Chapter Ten
Medic Williams came by at noon and examined Bryn head to toe. “Besides being a bit dehydrated and fatigued, you’re doing well.”
“She wants to fly,” Valmont said.
Bryn stuck her tongue out at him for ratting her out.
“Sorry, but I know you,” he said. “Once something is in your head, you don’t give up.”
“Flying has to wait until tomorrow. Today you need to eat and sleep.” Medic Williams pointed at Valmont. “While I’m here with Bryn, why don’t you go down to the cafe and pick up some food. Make that a lot of food. The more calories, the better.”
“All right. Any special requests?”
“Dessert.” Bryn’s mouth watered at the thought of chocolate.
“What kind?”
“Anything but cake.” It might be stupid that she refused to eat cake, but once a food is a vehicle for poison, it loses its appeal.
Valmont took off, and Medic Williams’s demeanor changed. “Bryn, we need to talk.” She headed for the couch and sat.
Oh, crap. She was using that I’m-going-to-say-something-which-will-tick-you-off voice. Bryn sat on the couch and waited to see what new tragedy was about to befall her life.
“What’s happening between you and Valmont is dangerous. You need to control your emotions. Getting as sick as you did, as quickly as you did, well, it’s unprecedented.”
Wait a minute. “I didn’t do it on purpose. What do you have to compare it to, old medical records? How do you know it wasn’t normal?”
“Whether it’s normal or not isn’t the point. I’ve never seen a case like this, and when we treated you, we were guessing. You can’t let this happen again.”
How had this turned into a game of blame the victim? “I didn’t do it on purpose. And there won’t be a next time.”
“I hope that’s true. Valmont cares about you, but he’s human and human behavior can be erratic.”
Where was this coming from?
“I appreciate your concern, but it’s unnecessary. I care about Valmont, and he cares about me. Everything will be okay.”
“I hope you’re right.”
They sat in uncomfortable silence waiting for Valmont to return. When he did, the tower of takeout boxes he carried was stacked higher than his head.
“What did you buy?” Bryn asked.
“A little of everything.”
Medic Williams stood. “I’ll let you eat. Bryn, I’m glad you’re feeling better. Let’s keep it that way.” And with that, she left.
Valmont set the stack of containers on the library table and popped the nearest lid. The savory scent of steak drifted across the room. “What’s the verdict? Do we need to send out for another deer?”
“No.” She inhaled, and her stomach growled. Bryn worked her way through a steak, two potatoes, a hamburger and half a pizza.
“Are you even chewing?” Valmont asked.
“Yes.” Mostly. “Now I’m ready for dessert.” She reached for the chocolate pie and then stopped. “If you want a piece, call dibs now, or I’m eating the whole thing.”
“I planned ahead.” He opened a small Styrofoam container to reveal a single piece of chocolate pie.
He’d bought her a whole pie. “You are the best knight ever.”
She polished off every last crumb and then leaned back in her seat and yawned.
“Why don’t you lie down while I clean this up?” Valmont stacked the empty boxes.
“I can help.”
“No need.” Once the containers were in the trash, Valmont led her to the couch. “Nap time.”
He stretched out on the couch. She joined him. Medic Williams’s words kept spinning through her head. Bryn pushed them aside. So she and Valmont had a hiccup in their relationship. Not a big deal.
A knock sounded from the terrace window startling her. That was odd.
They both sat up. Grabbing his sword, Valmont headed down the hall. While she doubted attackers would be polite enough to knock, she didn’t bother to point that out.
Miss Enid waved at Bryn from the terrace while Valmont unlocked the window, allowing the librarian to enter.
“Sorry to bother you, but I thought you might want some reading material while you recuperated.”
Bryn took the small black nylon duffel bag Miss Enid offered. “Thank you. Are these more legends books?”
“If anyone asks, that’s the answer you should give,” Miss Enid said in a conspiratorial tone.
The bag contained several faded black leather books with silver bindings and Days of Knights stamped on the cover along with volume numbers.
Valmont grabbed volume three. “This was my favorite. Talia’s grandmother must have read these stories to me dozens of times.” He flipped through the pages, which were covered in calligraphy.
“Are these hand written?” Bryn flipped open Volume One.
“The originals were.” Miss Enid ran her fingers over a page reverently. “These are replicas made on a printing press, but they are still old and fragile, so treat them with care.”
Bryn felt like she’d been entrusted with a secret treasure. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Miss Enid checked her watch. “I believe I’ll exit through your dorm rather than flying back.”
“Why would you want to do that?” Valmont asked. “You’ll have to deal with all the Blues staring at you.”
“When I was a student, that might have bothered me, but as a member of the faculty, I enjoy throwing the Blues off-balance a bit.”
“You sound like Mr. Stanton.” Bryn suspected Miss Enid and Mr. Stanton were involved even though their marriage petition had been denied. After all, they’d both refused any other alternative. It was kind of romantic to think about them sneaking around having a love affair.
Miss Enid grinned. “After all this time, maybe he’s a bad influence on me.”
Was that a confirmation? Bryn couldn’t tell. After showing Miss Enid out the front door, she joined Valmont on the couch. “What was your favorite story?”
He thumbed through the pages. “I’ll read it to you.”
Once upon a time, there was a young man named Gray Everscale who lived in a small fishing village. He dreamt of running away to seek adventure and glory. One day, while he sat fishing in his boat in the middle of the lake, he noticed something bright in the water. Curious, he dove in, barely making a splash. No matter how far he swam, the sparkling lights seemed just out of reach. When he finally stopped to look at his surroundings, he could no longer see his boat floating above him. His air was running low, so he swam toward the underground caverns the villagers hid in whenever the village was under attack.
As soon as he surfaced, he saw a beautiful maiden swathed in an iridescent white robe. Parts of the robe darkened, turning reddish brown.
“Have you come to steal more of my treasure?” the young woman spoke in a calm voice, pulling a dagger from her robe.
“I have no use for treasure.” As he spoke, the stains on her robe grew larger. “Are you injured?” He moved toward her but didn’t presume to touch.
She tossed a few sparkling stones at his feet. “Go. Leave me in peace.”
He kicked the jewels aside. “You’re bleeding.” Pulling off his shirt, he said. “Let me bandage your wounds. Then I’ll bring back a healer.”
She laughed. “And why would you go to such trouble for me, human?”
Freezing for a second, he tilted his head and stared. “You’re a dragon?”
In the small village, he’d met a few of the dragons who claimed the forest the villagers lived in as their territory, but they’d always been male.
“Aye.” The woman drew herself up to her full height, even though doing so must have caused her pain. “Do you still wish to help me?”
Common sense dictated he ask why she was here in another dragon’s territory, but he couldn’t bring himself to do that. Instead, he tore his shirt into strips. “I will bind your wounds. What happens after that is up to you—”
“Nyana,” the girl responded. “My name is Nyana.”
Gray bound the lacerations on her arms. Resentment boiled inside of him at the thought of someone hurting such a beautiful creature. “Tell me of your injuries.”
“I was sent here to treatise with Wraith Nightshade, but he did not care to listen. I offered him jewels, which he readily took, but then he set his knights upon me. I escaped to this underwater dwelling where I planned to bide my time while I healed.”
Gray sat next to her on the rocks. “Then I will wait with you.”
While she didn’t send him away, she didn’t seem thrilled with his company. Over the next few hours, she made several demands. She required water, food, and a fire. Each of these tasks he performed without complaint. He’d no idea how many hours had passed when a man emerged from the water.
“There you are.” The man moved toward her with his sword at the ready.
From his belt, Gray grabbed the knife that he used to gut fish. “Who are you?”
“I’m the one who will end your life.” The man spat.
With the practice of a boy who’d grown up playing with his father’s knives, Gray flung the blade, burying it up to the hilt in the man’s right eye. He went down on the spot, sinking back into the water. While he should have felt bad at taking another’s life, all Gray felt was peace, as a warmth of purpose filled his soul. He turned to Nyana and sank down on one knee. “You will never face battle alone again, my lady.”
A day later, once she was able to travel, Nyana and Gray emerged from the lake. She moved in with his family while he brokered a peace with the ruling dragons, and they lived happily ever after.”
Valmont shut the book and looked at her expectantly.
“I get that the knight rescued the dragon, but the whole knife in the eye thing was a bit gruesome. Why is that story your favorite?”
Valmont chuckled. “Don’t you get it? A nobody saved a dragon, and they lived happily ever after. And just so you know, I can hit an apple with a steak knife at sixteen feet.”
“Okay…why do you know the exact measurement?”
Valmont grinned. “That’s how wide the kitchen is. My brother and I measured so we’d know how far we could throw.”
Bryn shook her head. “I’m sure your mother loved that.”
“Growing up around knives and swords, no one seemed to care as long as we didn’t upset the customers.”
“What other knightly things did you do growing up? Did you find any underwater caves in the lakes around Dragons Bluff?”
“No, but not for a lack of trying.” He frowned and flipped pages in the book until he came to a map. He laid the book out flat for Bryn to see. “We did spend time searching for treasure.”
The drawing showed a main street in a small town. Nearby, there was a group of stone buildings fenced off and guarded by knights. “Is that supposed to be a castle, or the Institute?” Bryn pointed at the drawings of the stone buildings.
“I always thought it was a castle.” Valmont traced his finger down a path. “But after being on campus, I can see this resembles the Institute, and that looks like the library.” He tapped the building with the treasure chest drawn on top of it.
Bryn pulled the book closer. “Is this one of those knowledge is a treasure analogies, or is there a story that goes with this map?”
“If I remember correctly, A Knight’s Errand goes with the map.”
Bryn turned pages until she found the correct story. “Do you remember what it’s about?”
“A knight goes to collect a payment that was due to the dragons of his village. He rescues knights from an evil dragon, or something like that.”
Bryn and Valmont read the story together. When they finished, she turned back to the map. “So the knight rescued people from evil dragons, here.” Goosebumps broke out on Bryn’s arms as she pointed to the Institute. “What does that mean?”
Valmont sat back and rubbed his chin. “I guess it means the people who wrote this book didn’t love the Directorate or the Institute. Maybe that’s why your library doesn’t house these books.”
Bryn’s heart sped up. “Do you think we’ll find some clues in here about things the Directorate doesn’t want us to find? Clues about hybrid dragons who aren’t evil?”
“Maybe.” He reached into the bag and pulled out the remaining books and laid them on the table. “If there are clues of some sort, we should probably start with the first book.”
Half an hour later, Bryn had read her fill of gruesome fairytales in which someone was always stabbing someone or gouging out their eyes. “Why are these so violent?”
“Aren’t all tales violent, like the Brothers Grimm?”
“I grew up on the Disney movies, not the gory original versions.” Bryn’s eyes teared up as she remembered evenings spent with her parents in front of the television, munching on popcorn. She took a shuddering breath.
“Come here.” Valmont opened his arms and pulled her into a hug. “I’d ask if there was anything I could do, but I know the answer already.”
“Just having you here makes it better.” And that was the truth.
He kissed the top of her head and then released her from the embrace. “Do you have any more ideas about the books?”
The tomes lay scattered on the table. She lined them up one through five. There was some sort of pattern stamped into the leather on the covers, but she couldn’t quite make it out. Turning her head to the side, she tried again. “Do the covers go together like a puzzle?”
Valmont leaned closer and ran his fingers over the embossed leather. “I’ve never seen all the books at once. Normally we only had access to one at a time.” He performed the same head tilt maneuver. “It seems like they should form some sort of pattern, but I can’t see it.”
“Let’s call Clint and Ivy. They’re the artists. They probably know how to see it differently than we do.”
…
Clint and Ivy knocked on the terrace window half an hour later and came inside.
“You look so much better.” Ivy hugged her friend. “Now what’s this art puzzle you want us to look at?”
Bryn hadn’t thought it wise to say too much over the phone. As they walked into the living room, she explained the situation. “Before you look at these books, you need to know the Directorate would not approve of us even having them.”
“Books? What books?” Clint asked as he picked volume one up off the coffee table and studied it. “You never asked us to look at any books. Is that how we’re going to play it?”
“Exactly.” She explained the origin of the tales and how they thought there might be a map to things the Directorate didn’t want them to find. “I’m hoping for some sort of secret message.” And that’s when she realized she hadn’t told Clint and Ivy about having proof other hybrids existed. She still wasn’t sure she should drag them any deeper into her quest.
Clint flipped volume two open and then spread it out flat so the front, back cover, and spine were one smooth piece of leather. “What if we turn them all like this?”
Ivy helped him open all the books and lay them flat. Then they shuffled the covers around. Bryn and Valmont sat back watching them move the tomes around like they were part of one of those slider puzzles where you move the pieces and line them up to make a picture.
“The top branches are missing.” Ivy walked around the coffee table.
“Branches?” Bryn asked.
“You have to stand off to the side to see it,” Ivy said.
Bryn joined her friend. From this angle, the imprints in the leather book covers lined up to create a tree trunk and some branches.
“Are there more books?” Clint asked.
“I don’t know,” Valmont said. “What would a tree mean? I can understand a road map, but a tree?”
“Wait a minute.” Ivy moved the books so they were two across and three down and then walked around the table in a circle. “Nope. I’ve got nothing.”
Clint squinted like he was concentrating. “This is going to make me crazy.”
“Glad I could share the insanity,” Bryn said.
In an odd maneuver, Valmont stepped up onto the couch. “If it’s different angles we’re wanting, we should consider all of them. Think outside of the box.”
Ding, a light went off in Bryn’s brain. “A box is like a treasure chest.”
“Are we shouting out random facts now?” Clint asked.
“No.” Bryn went over to the art displayed on the shelves by the library table and grabbed a small hinged box made of black and white marble. “Maybe the books can be placed together to form a cube.”
Ivy shook her head. “A cube has six square sides. Open like this, the books are rectangles.”
Miss Enid’s warning flashed in Bryn’s mind. “These are old, we need to handle them carefully.”
“So we shouldn’t duct tape them together to make a pirate chest?” Clint pretended to be serious.
“Probably not.” Valmont hopped down off the couch and picked up book one and book two, fitting the covers together like different sides of a box. “If we’re on the right track we should be able to see something when we fit these together the right way.”
“But if it’s a three-dimensional object, it can’t be a map,” Ivy said. “You’d never see all the sides at once.”
Clint rubbed his temples. “This is giving me a brain cramp.”