Aurora

Chapter Three

The school library was situated in an old building, two streets away from her actual school. Go figure. Aarushi parked her bike, waiting for Will to get off. He hadn’t said a word all through the ride, and she wondered if he really was scared. Aarushi rolled her eyes at that. Sword fights were fun and this is what he was scared of.

“You okay?” She asked as she climbed off the bike herself.

“Of course.” Will answered, his lips turning down in dismay. “You may want to get a new bike though. Or maybe a car? This one feels like it’ll disintegrate at any moment.” 

Aarushi looked away, resisting an urge to snap at him.

“Lets go.” she said instead, leading the way to the reading room on the first floor. A library card wasn’t required to sit in the reading room, so that’s where they’d go.

The reading room was big, but there were scarcely any windows, so it felt a bit stuffy, especially when it was populated. For now, there were only a few people in the room, and Aarushi hoped they were enough. There was the librarian, seated on a chair besides the shelf full of magazines and periodicals. Aarushi didn’t like that woman. She had no interest in reading whatsoever. She cursed the school administration everyday for giving the job to such an undeserving woman. 

There were also a few students, spread all over the room in ones and twos. Aarushi sighed in relief when she realized they were all strangers. But then again, none of her friends were studious enough to want to come study here, of all places.

Aarushi shuffled into a seat in the far back, laying her bag on the desk. She pulled out a couple of textbooks, passing one in front of Will as he took a seat beside her. The librarian may not be a reader, but she loved silence more than anything. And she threw out any kid she saw without a book. She took the room’s name very seriously.

As her eyes scanned the room one last time, her eyes fell on the dark shadows in the corner. She shuddered, imagining a pair of eyes staring at her from their depths. He’s not here, she reprimanded herself and turned towards Will.

“So...you’re a Nephilim...and he is?” Aarushi spoke, keeping her voice low.

Will nodded. “Markus is a fallen angel. He fell a long time ago, but he’d been silent, almost invisible until a few years ago. But then, he started showing up again. And he’d changed.” 

“Changed?” 

“There was this darkness to him, you know. When he fell, he’d been ripped off of his powers, all of it, his wings, his magic, everything.”

Aarushi’s eyes widened. “He’s a fallen angel!” she exclaimed, but clamped her mouth shut immediately, realizing just how loudly she’d spoken. She looked up to see the librarian glaring at them, but then she saw her eyes widen. The librarian rubbed her eyes and stared at them again, only this time, she didn’t meet Aarushi’s eyes. She shook her head and went back to whatever she’d been doing, frowning and muttering something Aarushi couldn’t hear.

Aarushi frowned. “What just happened?’

Will grinned sheepishly. “Well, I glamoured you so she wouldn’t see you anymore. I guess i surprised her a little.

Aarushi laughed. “Good for her. Wait. What about you? You don’t need a glamour, was it?”

“I already have it on . . . Wait a second. You can see me!”

“Well, duh. Of course I can. I'm talking to you, aren't I?" Aarushi frowned.

“But you’re human.” Will’s frown deepened, and he ran a hand through his hair.