Both Olivia and Will came to a stop - but when Will took another step forward, filing toward the exit, Olivia whirled back to face him. “Owl, please,” she pleaded. “Let me- Let me make it up to you. Let me explain.”
“There’s nothing to explain,” Owl said, folding his arms. “You played stupid games. This is your prize. Leave.”
“I’m sure Indira will be able to-”
“I don’t want to speak to Indira,” Owl said, spitting the words from between his clenched teeth. “She has no business here.” He wasn’t sure why, but even the guildmaster’s name was enough to send a fresh ripple of annoyance through him. She’s got her fingers in all of this. Even if Olivia was acting alone, it was to impress Indira. Bedding the Librarian would be sure to vault Olivia straight into Indira’s good graces.
It all made him sick.
“S-She can fix this,” Olivia whispered. “I’m sure she can. If you’d only let us-”
“The Library is closed,” Owl said, each word ringing with finality. “Leave.”
Olivia’s eyes went wide. When will you open it again? He could see the question written across her face, right there on the tip of her tongue.
He didn’t know the answer.
Even if Olivia was still holding onto hope, Will had clearly gotten the hint. When Olivia opened her mouth again, he grabbed her elbow, tugging on her arm until she drooped. He looked up, then, his shameful gaze locking onto Owl’s. “I’m sorry, Librarian,” he murmured, letting his eyes drop again.
He turned away, and this time, Olivia turned with him.
Owl watched, statue-still, as the two crept toward the door. The light flared brighter still around them, reducing them to mere silhouettes.
And then they were gone.
Owl stood there, waiting in the center of the grand chamber. His eyes lingered on the doorway, on the light that filled the entryway through its portal. Slowly, with a long, drawn-out creak, the door eased itself shut.
The click of the latch closing rang across the silent room.
There he stood, still staring at the door. His chest ached, with more than just the hurts of the day before. Had he been too brash? Had he leapt to conclusions, or should he have reacted more strongly?
And where did he go from here?
He couldn’t bring himself to move. The thought of going back into the ravaged wings set his gut to churning. He’d have to, soon enough.
But just for a while, he could stand there, surrounded by the dark in that quiet room, and think.
- Chapter Forty-One -
Owl lifted the book, slotting it into his new home.
His hand lingered on the spine, pressing it carefully until it sat perfectly even with its neighbors. A smile crossed his face at the sight of the completed row. “One more down,” he said. “Looking good, Alex.”
A glance behind him put a damper on his momentary cheer, though. His wheeled cart had never been so full before, stacked to the very limits of what it could carry. The message from Alexandria was clear - “Tend to me”.
He exhaled slowly, letting his chin lift. The sentiment from her was...understandable. The Library around him looked normal enough. To one of his visitors, it’d probably have seemed entirely mundane.
Owl was not an outsider, however, and he could make out the differences. The simplicity of the shelves around him. The low ceiling, only a scant few feet over his head. None of it was anywhere near her normal elegance. What had happened with the dreamer...it’d drained her. In a human, he’d have used the term exhausted.
Scowling, he strode to the back of the cart, picking up the handles with a grunt. Whatever term you used, the meaning was clear. Alexandria was hurting.
Underneath the mask he wore, he knew his cheeks were flushed. This was his responsibility. His mistake. She’d become so feeble because he’d failed her.
Never again. His hands tightened about the handles. He’d protect her, from now on. No matter what it took.
Faces flashed through his mind. Guests. Colleagues. Vulnerabilities. His eyes were razor-sharp, his lips pressed tightly together.
No matter who he had to keep out. He wouldn’t let her be hurt this way a second time.
The wheels squeaked under the load of their books. Owl jumped, the moment broken, and smiled faintly. “Sorry,” he whispered. “I know.”
That would be the challenge, he knew. However deeply Alexandria had been hurt, she was what she was - a library. She existed to be read. He couldn’t keep her closed forever. Eventually, he’d have to find a solution.
Owl paused, taking another moment to inspect the recently-finished wing. It looked...better. Better than it had when he’d arrived.
A pit still hung cold and heavy in his stomach. After Will and Olivia had departed, he’d rested. As well as he could, anyway. Even the warmth of the outside world’s sun on his face hadn’t been able to lighten the dark cloud settling over him.
And after he’d come back, venturing into the Library itself, the magnitude of the task before him had become apparent. Standing in the sitting room, the area deeper inside had looked blurry and blank - a perception which held true as he worked his way in.
When he entered a new wing, it would start out just like he’d seen. Blurry. Hazy. As though it wasn’t entirely there. But as he toiled at each shelf, its outline would brighten, becoming more coherent. He’d picked up on it almost immediately - his attentions, having his eyes on Alexandria and his efforts spent on her, were putting her back together.
So here he was. And here he’d stay, until she’d regained her footing. There was no way he’d open the doors to visitors while she was still struggling.
And after that? Owl sighed, leaning into the cart until the wheels begrudgingly started to turn. After that...he’d figure out what came next.
The guild, though? His lips curled into a scowl. He couldn’t picture forgiving
