Page 126 of Librarian

He shrugs. “It’s pot roast. Hours.”

I nudge the door open with my hip. “I’ll be back before then. I just need some peace to work out this runeform.”

Once I’m done with this, I intend to do the same with the chant that funnels magic into the Arcanaeum.

It’s more dark magic than I ever wanted to study, but I have no choice.

I don’t really have a destination in mind as I roam the halls. I certainly don’t drift towards the Astrology Tower intentionally.

But when I reach the middle of Defender’s Hall and find the spiral staircase there has been restored, I pause.

Leo has been single-minded in his determination to put the building back the way it was, but I didn’t know he’d made it this far.

How much did he do? When did he manage it? I tilt my head back, trying to see up, but it’s no use.

I’ll just take a peek. If he’s still working on it, I’ll leave him to it and find somewhere else.

I scale the stairs one at a time, heart beating faster as I trace the grain on the banister with my fingers. If I didn’t know better, I’d think it was exactly as before.

But then again, Leo always spent so much time up here. It’s no wonder he remembered all of the details.

When I reach the top and find him with a pen behind one ear, staring at the dark blue painted ceiling with a frown, I have to cover my mouth.

The mural of the starlit sky might be missing, but absolutely everything else isexactlyas it was. Right down to the etchings on the brass armillary sphere and the decorative escutcheons on the index card drawers.

I must make a noise, because he whirls, surprise written across his face.

“Wait. I’m not finished—I?—”

“You did all this?”

His Adam’s apple bobs. “Yeah.” He clears his throat. “I…I was hoping to surprise you, but I can’t figure out how you did the ceiling. Whatever I cast, it just doesn’t look right.”

I hum under my breath. “It was an old spell… I don’t remember the runeform. It’s somewhere in the Vault, but…”

The Vault is huge. Even I can’t remember every grimoire down there.

We lapse into silence, and Leo’s eyes travel down from my face, lingering on Dakari’s locket resting in the hollow of my collarbones. Finally, he notes the papers I’m holding against my chest, and his head tilts to one side.

“Do you want me to leave?”

There’s no pressure in the question, and that makes it easier to shake my head. “No. Stay. I have something for you.”

He falls into his chair, and for a heartbeat, I debate returning to my usual place at his feet, but I don’t.

Not yet.

For now, I conjure myself a matching seat on his left and pull out another piece of paper that’s been hiding amongst the others.

His contract.

Leo’s eyes go wide.

“Circumstances have changed,” I say before he can interrupt. “Your family is free from the ensorcellment, and I’m not ignorant of your efforts to reverse the damage you did. While things aren’t yet back to how they were, the Arcanaeum is currently safe, and I don’t believe that you’d betray me again if given the chance.”

He has no reason to. Mathias has nothing to use against him anymore.

“I—”