Quill of Thieves

Chapter 24

The sight of Abel surrounded by a siege of books was as foreign to Sebastian as the Scribal tongue was to Abel.

She tossed another heavy book his away with a grumble, strands of auburn hair falling from the ribbon she'd used to tie it back. A lone piece swung in front of her eyes, and she swatted at it impatiently.

"Another translation required," she informed him as the book she'd thrown landed across his outstretched legs. "And quit smirking at me," she added. "I'm perfectly capable of reading and studying magical elements with you."

His jesting grin grew. "As long as it's written in a language you can understand, that is."

She huffed at him and reached for another scroll. "I'm sorry that I don't understand stupidity."

Sebastian chuckled, flipping the book over in his lap to translate the front cover. "Concepts of Elemental Magic." He peeled back the first few pages, and nearly gagged at the smell. Ancient mothballs and decaying skin wafted from the thinning pages. "You would think books would smell nicer," he commented.

"Yes, because books are the modern day roses," Abel quipped.

He grinned over at her. Once he'd given into the belief of the elements, a pressure had lifted from his esophagus, not to mention the continual support of Abel's presence. She focused him. They'd fallen into an easy rhythm as they passed the books and scrolls back and forth, looking for anything that could help Sebastian survive tomorrow's trial.

Sebastian looked up to check the moon dial by the window. Dawn would rise shortly. He tried not to think about it.

The one person Sebastian could do without was Captain Matthias, who stood by the double doors, clicking his tongue impatiently every hour or so.

Like now. Click, click. Sebastian sighed; he was another hour closer to his first task. Matthias made a reliable timekeeper, at least.

"Are you ever going to actually try?" Matthias drawled from his post.

Sebastian ignored him—again—and scoured the table of contents, but he heard Abel snap, "Are you ever going to leave?"

Matthias only clicked his tongue once more. Either that, or it was his jaw. It was hard to tell because the captain always held himself so stiffly. Sebastian wondered if it was part of his guard training. Doing his best to ignore the clicking, Sebastian dragged a finger down the contents of the books: 1. Elementi of Fire. He looked over at the flames still sputtering half-heartedly in the fireplace and shook his head.

"Let's start with something that won't kill me."

"There's that fighting spirit I've come to adore about you," Abel said.

Sebastian shook his head and kept his finger moving to the other chapters. After all, he'd had a near panic attack when his fingers had caught aflame. He wasn't about to make that mistake again. Besides, the first trial was going to test him on the water element. Hopefully he wouldn't even have to deal with fire—wait. Scribal Hell! Water could be used to extinguish fire!

There better not be any fire tomorrow.

He continued down the list until he saw 5. Elementi of Water. Perhaps he should be grateful that the first task was water-based. He'd grown up around the ocean his entire life, after all, being from Eilibir. It could give him an advantage. Curiosity bubbled within him as he opened to the designated page and began to read.

Huh. Seemed simple enough, but to get his mind to believe it was another feat entirely. He read the chapter through twice more, his fingers flexing beside him. He glanced at Matthias's statuesque form. Maybe he could try...