Rell and The Rose

Ch. 34, A Giant Rat

Rell

Bastien rolled back the heavy doors, and I was barely able to control a gasp.

I'd never seen a room so magnificent.

Shelves of books soared up to peaked ceilings made of glass, the storm held raging above while the rain cast endless ripples over the glass. It reminded me of a time I'd swam with the dark mer, and a storm raged above, though all was calm in the depths of the lake. On the far side of the library, a fire burned steady in a massive marble fireplace, and filled the room with warm scents of wood, leather and paper. I stepped into the room and pushed my toes into thick, plush carpet.

"My father never let me in here. I think he thought I might turn into some crazy book-burning Natzi and start chucking books into the fireplace." He laughed, but it wasn't the same laugh he'd had at lunch. It was bitter... and a little sad.

"What made him change his mind?"

"He didn't. I stole the key."

"I can see why... It's beautiful."

"More than Walmart?" His smile was teasing, but I seriously considered the question.

"Beautiful in a different way."

Poxel poked his head out of my pocket as Bastien led us across the room to the fire. He had taken a particular liking to a new small mouse-like creature with a stripe down its back. He called it a chipmunk.

I don't see what's so great about it... Can we play fire-ball tag?

No! Don't let Bastien see you. Even though we'd discussed The Blood Rose, I wasn't entirely sure how to introduce him to Poxel. I was hoping the books might provide a perfect segway... providing he didn't burn them to the ground first.

Poxel's eyes grew wide.

FIRE!!!!!

Poxel made a sudden spectacular leap towards the flames, and I barely managed to grab his tiny body, his eyes bulging as I accidentally squeezed him in an effort to grab him. I barely managed to stuff him back into my pocket before Bastien glanced back.

Bastien said his father wanted him to throw the books into the fire! I will help!

He sent me an image of him releasing the fire, so that it fed on all the books, and I quickly sent him back a picture of him, outside, alone, in the pouring rain.

No, he said his father DIDN'T want books thrown into the fire.

You sure?

Yes. Your listening skills are selectively destructive. Now hush. Or I'll make you wait in the rain. Besides, there's something odd about this place...

I hadn't realized it before, but now that we stood deeper in the library, I realized that there was a sort of energy here, or maybe a darkness, that I hadn't felt before in the Human Realm.

I came to stand beside Bastien, before the roaring fire. The fireplace was made of white marble, with two lions etched into the stone. Bastien stared into the flames, his brows drawn close together, as if he were on the edge of some great decision.

"I always thought father didn't want me here because he didn't trust me," his voice was low, almost blending into the sounds of the fire and rain. "But it never occured to me it might be because he was hiding something."

Then he reached forward, and pushed one of the lion's heads sideways. There was a sound inside the wall, an ancient creaking and groaning, and then, slowly, the entire fireplace began to spin, taking both of us with it.

I made to jump back, but Bastien reached out, taking my hand in his own.

"Trust me," he said simply. His hand held mine and I let the fireplace spin, held in place like the touch of his hand had created a new reality. The room of electricity and carpet disappeared, revealing the room behind the fireplace. It was lit only by the flickering of the flames behind us, and it took me a moment for my eyes to adjust. The stone slid into place and sealed us in.

"Bastien... where are we?" Slowly the darkness took shape. The room was small and cold, made of all stone, and the books here were different, covered in dust, voluminous, and ancient looking. The only furnishings were two crude wooden chairs and a wooden table.

Bastien was still, staring at the room, he's eyes dark... and somehow dangerous. "I found this place a long time ago. But I only snuck when I was sure both my parents were gone. But now..." His voice trailed off, and I felt a sudden surge of pity.

"What happened to him? Your father?"

He turned to one of the shelves, the light of the fire casting his face into shadow.

"I've always gotten the impression he doesn't really care about anything but money," he shrugged, only the hardness in his eyes revealing his hurt. "Except for my mom; he would do anything she asked with a snap of her fingers. But once she went asleep, and the doctors couldn't figure out how to wake her, it was like something completely turned off in him. He packed a bag and left. Never looked back. Not that I care," he said quickly. "We're better off without him." He said it as if to be cavalier, but I could hear the hurt disguised deep in his voice. I wanted to reach out to him, reassure him maybe, but I had no idea what to say.

"What about you? Where are your parents?"

I shrugged. "Never had any. I was raised in the castle, with Lorcan."

"Lorcan?"

I pulled a book off the shell, turning through the pages listing potions. There was one that had been bookmarked. A Love Potion. I closed the book and placed it back on the shelf.

"Lorcan is the Dark Prince. He sort of... adopted me. Always made sure I had enough to eat. I swore fealty to him when I turned twelve."

"So he sent you to find The Blood Rose?"

"Something like that."

Rell, something is wrong. I don't like it here. Poxel had curled into a tiny, still ball, but I barely heard him. Bastien pulled down another book, thumbing through it.

"Well, any idea where to start?" I suddenly understood the enormity of the task.

Bastien just shrugged. "Well, you start at that end, and we'll meet in the middle."

"Alright."

One by one we pulled down books, leafing through the pages for any mention of The Blood Rose. Some I put back after a cursory glance, others took more time, speaking of ancient magic and lands I'd never heard of. The minutes stretched into hours.

I had pulled a volume down and was leafing through the book at a table, my head nodding against my chest and my eyes bleary, when I suddenly jerked up to the sound of a heavy thud, like a book had dropped from up high. I looked up in shock; Bastien's arm was extended, like he'd thrown a book and not dropped it.

"Rell, Watch out!" he yelled. "There's a giant rat in the corner!"