They all frowned in response. “What part?”
“Convincing my wife.”
The word “wife” summoned into the room the most terrifying woman they had ever seen. Her hair was shaved on the left side of her head, while violet strands growing from the rest of her scalp were fixed in a long braid that dragged on the floor. Her shoulders were broad and her arms strong. Her eyes darkened with killer instincts at the sight of strangers in her house. The woman raised a giant axe in her hand with such ease that it could have been a toothpick. She snarled the same way Alissa had pictured the imaginary beasts of Bryniard would if they did exist.
“Maybe we would’ve been safer in the palace, after all,” Alissa said with a nervous laugh.
Freyah narrowed her eye, adjusting her sight to the shadows standing in the back of the dark alley. Desi had already been waiting for the group, an old lady accompanying her. They were both dressed in hooded black tunics, each holding a paper bag.
“I can see the first part of our plan was successful,” Eldric said. The presence of the old lady indicated that Desi had convinced her mother.
“Thank you so much, Desi!” Alissa spoke, her voice filled with gratitude.
Desi waved her hand dismissively. “It’s nothing, really.”
“I’m only helping you because you brought my daughter back home to me.” The woman’s rough voice seemed like she had spent two-thirds of her life smoking cigars.
“Thank you for your help, Mrs. Linard. I am deeply grateful.” Alissa bowed in greeting.
“Look, I’d love to stay here chit-chatting, but we shouldn’t be here on the streets for too long,” Eldric said, scanning the place to identify any possible threats.
“Here’s the plan. The three of you will enter the library with me through the back door right after sunrise. I will claim you are my curating assistants and that you have been hired to catalog and restore some of the books they have on display,” Mrs. Linard explained.
“Won’t they require some sort of identification?” Eldric asked.
“Not if I’m successful. But if they do, I’ll give them fake names and curator ID numbers for you.”
“When we are inside, you will receive a free pass to the library for the next month. That is how long it will take them to verify that the curation job was never required. You have four weeks to find whatever it is you are looking for and be out of this town before they find you.”
“Understood,” Freyah replied.
“Make sure to wear this at all times.” Desi handed them the bag with the uniform they were supposed to wear.
Alissa was tired of wearing disguises, but she wouldn’t object to the idea, not when Desi’s mother looked like she was about toremove all their teeth with her bare hands just because she felt like it. Inside the bag were three beige overalls, three pairs of black boots, white gloves, and white handkerchiefs to cover the lower half of their faces.
“You two need to wear your hair up,” the old lady said, her wrinkled finger pointing at Alissa and Freyah.
“Yes, ma’am. Any other instructions?” Alissa inquired.
“We’ll meet by the back entrance. Don’t be late,” she ordered and turned around to leave before they could say anything else.
Before Alissa had time to thank them for their help, Desi and her mother vanished into the darkness.
Chapter 25
Magic Edictum
113 DAYS UNTIL DHALIA’S DEATH DATE.
They woke up the next morning before sunrise. For the first time since they had arrived, the streets were empty and quiet. The only people who seemed to have already started duty were the guards who wandered around town. Lucky for them, the uniform Desi had given had a handkerchief to tie around their faces; they knew the purpose of the curator’s uniform would be to protect the airways from the dust on the bookshelves and to protect the books’ integrity, but it sure was helpful for them as they walked the streets unnoticed.
The Library of All Things occupied an entire city block, the building so high that Alissa wondered how such a level of architecture was possible. The white stone that made up its entire façade was engraved with gold inscriptions of classic literary verses, a work of such mastery that it could have been accomplished only with magic. A giant bronze sculpture of a book, mounted above the entry archway, bore the words “Unlock Wisdom Within,” welcoming anyone who dared to discover the magic of the books. Alissa was mesmerized.
Reaching the back entrance, Mrs. Linard was already waiting for them with a look of annoyance, her arms at her waist. She stomped her feet where two guards stood at the building’s entrance.
“Good morning, gentlemen. My crew and I were called to complete the restoration of all books from section 4068 to 9732. We will need a clear entrance for a total of a month.” Mrs. Linard’s steady voice and confident posture matched in no way that of a liar.
“What’s your name?” The guard asked.