by Jessa Ford
“I’m the one who changed. As soon as we left the Reading I was different. People see me differently.” “Look, it makes no difference to me. You know that. You’re the same Cora. And I wanted to choose you, you must know that. But when I told my parents my intentions to court you, they mentioned your Reading, and a lot of what they said made sense. Your gifts may never emerge, and it might be hard for you to find good work, or if your gifts are weak then what would that mean for children one day, and—“ “I understand,” Cora couldn’t stop the tears from escaping her eyes this time. Another opportunity taken from her because of the Reading.
She stood to leave and Willem begged, “Cora, please, you must know how hard it was for me to make that choice.” Without turning to look at him she replied curtly, “I hope you’re happy with the choice you made.” She left the restaurant so quickly it felt as if she arrived at the trolley stop in mere seconds. The ride back to Starbury Academy was a blur. When the school came into view Cora wiped off the lip color, staining the sleeve of her dress and exited the trolley. She rushed to her room, closed the door, and let her emotions take over.
✽✽✽
At some point she had fallen asleep, because the sound of knocking woke her. Cora stood up and pulled her hair from her face, which was matted down with tears. She opened the door to see Soph, whose expression changed instantly upon seeing her friend. “Oh Cora,” she pulled her into a hug, “what happened?” Cora recounted the entire meeting, including some not so flattering anecdotes about Tiegly. It was important for her new friend to understand her history with the girl, after all. “Wow, I don’t know what to say. I’ve heard of people being so discriminatory because of gifts, but I didn’t think it really happened anymore. I mean most people our age don’t care as much as our parents. And what about Arvendry? They stopped having Readings years ago.” Soph slumped down in a chair and Cora shrugged. “Well, at least I know why he stopped writing. And hey,” she paused, “you convinced me to wear make up.”
Soph’s looked at her friend with disgust. “No way, Cora. He wasn't worth the make up.” Cora almost allowed herself to smile at her friend. “At any rate, I have a date lined up for tonight.” “You what?” Soph’s eyes doubled in size. “Yep,” Cora grabbed a sweater to put on over her dress and pulled her hair back. She combed through her room for the library books she’d be exchanging shortly and put them in her bag. “Don’t expect me back until the library closes. See you later.” She heard Soph groan as she closed the door and quickly set out on the path to the library.
EIGHT
Upon arriving, Cora dropped her old books on the return shelf and smiled at Dari who stood behind the desk. “Ready for the next round,” Cora forced a smile. Dari returned a kind smile and shook her head. “I don’t understand how you get through these at such a pace, but I know better than to quiz you by now.” Cora shrugged and began climbing the stairs to get to the magical section. She planned to spend the rest of her night reading the books she could not take out of the library. Her wounds were raw, and she didn’t want to sit in her room and feel sorry for herself. If anything, the encounter with Willem only increased her desire to understand all the gifts so she could perform better on her next Reading. She was only finished with two of the magical gifts, so she had to quicken her pace.
Partway through her latest conquest, Cora was interrupted. “Moved on to time bending, have we?” The tall librarian’s assistant pulled out a chair and sat down next to her. He had a habit of showing up lately when she picked new reading material. It was an oddly friendly break from their usual terse exchanges; he’d never made a habit of inquiring about her reading before. “Clearly,” Cora gestured to the title: An Abridged History of Time Bending. “Still working your way through all the magical gifts I see,” he mused, his face holding a smirk as usual. Cora watched him stretch his legs out and relax in the chair. He looked comically large for the small wooden seat. When Cora didn't answer, he continued, "What exactly is the purpose of all this extracurricular learning?" Cora rolled her eyes and turned to face him.
She had to admit, it was understandable that some of her peers got so excited when he was working. Xave wore a midnight blue sweater and dark pants, which she came to realize was his typical uniform. His gray eyes were focused on Cora. He looked equally mysterious and unapproachable, but Cora knew better. Everything about him was calculated except his hair, which Cora surmised he could not control. It probably bothered him, and she found she liked it. His presence was ruining Cora’s reprieve, however. “Look, I had a really bad day and every time I run into you it isn’t what I would call a pleasant experience, so maybe we take a rain check on this?” To her surprise, Xave’s face changed.
“Suit yourself.” He shrugged and turn to walk away as Cora blurted out, “Is it normal for an Unreadable to be ignored socially…or romantically? Is that how most people react?” Xave pondered her question, and before he could answer she added, “Actually, why am I even asking you? You’re probably the only person with less experience with these things than me, judging by what I’ve seen of your social skills.” She shook her head and turned back to her book. Xave held back a smile, and tilted his head in thought, “That may be true. At any rate, it is unfortunate to hear some people still feel that way toward Reading results.” Cora lay her head on the books in front of her and sighed, “I guess I should just get used to being completely ordinary. If I accept I don’t have gifts then I can’t keep getting disappointed at all the things I’ll never do.” She opened her book again with a huff. Xave paused before he left, looked at Cora and her stack of books and said, “I assure you, you probably couldn’t be ordinary if you tried.” Cora jerked up and looked in his direction, but he had already gone.
✽✽✽
“She’s getting new books again,” Dari greeted Xave when he approached the information desk. “What’s new?” “She checked out eleven more in just a week. And I’m sure she read them and can recall specific details,” Dari’s eyes widened. “That doesn’t prove anything.” Xave stood with his arms crossed, as if he doubted his mentor’s assessment. “It certainly opens the door for the possibility,” she challenged. “It would, if she were anywhere else but here.” “I want to test her.” Xave scoffed, “And how would you manage that? How would you even broach the topic?”
“I want to test her without her knowledge,” Dari began stacking books on the far counter. Xave looked puzzled. “I’m going to offer her a job here. She’ll be an assistant of sorts. Then I can give her specific tasks and see if my theory is true. You can help assess.” Xave shook his head, “If you think it’s necessary.” “It is. Now, I have a new list of names for you to check out,” she handed him a folded piece of paper. Xave read the contents and sighed. “I’ll be back soon.” They shared a heavy look. At this point he was only going through the motions; they both knew what he would discover. It had been too long since they'd received good news.
When it became hard to concentrate, Cora stretched and stood to leave. She didn't know many hours had passed since she'd arrived, but she did notice she was the only student left in the library. She waved at the librarian who beckoned her over on her way out. “Did I stay past time for close again?” Cora looked guilty. Dari only smiled and shook her head, “I was actually just thinking about how often you’re here. How would you like to work in the library? You’re already spending more than a fair amount of time in the building, so we may as well put it to good use.” “What kind of job?” Cora’s interest was piqued. It would offer her the chance to get all of her research for her second Reading finished in no time.
“It’s mainly shelving books. You’ll be helping Xavier. He has some work that takes him off campus, and I find I need someone here in his absence as well. You’d also be able to close the library and stay a little later if you need to,” Dari winked. Cora fought the urge to roll her eyes again at the mention of Dari’s assistant, despite the quasi-compliment he gave her earlier. It was a small price to p
ay for increased access to the library. “Okay,” she smiled at the old woman, “when do I begin?” “How about tomorrow after your classes?” Cora nodded eagerly and thanked Dari before leaving.
From the second floor, Xave watched the exchange between the two women. While he wasn’t sure Dari was correct about the new girl, he couldn't shake the way he was drawn to her. She was the first student in the past two years who had garnered his or Dari’s attention for more than a short period of time. Perhaps there was something under the surface, magical or not, that needed discovering. He reminded himself to keep an open mind as he left to finish the other work Dari had set forth for him.
✽✽✽
The next day Cora looked forward to her classes for the first time since arriving at Starbury Academy. Though she doubted she’d learn anything she hadn’t already read about, it was easier to sit through the lectures when she had the library to look forward to. As soon as her last class ended, Cora bounded for the door and made her way to her new place of employment. Dari tossed her a clipboard when Cora arrived and Cora snatched it out of the air with ease. “This contains a cleaning list of each section. If you work until close you’ll need to walk through and check off the items on the list. You’ll find it’s very quick, since not many students use the space for very long. Otherwise, Xave will show you the ins and outs of shelving books and anything else you need to know. He’s around here somewhere, so why don’t you go find him?” Cora flashed her a smile and went off in search of the tall, disagreeable boy.
She met Xave in the back of the second floor. He was in the history section of the library. Most students who studied at any of the upper schools were required to be well-versed in the history of Telgria and other large cities in the empire. Though Telgria was the largest city, the empire also consisted of two smaller cities. Hulsgard was near the middle of the empire where the air was dry and the weather was at times treacherous. It was not heavily populated, and not technically a city, but various small towns and individual land plots that made up the region. In the southern part of the continent was Arvendry.
Arvendry and Telgria once shared similar histories and traditions, but in the last few years Arvendry had eliminated Readings entirely. If someone wanted to study magical gifts, for example, they merely required a blood test to prove they had magic. Arvendry was also closed off to foreigners, aside from those wishing to travel for a maximum of one day within city walls, as a result of what happened with Nikol Delmarno. The city didn't want to risk anything and had kept its borders closed for nearly twenty years. Though Cora didn’t know anyone personally from Arvendry, she had heard they were a very warm, welcoming people, provided one could get in to know them.
Cora cleared her throat to get Xave’s attention when he came into view. “I was told to come find you?” She offered. He merely pointed to a stack of books, “You can finish these. I assume you know how to find their location.” He left her with a cart full of books before she could answer and she sighed. At least she was in the library and she had full access to all of the knowledge she would need to get out of Starbury Academy. In just eight short weeks she would be eligible to request a second Reading.
✽✽✽
Time passed with ease as Cora filled her days with classes and her nights with the library. She had no set work schedule, simply filling in for Xave when he was out, their paths occasionally crossing. He rarely uttered so much as a greeting to her when they worked together, except for any times she moved onto a new magical book. Almost immediately Cora grew tired of his attitude. She purposely left carts for the most inconvenient sections full of books for him to reshelve. She noticed, too, he seemed to be out of the library more than he was in the library, which lifted her spirits. When Xave was in, he and Dari were often speaking in whispers and sometimes looked concerned. As soon as Cora neared, their demeanors changed. Dari quizzed Cora about the books she’d been reading, and Xave would disappear after mumbling some excuse to leave.
Cora found she greatly enjoyed her time with Dari. Aside from quizzing her over reading material, Dari seemed genuinely interested in Cora’s academic history and her Reading. She, too, was puzzled at Cora’s results, and Cora felt for the first time someone else saw what she was capable of. Though she wasn’t where she wanted to be, Cora slowly realized she wasn’t as miserable as she once felt. The routine Cora had fallen into at Starbury was nowhere near as horrible as she once imagined. If she was being ho;nest, she even found she was happy for the time being. She had a friend in Soph, and she got to spend every afternoon and evening reading or chatting with Dari. As long as she had to wait before a second Reading, it was not the worst place she could have found herself.
One afternoon, Cora and Dari were discussing the various arguments against the gift classes when Xave walked into the office. “Sorry, I’ll come back later,” he stopped in the doorway as if held back by an invisible barrier when he saw Cora. “Xavier, please, join us,” Dari motioned to the empty chair in her office. Reluctantly, he sat down. “Now, before we gauge Xavier’s opinion on the topic, how about some tea?” Dari got up to fetch it before either Cora or Xave could answer. Cora glanced at Xave and their eyes met for a brief second before he turned away. Cora fought the urge to roll her eyes again. They sat in awkward silence, both pretending to be comfortable when Dari returned.
“So, as I was saying, we were just discussing the suggestion that Telgria do away with Readings.” Dari poured tea in each cup, followed by sugar and milk. “Hmm,” was all Xave said, but Dari pushed him. “Do you think Telgria could do away with it?” “Sure,” he sipped his tea and smoothed the wrinkles in his pristine grey pants, “it’s worked for Arvendry, hasn’t it?” Cora thought of the southern city in the Caslyan Empire. When Arvendry outlawed Readings merely years ago they saw their economy and society flourish as a result. Telgria was more reluctant to change, but every few years people suggested doing away with Readings. The government would take a cabinet vote, and nothing ever passed. Still, it was a common topic of discussion, especially amongst people who had been wronged by the Reading--people like Cora.
Cora pondered Xave’s own experience with his Reading. He seemed more useful than he let on, given all of the extra work Dari had him doing. “Why didn’t you request a second Reading?” Cora nearly gasped as soon as she asked the question, unsure as to why she said it out loud. To her surprise, Xave actually engaged her in conversation. “I suppose I don’t have a need to know if the grass is greener.” “What do you mean by that?” “Are you completely sure you know what you want to do? Because any other placement is for life. At least as an Unreadable you have options. I’m just not convinced any other path is worth a lifetime of commitment.”
Cora mused over Xave’s answer. She had never really considered it before, because she had always just assumed she would be a Healer. It was common amongst families like hers that children would find their gift and life would be neatly laid out as a result. It hadn’t occurred to Cora she might actually want something else. “At any rate,” Xave continued, “Dari keeps me busy enough.” He smiled at the old librarian and Cora noticed his grey eyes lighten a little. For a split second she wondered what else would make the usually sullen boy smile. “Indeed, I do, which reminds me, I have another assignment for you,” Dari handed Xave a piece of paper. He put it in his pocket and stood to leave. “Thank you for the tea…and the company,” his eyes briefly flashed to Cora from the doorway before he exited the library.
✽✽✽
Hours later, Xave read the address scribbled on the small piece of paper, and looked up at the house to ensure he was at the right location. There were no lights on at this house, nor any of the neighbors’ homes. At this time of night, he surmised, most people were probably asleep. Moving almost silently, Xave opened the cracked window on the first floor and stepped into the sitting room of the home. It was neat and orderly, and conveniently small like most Telgrian homes. It would take little time to find what he’d come in s
earch of. The faint light from the streetlamp outside provided enough illumination for him to make his way around the room. Family pictures were hung on an adjacent wall and all featured three family members: the parents and a daughter. Xave’s eyebrows furrowed as he quickly scanned the photos for any sign of a fourth member, but found only the daughter appeared.
Next, he slowly made his way down the hallway toward the bedrooms. There should be three, based on the information he’d received. The door on the left was conveniently opened and Xave saw the outline of two bodies sleeping in the bed near the door; the parents’ room. Across the hallway was a closed door and Xave expertly opened it without so much as a whisper. He merely needed to poke his head inside to see it was the daughter’s room. The decoration alone depicted a teenage girl’s room, and her long blonde hair was draped over the side of the bed. Closing the door as quickly as he opened it, Xave crept toward the last bedroom.
Upon opening it, he was not surprised to see it was almost empty. This time he entered the room and closed the door behind him. His long legs carried him swiftly over every crevice in the room in search of any sign there had been another person living in this home. As he suspected, the room was only full of old family heirlooms: furniture, clothing, and some additional pictures, but none appeared to belong to anyone other than the three present family members. The small desk in the corner was empty, save for some blank paper left in one drawer. The walls, too, showed no evidence anything had ever been hung on them. Xave removed the piece of paper from his pocket once more and crossed off the name. He left the house as quietly as he entered and rushed back to the library.