Chapter Twelve
Evie walked to the library, still burning inside over what had occurred. That woman was awful. Calling her trash just because she was human. The tramp sounded like her father. Cammie’s hatred had no basis, simply stemming from the knowledge they were different. The way she spoke about Max and Caleb alone made Evie not like her, but add in the woman’s blatant interest in Soma Dashiel, and Evie’s dislike turned into something darker.
Was Cammie someone Soma Dashiel was interested in? Did he let outer beauty overshadow the ugliness of her soul? The Surmata female was beautiful, her body toned. Plus, she had the one thing Evie would never have; she was the right species. In her head, Evie knew she could never be with Soma Dashiel, or any of his brethren, but she couldn’t stop this stupid crush from developing. It didn’t help that Evie was suddenly drawn to several different men on a visceral level.
Evie sighed heavily as she trudged up the stone steps to the library’s double door entrance. She needed to push thoughts of crushes and guys aside and concentrate on her schoolwork like she’d always done in the past. Circumstances out of her control may have brought her here, but she wasn’t going to waste this opportunity.
The interior of the library was well lit, the dark wood walls and marble floors contrasting nicely with the light, whitewashed walls. Row after row of bookcases lined the room with plenty of seating in the middle. Evie walked to the front desk where a middle-aged human woman manned the counter, pulling books out of a bin marked Returns. Evie stood patiently while she waited for the woman to notice her.
“Yes, dear. What can I help you with?” The woman spoke softly, and Evie strained to catch the words.
“I’m looking for Selja Inian, please. I’m supposed to have a class with him.” Antsy, Evie’s fingers beat a rhythm against her legs.
Her class had started five minutes ago, but staying late in her prior class and daydreaming as she walked, put her behind. Evie hated to be late. She detested the trait in others and always made sure to be a few minutes early, no matter what the occasion.
Max had always laughed at her when she would show up to half drag him out of his cabin because he ran late. She lectured him repeatedly to no avail. The man would be late to his own funeral.
“Go down this hallway.” The woman pointed to her right, and Evie nodded in acknowledgment. “At the end of the last bookcase, turn right and follow the row of books. There’s a cut through midway, but keep going. It ends at the door to his office. Make sure you knock before entering, but if he doesn’t answer, go inside and wait. He’s expecting you, my dear.”
Evie thanked the woman and hurried down the corridor, wanting to find the office before the clock spun any later. When she turned right as directed, she spotted the door about thirty feet ahead of her. Concentrating on her destination, she almost ran into someone who stepped out from an aisle between two bookcases.
The girl, slightly older than Evie, murmured out a quick apology before she ducked back down the corridor. Small in stature, with purple hair and black-rimmed glasses, she wore a rainbow colored shirt and a jean skirt. The girl’s shoes drew Evie’s attention downward. Rainbow colored Converse with purple and orange laces. Envy sprang forth. Evie wanted, no needed, those shoes. Poised to ask the quirky girl where she shopped, she watched in dismay as the girl disappeared from sight around the end of the aisle.
She missed her chance.
Lost in thought, Evie almost forgot she needed to be somewhere. With a shake of her head, she ran-walked the rest of the way. Huffing as she reached the door, she knocked, impatiently waiting for an answer. A muffled noise came through the door, sounding like a command to enter. Without hesitation, she opened the door and walked into the room. Similar in style and taste to Soma Dashiel’s, this office held a heaviness in the air not present in the Soma’s office. The room held knowledge, years of use permeated the air like a fragrant odor, part musty, part leather.
A man stood by the table positioned under a large window. A desk, layered with manuscripts, scrolls, and thick tombs of hand bound leather books, sat to his right.
The man muttered to himself, stroking a short, gray beard that covered his chin. Age hunched him over. Taller than Evie by at least half a foot, the way he stooped made him appear shorter. His thinness gave him an air of frailty until he turned his attention on her.
Wisdom shone in the depths of his gaze. The man before her had lived a long time, chronicling each detail in his long life, never losing his sharpness.
“Selja Inian?” she asked reverently. Standing in an elder’s presence, Evie felt a strong urge to bow or at least offer homage at his feet.
“Yes, child. You must be Miss Saunders.” He moved with a grace that belied his age. Sharp nose, crystalline eyes, and thin lips gave him a hawkish appearance; the wrinkles only enhanced the effect. He held out a hand to shake Evie’s, his grip firm for one so old. “Come, come. I have an appointment shortly, so we need to get started.”
Selja Inian led her to an interior door and walked through it, expecting her to follow. The large inner room, easily four times the size of his office, contained bookcases that overflowed with books, with only enough space left for the large table surrounded by eight chairs sitting in the middle of the room.
“This is my personal collection. Human students are not allowed to view these, but I have made an exception for you. In case you haven’t figured it out yet, your class is a self-study course. You’ve proven in your course work at MIT that you are capable of managing your time well. I will expect you to do the same here. When we received your transcripts, I knew a traditional classroom setting would do you no service. The rest of the student body would make it drag, and you would be bored, so I came up with this alternative.
“Think of this as an introductory course to Metaphysics. It will lay the foundation for future course work. You may pick any book from my collection. Study it, memorize it, and learn it. Once finished, log the title on the clipboard I keep pegged by the door. Then pick another book, and repeat the process. You will not be able to read every book in this room, some are written in other languages, but there are hundreds you can. From time to time, I’ll check the log to see what you have studied and quiz your knowledge verbally. Other times, I will call for you to sit with me to share a cup of tea or coffee, and we will talk more in depth about the topics you have covered. If you satisfy me with your retention, you pass the class. You will also learn more about the supernatural than you ever thought possible.”
The elder turned his gaze back on Evie, his eyes calculating as he watched her. Selja Inian caressed the spine of a nearby book as he continued. “I have two restrictions. My first is that all books must stay within this room or my office. They cannot leave. The books located in the main section of the library may be checked out, taken back to the dorms, but nothing housed here within my walls. My second restriction is that you not share anything you learn here with any of the other human students. This is protected information. Only select faculty have access to it. You may, of course, share with your friend Max and any of your Surmata instructors. They will be able to answer any questions you have if I am not around.
“You must be extra careful with these books. Some are centuries old and are a tad fragile. When you are done with a book, please place it back exactly where you found it. It may not seem like it, but there is a system I keep. And I don’t want to have to hunt for something when I need it.
“I know this class is listed in your schedule for a specific time period, but I personally hate schedules. Your keycard is coded to open the exterior library door as well as the door to my office and my collections. You are free to come and go as you please. No matter what the time.”
Blown away by the knowledge the elder trusted her to have the run of the library, Evie nervously tried to voice her question. Her father would kill for the knowledge contained within these walls. Why give her free rein?
“Because you are not your father.”
Evie’s brow scrunched up. Had she spoken out loud?
The Surmata gave her an endearing smile. “There’s no need for speech. You have an open face, Miss Saunders, easily read. I saw the question without you speaking it.”
“I can come anytime, but I need to keep what I learn from others unless they are faculty?” Evie clarified, still trying to wrap her brain around this new development.
“Surmata faculty, actually. The human professors do not have access to this information.”
“But why? Why me? Why am I receiving special treatment? First the dorm room, then admittance to the restricted side of the campus, and now this.” What made her so special? She was just a human girl, struggling to make a life for herself, far away from the plans her father had for her future.
The elder contemplated her for a few moments before he spoke, “How much do you know about the Surmata?”
“Not much, more now than yesterday, but not enough.”
“Surmata are born with abilities humans will not, and cannot ever, possess. Magical abilities we call Voima. Every Surmata is born with the same abilities, but as they grow, only select powers grow with them. Those abilities become their greatest strengths as they mature. We call those stronger gifts, Mahti. Powers differ for each of us as we mature as does the strength level. My Mahti may be another’s weakness and vice versa. One of my Mahtis is the gift of sight. I am the strongest amongst my species. It’s a unique gift among my kind. It’s extremely rare for it to mature into a usable ability. There are none of my species who can rival me, at least, not yet.
“Surmata retain all of the natural born abilities we receive at birth. Those that don’t strengthen into Mahti, stay in a weakened state. We call those abilities, Heikko.
“Now you, child, I saw when you were fifteen. I had a vision and knew instantly you were important. To this day, I do not know why, but I knew you had to be protected at all costs. With that knowledge, I placed the order for your protection, and Maximillian was sent to your father’s camp.
“In my vision three years ago, I saw you here, in this room, dressed as you are now. I knew this day would come, and I knew you could be trusted, but it was all I knew. The goddess hasn’t seen fit to clue this old man into her grand plans for you yet. But, I’m sure with the both of us working closely together we will unearth the reason she wanted you brought here.”
The elder moved closer to place a hand on Evie’s shoulder. “You’ve made quite the impression on Maximillian. That alone says something of your character. He is a half demon and can pick up deception easier than those around him. One of his gifts is the ability to tell truth from fiction. A Surmata lie detector of sorts. Can he be fooled? Well, of course, he can. Anyone with the smarts you possess would be able to figure out the weaknesses of his gift and exploit it. But, you would need to know he had the ability. You have earned his undying loyalty and with his, you also have Caleb’s.”
Evie was embarrassed to find out Max discussed aspects about her with others but at the same time, it warmed her heart to hear how Max and Caleb felt about her.
He chuckled to himself before moving away. “You have more than those two, but you will learn more about that as time goes by. Max talks about you all the time. All those times he disappeared, he teleported here and shared his experiences with me and his close friends and family. You were already beloved by others before you even arrived.”
Evie shifted uncomfortably. She had yet to meet any of Max’s family or friends. Just how many people knew about her?
The elder folded his arms in front of him, nodding for her to follow him. “You look skeptical, but what I’m telling you is the truth. Maximillian’s natural storytelling ability, and his apparent devotion to you, is well known and is shared by others. You, Evie, have a light soul, one which shines brightly. You will draw others to you if you allow the light to be seen. Now, I have talked quite a bit, and my throat’s dry. How about a cup of tea?” Evie wasn’t a tea drinker, but she didn’t want to offend the Surmata elder, so she nodded her acquiescence. “Splendid. Follow me. I ordered a cart to be brought in after your arrival. It should be out in the main office by now.”
True to his word, a gold cart sat in front of a large fireplace, complete with tea setting.
“Please have a seat, Miss Saunders.” He gestured to two large chairs positioned in front of the fireplace. When Evie sat in the one opposite from the cart, the over-sized chair dwarfed her small frame, her feet dangling five inches off the floor. “Do you take cream and sugar in your tea?”
Not sure, she nodded and stayed quiet, watching him pour the steaming hot contents into two small teacups before he doctored both with equal parts cream and sugar. He placed her cup on a saucer, his hand steady as he handed it to her. He took his own and sat in the matching chair across from her, his feet planted on the floor.
Too hot to drink and afraid to spill it, Evie held the cup balanced on her thighs. Selja Inian must have felt the same way because he set his saucer and cup on the small side table next to him.
Questions pushed at her to break the silence. “Selja Inian—”
“Please, Miss Saunders. You have leave to call me Inian.”
“Th-thank you,” she stammered out. “Please call me, Evie.”
Her encounters with the Surmata race exceeded her imagination. She’d fantasized about meeting one all her life, but those fantasies paled in comparison to the real thing. She’d envisioned a more warlike mentality in all Surmata warriors, believing them to be all about fight, death, and destruction.
She took a deep breath. “You said you had a vision of me, here, today, about three years ago?”
Inian took a sip of his tea before replying. “That’s correct. It was a silent vision, so I didn’t know what we spoke of, but I did picture you here, as you are. Normally, my visions relate to Surmata events and lives. To get a vision of a human girl was odd, which is why I knew it was important. The goddess was trying to tell me something.”
“The goddess. Who is she?”
Sitting forward, the elder tsked, “That is a story you must figure out on your own, Evie. There are several books on the goddess in my collection. If she wishes you to know more, she will guide your hand when selecting which books to read.
“Don’t misunderstand me. I would love to share my knowledge with you, but I know the goddess has plans for you. I would hate to share something that influenced you in the wrong direction. I honestly do not know how much of my knowledge to reveal. I need you to choose what to read. Through your choices, the goddess will guide my hand in this like she will guide yours in your selections.
“I have a feeling things will begin to move fast, Evie. You will need to remain strong. But most of all, you will need to learn to trust. Secrets shine in your eyes. Open yourself up to making friendships here. Like you did with Maximillian.”
“But make friendships with only Surmata? Trust only them?” Evie sipped her tea, suppressing her grimace at the soured taste, as she waited for him to answer.
“Not what I meant. You may make friends with whomever you choose, but be mindful of who to trust. There are those housed within these walls that mean you harm. Of that I am sure.” He stared down at his teacup, his face thoughtful. “I sense you will face many obstacles in your future. Your path is not set yet. Your choices determine which path through life you follow. Some decisions will lead you closer to happiness and fulfillment. Others will lead you to your destruction. The paths are always changing, so a decision today can alter tomorrow’s path. Nothing is finite. Nothing is certain. But learn and grow with each choice. Rely on the friends you come to trust, they will help you overcome your fear.”