jonathan placed them down on the dresser, beside the two remaining packages. A moment later, he was waving his hands in intricate motions and mumbling under his breath. "There you go," he said, handing the shoes back to me. "I have no idea if that will work, I was kind of making it up on the spot. New spells aren’t always winners."

  "What did you do?" I held the shoes up, turning them over in my hands to see if anything about them was different.

  "A simple tracking spell," Jonathan said, by way of explanation. "I've enchanted your shoes so that the councilors here in the library will have the ability to find you if necessary, to an extent. While you're in the library, I'm not sure how much use this will be as the magics here are strong and unconventional. But if we can get you outside, this could help to keep you safe. It's not perfect, but it's an option. I'll do the same for Devon and Marc, then show the others and see what they think. Perhaps this can help nudge things along. One more safety precaution is never going to be a bad thing."

  It was hard not to think that this one more safety precaution would also help these people track my every movement, but for the time being I had to think that the benefits outweighed the loss of my personal freedoms since I needed to actually have freedoms before I could lose on them.

  "So you're a wizard or something like that?" I blurted it out, too curious for my own good.

  "Or something. My parents were both magically inclined, and they both came from books where magical powers played a heavy role in politics. What I can do is a combination of both of their abilities, though my inability to physically pass into adulthood was all my father’s doing. Still, I'm not sure there's a particular name for what I am."