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k_a_webb“Can I help you?” a voice asked, making Glyn jump, and when he turned to look at the girl who’d spoken she laughed. “Lost in your own thoughts?”
“Yes, I was.” He smiled at her, hoping that it looked natural. “No, I don’t need any help, thank you.”
She studied him. “I would disagree as you don’t have the one tattoo that would permit you to enter this library, which must mean you’re a natural Walker. Being a natural Walker in the Council buildings isn’t safe.”
“I know.” He sighed. “This was the last place I wanted to be, but apparently this was where the door I stepped through wanted me to be.” He looked at her, hoping she wasn’t going to turn him in. “What are you going to do?”
“That really depends on you.”
“How so?”
“What do you want to do now that you’re here?”
Glyn looked around the library longingly and, for some reason, that made her laugh again. “You have no interest in hurting the current leader of the Council?”
He shook his head. “No, I don’t. I’m not sure who it is and I’m quite certain that if I did manage to remove him a son or daughter would just take his place.” He shrugged. “As far as I can tell the leader of the Council actually does more good than anything, because he tried to mitigate how much damage the fae’s decisions cause.”
“You know more than I thought you would.”
For a moment Glyn didn’t know how to reply. “Thank you?” He bit his lip. “How do you know about him?”
“The man currently in charge of the Council is my older brother.”
Again Glyn found himself speechless. “Your brother is the leader of the Council and you’re not going to turn me in?”
“No, I’m not. If you were planning on hurting him it would be a different matter, but you’re here purely for the books, so I’m going to give you the benefit of the doubt. Maybe I’m wrong to and I’ll regret it in the future.” She shrugged. “That’s yet to be seen. For now, though, you have my trust.”
“Why?”
“You’re the only person who looks at books in the same way my brother does. Being in this library means you should be safe enough, if you put this on.” She slipped a hand into her pocket, took out what appeared to be a temporary tattoo, and held it out to him. “It will last for three days and by the end of those three days I’ll know whether I’m going to introduce you to my brother or not. We have spare rooms for travelling Walkers, so I’ll put you in one of them, if you can bring yourself to leave the library, and if you can’t then there are sleeping spaces in here. Do you have any spare clothes?”
Glyn shook his head. “No, I didn’t think I’d be gone for very long.”
Biting on her lip she studied him. “You should be the same sort of size as my younger brother. I’ll get you some clothes, so you don’t have to wear the same things all the time.”
Mirrored from K. A. Webb Writing.