The Librarian's Daughter The Story of Abi VanHaven

by M.M. Gavillet

It was just the benefactors, me and Jack all in his apartment. Grace and the rest of the guardians had left to prepare for the meeting.

  “Did it say what time or day?’ Ella asked.

  “No, at least not yet.” I flicked the card back a forth watching the letters disappear and reappear.

  “They will, don’t worry.”

  “Where’s the Glass Room?” I asked jack.

  “Down the hall,” he said pointing behind him. “Lovely room though,” he nodded his head getting up and joining Lou in the kitchen. He went up behind her and curled his arms around her. She jumped and then they both laughed and talked quietly among themselves.

  “Cute, isn’t it?” Beannca said sitting beside me and looking at them.

  “Yeah,” I said glancing down at the card.

  “Kelan likes you,” she said bluntly.

  “What?” She caught me off guard.

  “Come on librarian, he likes you, but be warned, especially by someone that has tangled with them before, be careful. All of those rules and regulations come first before any relationship and even though guardians and librarians fall in love with each other, it’s shunned upon.” She got up and started walking away. “I’m just saying.”

  I mindlessly flipped the card back and forth thinking about what Beannca said. I liked Kelan, but one day would the guardianship come between that? Actually it already had in a sort of innocent way when Kelan prepared the elixir

  that made me spill my guts to Barnabus. I know he was just following orders, but would he always do that no matter what? I glanced down at the card and suddenly a time appeared.

  “Three o’clock.” I read aloud. “It says three.”

  Roan looked at the clock holding a plate with a large slice of chocolate cake on it. “That gives us only a half an hour! Is there a date or just a time?”

  “Just a time,” I said.

  “Then that means today!” He dropped the plate to the floor. “I won’t be ready! All of you are ready, but what about me!?” He ran his fingers through his hair.

  “It’s alright Roan, you’ll do fine.” I got up and stood in front of him.

  “That’s easy for you to say. You’re innocent at least to a certain degree.” His eyes darted to me.

  “Just tell them what really happened.” Lou came over and looked up at him. “You didn’t go into the Shadowlands for your own benefit. You went after Lily and took the blame for her. Did she come to you when you were being carried away by the guardians, when disgrace fell onto your family? No! She didn’t! She found another; in fact that’s why she was there.”

  Roan’s face was drawn out and the rosy from his cheeks faded to grey. “You’re right. But that means she will suffer.”

  “It’s true what they say—love is for idiots.” Biannca added in as she looked at herself in her mirrored compact and shut it with a raise of her eyebrows. “And we’re all idiots here.”

  “Except for me,” Jack said.

  I wanted to ask what happened in the Shadowlands, but I didn’t. Lou stepped in front of him placing her hands gently on his arms and caught his eyes in hers.

  “You can do it Roan and you can do it for yourself.”

  Jack took us down the hallway to the Glass Room. It was five to three. We walked in silence past all of the doors that stood silent with numbers on them. I wondered who lived in them, if any one at all. I then thought of my mother. Did she ever go to the glass Room? Did she ever have to speak in front of whoever I’m to speak in front of?

  “Ah, here we are,” Jack said joyfully as everyone else lumbered towards the door as if they had weights strapped to their backs.

  “Miss VanHaven.” A surprised voice came from behind one of the two tall vases overfilled with colorful flowers that sat beside the mirrored double doors. “We meet again and I hope you are well.” Benjamin smiled at the same time he scooped up my hand and kissed it gently. I stood in a surprised stupor with blushing cheeks.

  “Ah Mr. Atwood, I see you’re the doorman tonight. Just like your great-great-great grandfather did…is that too many greats…I simply can’t keep track.”

  “Close,” he replied with a chuckle.

  “Benjamin’s grandfather was the architect for the Fisher Building and came to many of my parties as well. It’s good to see responsibilities be handed down, otherwise, things get changed and other people think they have better ideas.”

  “So all of you are here for council?” Benjamin asked.

  “Yes, all of us.” I replied with a smile.

  “Well then Miss VanHaven, let me get the door for you.”

  The mirrored door opened with a rush of air. Inside murmurs of voices ceased and it felt like thousands of eyes were on us. I lead the group into the large room with smoky glass walls and rows of chairs sat on the grey carpeted floor. Overhead was a blackened void with tiny silver dots twinkling back at me. The unadorned walls were smooth that faded into the blackness above.

  “Please come forward Abigail VanHaven,” said a blonde haired woman dressed in a long fitted, black jacket trimmed in burgundy around the lace collar and sleeves. Her ruffled white shirt was neatly tucked into her black pants. “This is an informal council and I know that none of you have attended before. Please come and sit in the chairs provided.” Her voice was pleasant and welcoming, but still it was nerve racking and uncomfortable for me.

  The long table that the blonde woman, Grace and the rest of the guardians including Kelan, was made of glass and as I looked around, I noticed glass was everywhere. I guess it was appropriately named the Glass Room.

  “My name is Miranda and I’m head librarian of region two and coordinator of all meetings. Since this is informal, just the involved parties needed to come. First, I must say I’ve never encountered such an event as this.” Miranda looked at me. “You Abigail VanHaven had no knowledge of anything pertaining to libraries, guardians and such?”

  I looked at Kelan for a moment and then back at Miranda. Kelan nodded his head for me to answer. “No, no I didn’t know of any of this. I sort of …well, I got a box from my mother that died when I was little and…”

  “So, no prior knowledge,” Miranda said cutting me off and put on a pair of glasses. She then took a pencil length glass rod and marked on the tablet in front of her. “You don’t have to go into great detail Miss VanHaven. I’ve already talked to the sylph guardians and they have already given me most of the information I need. There are just a few customary questions I have to ask before the treelord listens to all parties.

  “The treelord is here!” Roan stood up looking at Miranda.

  She peered at him through her glasses and ran her finger over the glass tablet. “Roan Whiperwillow, Gnome from the Greenhollow region, is that you?”

  Roan swallowed hard. “Yes, my lady…miss…ma’am…”

  “You can call me Miranda since you are not of our order and are a benefactor who-” she looked at her tablet again, “who went into the Shadowlands and tried to steal the scrying stone.” Miranda looked back up at him with questioning eyes.

  “But I didn’t mean to…” his voice trailed off.

  “Then I would like to hear the rest.” It was Henry’s voice I heard first then from behind the table Miranda and the guardians sat at, materialized the image of Henry—the treelord. “I know all of you have served your time and are about ready to be released, but new events have put a halt to that. I also know you’ve gone above and beyond the expectations of benefactors and your display of loyalty has my interest in you.” Henry’s dark eyes scanned all of the benefactors then resting on me. “And you Abigail VanHaven,” his voice turned slightly bitter. “Your display of courage is impressive, but still your actions, all of your actions did operate outside the bounds of our laws.”

  Henry released his hollow gaze from me and glanced over all of us. He let out a sigh and his limbs rustled from a breeze that couldn’t be fe
lt in the room.

  “I’ve decided to overlook that for the moment and wish to hear from each of you.” Henry’s eyes swirled with a dim yellowish light making him look like a carved pumpkin at Halloween. “Ella and Lou Hummingbird, I’ll start with you.”

  Ella stood up and held her gaze on Henry. She didn’t look scared, but confident and ready to speak her mind. Both of them told how they met Victoria, not knowing who she was and selling her some of their magic. Illegal, yes, but they weren’t a menace to this world or their own. They simply weren’t given the chance to prove themselves and with unrealistic restrictions on them, they felt suppressed by the laws.

  Lou and Ella spoke without hesitation as if they’ve had a speech in their heads waiting to get out and often they would finish each other sentences. When they were done, Henry simply nodded without word or expression. Next he called Beannca.

  She held her head high and spoke her very heartfelt feelings she’s had with the guardian. Beannca said how she didn’t want to have the stereotype lifestyle associated with sirens—meaning using anyone for their own amusement even if it means causing havoc and pain to others. But with sirens it goes much farther being influential beings that can persuade anyone to do anything at their whim. Beannca wanted something that isn’t normal for a siren—she wanted to have a family and someone that loved her for her. Her words ran into sentences sounding almost like lyrics to a song. When she was done the room fell into silence.

  “And now Mr. Whiperwillow, you have the floor.” Miranda motioned for him to stand.

  Roan stood holding together his hands and looking at the floor.

  “My story isn’t like theirs.” He motioned to Beannca, Lou and Ella. “It’s quite silly and…well, I simply didn’t use my better judgment.” He cleared his throat and rubbed his chin.

  “You’re not being judged here Roan, we’re simply listening. This is something we don’t normally do since we only look at the facts and the criminal’s actions. Take advantage of it and tell us your version.”

  Roan lowered his head looking at his feet then nodded locking eyes with Miranda.

  “There was this girl—Lily Thornbush,” he said her name with a distant sweetness that time had casted over with a slight bitterness. “I was in love with her, only her father had nothing to do with me. We spent a lot of time together, me and Lily, often in secret because her father didn’t like me or my family. Lily loved adventure and that’s what I like about her. She was different and one day she wanted to go into the Shadowlands—just to see what was there. I knew it was a forbidden area and the treelords entrusted us to hold their scrying stone. Gnomes are trustworthy by nature and I had no intentions of what I did.” Roan looked up at Henry who stood motionless with his eyes fixed on Roan. “Lily and I snuck into the Shadowlands and found the scrying stone. She was fascinated with it—wondering what it would do, where it came from. She wanted to take it back with her. I told her not to, but she did anyway. I told her we should take it back before we got caught, but she wanted to keep a little longer. It was quickly noticed by the guardians and I didn’t know what to do so I took it from her and claimed responsibility.” Roan stopped his face tightened. “When they took me away she smiled hanging on the arm of another gnome—one approved by her father. I risked everything for her and all I was was used by her and for that I paid.” Roan immediately sat down and cradled his head in his hands. “I lied to protect her and suffered for her innocence.”

  Silence fell in the room. I looked at Kelan all dressed in black along with the rest of the guardians.

  “If I may speak on the heroics of Abigail and the benefactors,” Sage dressed in black with her blonde hair pulled up in a sweeping ponytail.

  Henry turned towards her. “Proceed,” he said.

  “If it wasn’t for all of them, Victoria would’ve gotten away and caused much more damage. They single handedly contained Victoria and captured her scepter. I hate to say that we were unprepared to handle Victoria and their abilities are highly underrated by the guardianship. I believe that this is something to be integrated within the laws of the guardianship and librarianship everywhere.”

  I looked at Henry and in his cumbersome movements he shifted his weight and made noises to himself almost as if he was talking to himself.

  “We have decided,” he announced. “The new treelords have heard all that you said.”

  “You mean there was more than one?” Roan sat up in his chair only to be shushed by Ella.

  “Yes, Roan the gnome, there was,” Henry replied sounding slightly bothered by the question. “Change must be made to the laws of both the guardianship and librarianship to include the ranks of benefactors.” Lou wrapped her arm around me pulling me close. “Though, this position will take time and coordinating and this I ask the service of Abigail VanHaven.”

  My mouth dropped open as I looked at Henry who stared blankly at me waiting for an answer. “Well, Miss VanHaven, what word do you give us?”

  “I, uh, this is all sudden,” I looked at Grace who smiled proudly at me.

  “Some of the best things in life come to us suddenly and unexpectedly,” Lou whispered in my ear.

  My eyes immediately went to Kelan. He didn’t have to do anything but look at me with his blue eyes that were as welcoming as the perfect summer’s day.

  Chapter Eleven