by Shea, K. M.
“Okay, so we’re looking for records of item storage,” Asher said, spinning in the chair. “Do you know when the item was transferred here, Ray-Ray?”
“Yes,” Raven confirmed. It had been dreadfully difficult to twist the numbers out of her father, but it was worth it. “November of 1992.”
Aron whistled. “You got the month too? Nice work,” he said, opening a cabinet.
“What is the record system like?” Raven asked, staring at the rows upon rows of log books lining the wall.
“Flawless. Gertrude was old school, she had hardcopies of all her notes, the computer files were her backups, not her main,” Aron said.
“The log books are organized by year and season,” Asher said as Aron closely inspected the bookshelves. “We’ll still have several books to go through. Gertrude was meticulous, not to mention she also recorded all the Library Board meetings.”
“Here’s the file,” Aron said, plucking a manila folder of papers from the cabinet before searching the shelved logbooks. “Annnndd…Here. These are the records for fall of 1992,” he said, selecting four books off the shelf.
“It’s really going to be written in here? ‘Saint Cloud Library receives a cauldron’?” Raven doubtfully said, taking a book.
“No,” Aron laughed.
“She will have something vague and obscure,” Asher said, taking a logbook and digging in. “Something along the lines of ‘received magical artifact, sent to storage in—,’ I think. Probably.”
Raven grunted and started flipping through her book, her eyes scanning pages of budget projects, interlibrary aid, the rising cost of printing copies, book circulation statistics and more.
“This print is tiny,” Aron complained squinting at his book before throwing himself in a clean, polished chair.
After five minutes of reading Raven sat down in the remaining chair.
“Man, this is slow goings,” Asher said, rubbing his eyes. Somehow the sense of urgency had been lost, giving way to boredom.
“Might I point out how much time Gertrude wasted by keeping these things,” Aron said.
“Shh,” Raven absently hushed as she continued to scan her book.
“What?” Aron asked, rolling his neck to loosen it.
“Nothing. I just want to finish this as fast as possible… I—I don’t like how quiet the library is,” Raven confessed, glancing up from her book with a frown.
The boys shrugged and returned to their books.
“Got it,” Asher said after fifteen minutes of additional reading. “Magiked artifact received from secure donator. Transferred to Winter Vault.” Asher said, propping the book up on the desk, pointing to the passage with his finger as Aron and Raven scrambled to his side.
“What is the Winter Vault?” Raven asked.
“Haven’t a clue,” Asher shrugged.
“We’ll have to look into it,” Aron agreed. “There is one additional problem. What if Eastgate moved it since then?”
Raven blinked and leaned against the desk. “That’s a good thought, but how do we even know this is the right item?”
“The library doesn’t receive many magical artifacts,” Asher bluntly said. “Kingdom Quest government has gotten panicky about leaving artifacts in the open for the ignorant masses to stumble into. Plus there’s a good chance even if it’s not the right artifact your cauldron would be stored in the same location. Look, let’s copy down the message and go. If we have to break in to the library again we will.”
“I hope we don’t have to,” Raven shivered, taking the pad of paper and pen Aron dug out of the backpack and handed her. She leaned over the desk, scrawling the message on the paper as Aron reshelved the logbooks. “Got it,” she said, straightening up after several moments.
“Excellent. Let’s pack up and get ready to go,” Asher said, holding a delicately carved dragon statue that was painted black. The statue’s mouth was open in a roar, its minute silver teeth sparkling in the light.
“What is that?” Raven asked.
“The shut off for the magical security system,” Asher calmly answered. “You insert your page turner ring here,” Asher said, pointing to the figurine’s mouth. “And if your ring is recognized the magic shuts off.”
“If it isn’t?” Raven gulped.
“Thankfully we’ll never find out. I’ll take that notepad Ray-Ray, thank you,” Aron cheerfully said, plucking the pen and notepad from Raven’s lax grasp. He shoved them in the backpack, tossed the bag over his shoulders, and twirled the flashlight before clicking it on. “We are ready to leave commander,” he said, mock saluting Raven.
“Okay, it’s the same idea as before, only in reverse,” Asher said, standing up. “I’ll wait until you two get into position. When ready we’ll all turn the systems on and run like mad to the exit. With a little luck we’ll make it.”
“My lifespan is physically shortening guys. Physically shortening,” Raven wryly said before leaving the office. She glanced up and down the hallway, holding her glowing ring in front of her. Inside the office the twins still conversed.
“Do you think she’s mocking us?”
“I think she is.”
Raven smiled fondly and turned to face the office when she saw something black move at the corner of her field of vision. Raven snapped her head, looking for the source of the movement.
There was nothing.
Friday morning Raven carefully compiled her image with the usual two hours. She didn’t get Asher’s text message until she hopped in Nate’s blue Volvo.
C u @ skool soon. @ St Cloud we need 2 plan next step. not safe 2 talk bout til then.
Raven typed out a quick reply before buckling herself in.
“Alright, ready to go?” Nate asked, hopping into the driver’s seat, closing his door behind him.
“Yep,” Raven said, slipping the phone in her handbag as her brother inserted the key into the ignition.
After turning the key several times the car’s engine finally sputtered to life. Raven frowned as she tried to shut off the air conditioning. “This thing is a piece of junk,” she said.
“It is not!” Nate tightly defended as he backed out of the driveway and pulled onto the road. “It’s a Volvo. It’s safe.”
“Which is why Dad bought it for you,” Raven rolled her eyes.
“Be nice,” Nate ordered.
“The air conditioning only works in the winter, and the heater only works in the summer. The windshield wipers work for about five minutes before the screws come loose and they stop functioning all together, which is a major safety hazard. The leather seats are starting to disintegrate—I didn’t even know that was possible. Face it. It is a piece of junk,” Raven frowned, checking her hair in a mirror.
“If you feel that strongly about it I won’t let you drive her with your temps anymore,” Nate said as they turned a corner.
“First of all calling the car a ‘her’ is majorly sexist. Although I suppose if you referred to it as a him it would be creepy. Never mind, what I mean is objects don’t have genders. This car is an it,” Raven declared.
“She doesn’t mean that baby,” Nate murmured, patting the dashboard. “She doesn’t understand you like I do.”
“Oh my gosh. You are pacifying it. You’re pacifying a car. Crossed by a unicorn, I wish I wasn’t related to you.”
“You watch your mouth, you snub nosed brat,” Nate ordered. “Every time you insult my car it won’t start up later that day.”
“It only starts up two out of three times to begin with.”
“We are not discussing this anymore. Instead let’s discuss these Montamos boys you are spending so much time with. I’m afraid they’re turning into a bad influence.”
“Says the guy who told our little sister monsters didn’t sleep under her bed but behind the toilet.”
“Hey that was years ago, and you were the one who told her that was why Mom put the night light in the bathroom—so the monsters could see at night.”
The eldest Wishmore children were silent for a moment before they simultaneously started cackling.
“Oh man, Shina refused to use the bathroom for weeks after that,” Nate recalled.
Raven laughed with her older brother as she smiled out the windshield. The smile fell off her face they flew through the intersection just in front of Saint Cloud.
Isaac Eastgate stood in front of the library, glaring at the building. His gaze held such hostility and loathing, Raven felt as though he pulled all the air out of her lungs by merely seeing him.
He knew.
Chapter 14
“We really have to show up soon,” Raven said, checking her wristwatch. “As frightening as Director Eastgate is, I don’t think tardiness is going to improve his mood.”
Aron groaned from deep within his soul, and Asher lounged against a light pole, trying in vain to drag out the length of time it took to walk from school to Saint Cloud. “I think it would be better to enjoy this last bit of sunshine. We might not live to see the end of the day,” Aron said.
“Killed the day before Halloween. Man, that holiday just hates us,” Asher said.
Raven nervously swung her backpack. “I thought you guys said he knows that you’ve broken in before.”
“Yah. But he’s never been ticked about it,” Asher said, reflectively staring at the sky. “Mostly he ignores it.”
“And based on what you said this time he’s not going to ignore it. It must be because we took you with,” Aron said.
“What do you think he’ll do?” Raven asked.
“Fire us,” Asher said, staring down the street. “Possibly behead and disembowel us.”
“He won’t report us?”
“Nah. There’s no way he wants the Library League knowing about Saint Cloud’s security systems,” Asher said, shaking his head.
“Plus I’m sure he can hurt us far worse than the Library League could,” Aron assured Raven.
“Great,” Raven said, her voice flat.
“Maybe we’ll be lucky,” Aron said. “Maybe he was just mad at the moment and will have forgotten about it by now.”
They weren’t lucky.
Raven shifted uncomfortably in her spot between the twins in Director Eastgate’s office. The director shuffled through papers, his face stony as he continued to ignore them. (He had yet to acknowledge their presence since they set foot in his office about three minutes ago, directly after Jeremiah gleefully delivered the message that Eastgate wanted to see them, immediately.)
Asher stared straight ahead in a show of grim strength. Aron had his eyes closed and was mouthing words—prayers it seemed.
Raven jumped in surprise when Isaac Eastgate dropped a book on his stack of papers. “I’m disappointed, Rachel,” he said in his soft, frostbitten voice.
“S-Sir?” Raven said.
The director looked up, fastening his uncomfortably black eyes on her. “I thought I told you if you needed anything you should seek me out,” he said. “Had you asked, I would have gladly let you into the old offices.”
Asher choked and released a few strangled gasps. Aron inhaled so sharply his nose whistled and his eyes bugged. Raven was paralyzed where she stood.
“S-sir?” Raven repeated, feeling lightheaded.
Director Eastgate clasped his hands and placed them on his desk. “Obviously you had a very good reason for wanting to see my previous administrative assistant’s office. I have no objection to you viewing her room and records, but I wish you would have asked me. I could have spared you the trouble of breaking in,” he said, his gaze sticking to Raven.
“I apologize,” Raven quickly said in the gaping silence.
Eastgate nodded. “There is nothing to apologize for, Rachel. I only want you to know that next time I that ask you come to me first. Is that reasonable?” he said. For a few wretched moments he tried to smile, his cold features forced into a smirk.
“Yes sir,” Raven said.
“Very good. I have something for you then. Two items, actually,” Eastgate said, removing his gaze from Raven to look down at two books sitting on his desk. He picked them up and held them out. “For you,” he said when Raven didn’t move.
Raven hesitated and took a step forward to collect the books. One was a rare volume of KQ history and lore. The other was a mystery written by a New York Bestseller’s author. Raven, not knowing what to think, stared at the books before blankly looking to the library director.
“Read them in your spare time,” he suggested. “I think you’ll like them—the history book in particular. Don’t worry about getting them back to me, take your time,” he instructed, ending his sentence with another rusty smile.
“…Ok,” Raven said, bobbing her head up and down.
“Is there anything else? Anything you need or wish to say?” Eastgate asked, picking up a pen. He tapped it on his desk as he pinned her down again with his eyes.
Raven mutely shook her head.
“Very well. Enjoy the books, and let me know if you need to get into that office again,” Eastgate said before looking down at his paperwork and shuffling it.
He never acknowledged the twins’ presence.
Raven slowly backed out of the room, the twins scrambling to exit before her. When Raven backed into the hallway Asher shut the door in front of her.
“That,” Aron said, wiping a sheen of sweat off his forehead. “Was terrifying.”
Asher slumped against the doors, his eyes closed. “I don’t know if we survived because he likes you, or if we’re on his hit list because he likes you.”
“Yeah, why didn’t you tell us you’re on his good side?” Aron asked.
“I don’t think I am,” Raven said, staring down at the books.
“What do you think it is then? Reverse bullying?” Aron said.
“Better have the books searched for bugs and spells. Come on, we’ll be safer back in our room,” Asher said, putting an arm over Raven’s shoulders before walking down the hallway, towing her with.
“So when exactly was it that our dear director told you to ask him if you needed anything?” Aron said, bringing up the rear.
“When I came back after throwing my shoe at Daire,” Raven said as they rounded a corner and followed the snaking hallway.
“He didn’t yell at you then?”
“No.”
“Instead he told you to ask if you needed anything?”
“Yeah.”
“And that didn’t strike you as being odd?”
“Well, sort of. But I don’t know, I guess I thought maybe he was trying to be nice to the potential spy.”
Asher harshly laughed. “Ray-Ray, headquarters once dispatched a repair man to work on our air conditioning. In reality it was a front to try and set up observational equipment in the air ducts. Our dear director just about flayed the man alive before he got past his office. If he even suspected you were a threat, Eastgate would eradicate you.”
“But he must know what I am,” Raven said as they eased into another turn. “After reading reports from Daire and Jeremiah there is no way he doesn’t know I’m a spy.”
“Yeah, that’s true,” Asher said.
“So that means he’s treating you like this for one of several reasons. He doesn’t want to give you the chance to send back a negative report, or he thinks you aren’t a threat even if you’re a spy,” Aron said.
“Or,” Asher added. “He sees something of worth in you so he’s decided to put you in his good graces.”
“You mean like you guys?” Raven said as they halted outside the twins’ room.
“Yeah,” Aron said, leaning back on his heels as he thought. “Exactly like us.”
Chapter 15
Saturday morning Raven took longer than usual to prepare for work. Several times she caught herself staring at her reflection in the mirror, her mind weighted with the knowledge of the mysterious Winter Vault—which she had not yet told her dad about—and the equally mysterious motivations of Direct
or Eastgate.
Just as Raven finished applying her last bit of eye shadow the doorbell rang. “Trick or Treating couldn’t have started already,” Raven murmured, applying a light layer of colored lip gloss to her lips.
She nearly smeared the tube across her face when Shina shouted “RAAAAAAAAYY! SOME GUY IS HERE FOR YOU!”
Raven blinked and capped her lip gloss. “Coming!” she called, snatching up her high heels before briskly walking down the hallway. She trotted down the stairs and hurried through the living room. She stopped and blinked when she saw who was waiting for her at the door. “Asher?”
“Hey,” Asher said, his hands awkwardly shoved in his pockets. “My dad is taking Aron and I to Saint Cloud today—he figured he would let us drive in with our temps. Did you want a ride?”
“Sure,” Raven said, wondering if it was wise of her to put her life in the twins’ hands. “Just let me grab my purse and tell my mom.”
Raven dropped her shoes and ran upstairs to retrieve her purse. She grabbed a wristwatch and fastened it to her wrist as she descended the stairs and entered the kitchen. “Hey mom, I’m catching a ride to work with some friends, so I’m leaving,” Raven said, swooping through the kitchen to grab an apple and half hug her mom.
“Ooh it’s a boooy,” Shina said, purposely dragging out her vowels. “You’re gonna get cooties!”
Raven rolled her eyes. “You were so cute when you were little. What happened?” She asked, ruffling her little sister’s hair. Shina, in turn, screeched.
“Have a nice day. Call if you’re going to be late, buh-bye,” Raven’s mother smiled, looking up from the stack of coupons she was sorting.
“Bye,” Raven carelessly waved before retrieving her heels.
Asher leaned against the closed front door, his green eyes tracing Raven’s house with utter fascination.
“Okay, let’s go,” Raven chirped, fixing her skirt before snatching up a jacket and shouldering her purse.
Asher and Raven left the house, closing the front door behind them. “I’m looking forward to meeting your father,” Raven teased. “I have often wondered what sort of human being could have created you and Aron,” she said, carefully pulling Asher away from the violent willow tree.