Biting Cold (Chicagoland Vampires #6)(39)
Author: Chloe Neill

"And so here we are," I said.

"Here we are," she agreed.

"Actualy, I meant that literaly." I pointed Paige to the double doors in front of us, then opened them with a whoosh of air.

It was an impressive reveal, if I do say so myself. The Cadogan House library was pretty spectacular. Two floors of books linked by a red wrought-iron staircase. The library held volumes on al sorts of vampire and supernatural topics, from history and food to a complete set of the Canon of the North American Vampire Houses , the codified law for American vampires.

Paige’s reaction was pretty similar to what mine had been a few months ago. She walked inside, mouth agape, and stared up at the shelves and stacks and balcony of books. I figured it was an important room for an archivist.

"Welcome to the Cadogan House library."

"Shut the front door," she said. She walked toward the closest row and began to scan the books’ spines. "Morphology of Vampirus Americanus. Pixies and Their Parts. The Horn of the Unicorn, and Other Important Features."

She trailed her fingertips across more of the spines, then looked back at me, eyes wide in amazement. "Your anatomy section is crazy impressive."

Not that I’d looked, but I didn’t have the supernatural literature chops to disagree with her. "Yeah. It’s pretty good."

She rubbed her hands together like a plotting evil stepmother.

"So I need to research the secondary and tertiary effects of conjuration spels. Where might I find – "

"Quiet down, could you?"

We turned around. The House librarian, whom I knew only by his title, stood at the end of the row. He was a little shorter than average, and his arms were crossed over a black short-sleeved polo shirt. His shortish brown hair stood up in little whorls, like he’d been running his hands through it.

"Sorry," I said with an apologetic smile. "She got a little excited. Your library is pretty phenomenal."

"She?" he asked, turning his gaze on Paige. He cast a long, lingering look at her boots-clad legs before meeting her gaze.

"You’re tal, aren’t you?"

"I am…yes…tal. So, yeah. Tal."

The room went silent as they stared at each other. There must have been something in the water today.

"This is Paige," I said. "She’s the Order’s archivist. She’s stationed at the silo in Nebraska where the you-know-what is sometimes kept. She’s staying with us for a bit. Do you have any literature about conjuration?"

He ignored me, probably because he was stil staring at Paige.

I knew she’d like the books; it hadn’t occurred to me that the librarian would like her.

I cleared my throat to get his attention. "Conjuration," I said, more loudly, when he finaly looked my way. "Got any books on that?"

His expression was flat. "Of course we do. Folow me."

He disappeared into a row. We didn’t dare disobey.

An hour later, the books had piled up. There were four stacks, each two feet tal, on our library table, and there was a pile of open volumes around us.

The evidence of our failure to find anything useful.

I closed one more and rubbed my eyes, which were beginning to blur from scanning tiny print. The library doors opened, and Ethan stepped inside. My stomach lit with nerves, and I darkly wondered if that was going to happen every time I saw him for the rest of our immortal lives. I did not look forward to that possibility.

But it was what it was, and until I figured out a way to end his connection to Malory or change his mind, I stil had work to do, and I wasn’t going to let an irritating man get in the way of that.

He strode to our table and surveyed the mess with his hands on his hips.

"No luck?"

"Not even a little. We’ve found plenty of descriptions of conjuration. But not a single mention of anything remotely like what we saw. Nothing about one creature splitting into two identical creatures. I like books, but I don’t like it when they fail me. And tonight, they have failed me."

Ethan glanced around. "Where’s Paige?"

"With the librarian. They seem to be getting along wel."

He looked impressed. "Our librarian and the Order’s archivist. I suppose that’s fitting."

Clearly, Ethan was trying to act like everything was okay between us. And in a sense, it had to be – we had to work together, regardless of our personal drama. But if that’s what we were doing – pretending al was wel – then two could play at that game.

"They do have books in common. But then, I love books, and I’m not exactly hitting on him. We’l see how it goes. How are the transition plans coming along?"

"Slowly. Our ties to the GP are complex and contractual. Tentacular."

I looked up at him. "Tentacular. Nice word."

"I aim to impress." He glanced at his watch.

"Busy night?" I hated that I had to ask him, that I had no idea what his schedule held.

"On occasion it feels as though I exist to move from one meeting to the next."

"You could let Malik handle those meetings."

He gave me a flat look, the look of a Master vampire who couldn’t believe the Novitiate before him had said something so ridiculously naive.

"I am not officialy the Master of this House," he admitted, "but nor wil I relinquish my responsibilities."

"I wouldn’t dare suggest otherwise. What’s the next meeting about?"

"The vampire registration laws. One of Mayor Kowalcyzk’s aides has requested a meeting. There’s talk of stationing a booth in the foyer."

"Intrusive, but convenient."

"My thoughts exactly."

Paige stepped out of a row, a couple more books in her hands and a frown on her face.

"No luck so far?" Ethan asked.

"Nothing at al." She puled out a chair and took a seat. "But you can’t fault the resources."

"I shelve a nice library," Ethan agreed. "Wel, I’l be off. Good luck, and let me know if you find anything."

"Of course," I promised. I wasn’t going to miss a chance to tweak him a little more. On the other hand, I was the one who took in the view as he crossed back to the library door.

I’m pretty sure I sighed.

"Have you been together long?" Paige asked when I turned around again.

"We’re not together now."

She looked decidedly skeptical.

"It’s a long story." I leaned forward. "Listen, about this connection between him and Malory – do you know anything that would stop it?"

Paige frowned. "To tel you the truth, I’m not sure why he stil has the connection, especialy since the book was destroyed. But there could be methods or work-arounds I’m not familiar with."