Chapter 9

I found Ben in a library, and I wasn't shocked at the swiftness with which he'd found it. His thirst for knowledge had probably drawn him a map to it.

It was a vast round library with walls of books and wood. A small staircase spiralled along the side giving access to a surrounding balcony that wrapped the room. The walls stretched even higher above the balcony, laden with books and scrolls.

"Amazing, isn't it," Ben marveled, like he was seeing it again through my eyes.

"It's insane," I breathed.

Ben gently flipped the pages of the giant book he had on the table and his eyes greedily took in whatever he was reading.

"We're in the metropolis of Vyn. Like medieval times metropolis!" he exclaimed and I moved closer to him, to see the book as well.

There was a map. Intricate lines like veins marked the paper. At the center of it, was a city-a huge city. And beyond it, vast swaths of land dotted with settlements, villages, rivers and lakes decorated the map. The table and chairs were dusty, but he didn't seem to notice.

"This here," he pointed, his finger landing on a building that sprawled across tracts of land, a lake shimmering just beyond.

"This is the palace we're in."

I too ignored the dust and took a sit next to him.

"And that's not even the crazy part," he said, shutting the book. A cloud of dust blew to my face as he opened another book and I sneezed.

"Sorry," he apologized, as he opened the book hurriedly but gently. As gentle as he could anyway. A page tore and he winced, smoothing it over like that would heal the page.

"Here it is," he passed me the book and I looked at the pages. Drawings of strange creatures and animals filled the pages. The only thing they shared was some trace of humanity-a pair of hands, the curve of a face, the shape of their eyes...

There was a pair of people, but with tails and hooved feet. Another pair of people, but they were little and had wings like fairies. There were dwarves with claws. And mermaids, with scary teeth.

Another picture, of a man, with wings like that of a raven called my attention. The little paragraph next to him said 'Spectres - with Physical superiority over many Vyn races, and preferred by Maahz for the guard of Vyn.'

"Charter is a Spectre."

Ben said and my eyes snapped to him.

"What? But I didn't see any wings!"

"They're retractable," Ben enthused, "and he has claws, just like these," he pointed at the picture. Where the spectre did infact spot claws.

"There was also the fact that I overheard Asa say that he should go back to his stuck-up spectre family..." Ben added.

"My stuck-up spectre family loves when I bring home a nosy human boy for them to feed on."

A voice cut through our conversation for the second time today. Ben winced with the realization that Charter was standing behind him.

"The accomodations are ready, humans. If you'll follow me..." he said, walking out of the library, "unless you'd rather stay here and gossip."

I stifled a laugh at Ben's mortified face, and the laugh escaped me when he grumbled about Charter's rudeness. I felt like a middle school student, having been caught by the teacher in a mistake.

He led us through the halls, and I realized how dark it was becoming. This was really happening. I was in Vyn walking behind a Winged man. The winged man stopped after a bunch of corners, stairs and turns. There were two doors opposite of each other.

"For the lady," he pointed at the one closest to me. "And for you," he said to Ben, pointing at the door next to him.

We watched as his back retreated from us and as he disappeared around a corner.

"I don't think he likes me very much," Ben commented.

"That's his problem. He's missing out on some great quality of human here," I said, truly meaning it.

"Can you believe this?" he asked, waving his arms around.

"No," I answered, "I keep expecting to wake up from a coma or something,"

"I don't know if I wanna wake up..." he said quietly.

"You wanna stay here?" I asked, my eyebrows raising involuntarily.

"I don't know..." he mumbled, "but this feels, new... My life has always been and was always going to be the same repetitive cycle. But now it feels like I'm breathing... and, you know, not slowly dying on the inside?"

I nodded.

I knew exactly what he meant.

"But what about the life you left behind? Your friends?" Family?

I didn't ask about his family though because Ben had always gone quiet when I mentioned them.

"What friends?" he asked and the perception I'd had of his life distorted.

"You were always out, in these science conventions... Surely you met regulars."

"The tech cons," he huffed a laugh, "where I was a wallflower, you mean," he said with an honesty that tugged at my chest.

"And here I thought you were the life of the party," I said, but my tone bore no humor.

"You were my whole social life," he said and I laughed, replying "You were mine too."

"So that's why I don't wanna immediately go back... Maybe I can be different here."

My chest tightened a little, but I nodded, sensing that he was done. He turned to his door, "Goodnight, Ana."

"Goodnight Ben."

I got into my room. It was more like a suite, with a king-sized bed sitting against the wall, a huge working desk close to it, a wardrobe and a folding screen next to it. I walked to the window, and I gasped at the view of the vast land, and the lake just beyond it that I'd seen on the map.

The view from this point made it clear that we were on some kind of hill. I turned to view the rest of my suite after I'd had my fill of night sky and lake views. On the bed, was a simple night gown, and next to it was a white dress, with laces and layers.

I assumed this was to be worn tomorrow, and I wondered if Charter had picked this out. I was grateful for the clothes, since suddenly I felt icky and dirty and ready to peel off my clothes. There was a door to the side of the room, and I was glad to find that it opened up to a bathroom.

A tub sat in the middle of it, full of steaming water. I undressed and got slowly into the tub. The water was slightly too hot, but my skin acclimated to the temperature and I was comfortable in a few minutes. I ran the water over my skin, relaxing as I felt myself get clean.

Sleep came late.

The image of Maahz's eyes haunted me, his words twisting tighter and tighter around my throat. And the gods, their wrath echoed like a silent promise: You're the key to his destruction.