Page 186 of Librarian

By some miracle, it’s still intact—barely.

It’s covered in cracks. I didn’t know it was possible for metal to look more fragile than glass.

Mathias can’t get his hands on it, but I cannae leave the door without the revenants breaking in.

They rush the barrier again, jarring the wood so it slams into my back. It’s a small office, but it’s not that small. I cannae reach over and grab it.

I raise the sword. This is the worst idea I’ve ever had, but it’s also the only one I’ve got.

Gently, ever so gently, I reach out.

The point of the sabre brushes over the remains of the phylactery and settles behind it, sending red glitter falling as I manipulate the metal tip across the desk towards me. Fuck, with my arm extended like this, the blade is heavier than before.

Still, it’s working.

Inch by inch, the metal draws closer…

Another shove at the door jolts me. Hard. The impact travels up my arm, making the blade lurch. The fragment is knocked aside.

My breath catches.

No.Damn it.

It skitters across the polished surface, spinning as it teeters towards the edge.

It’s half off the table. Gravity is going to win any second now.

There’s no way I can reach it if it falls.

I don’t get to finish that thought. There’s another enormous blow to the door, followed byanotherof those quakes. The dagger tip doesnae stand a chance.

The gold glimmers as it topples in slow motion towards the hardwood floor. I open my mouth, like I can conjure a cushion or something in the nanosecond before it hits.

Stars, if that thing breaks…

Please let it bounce. Roll away. Anything.

It hits. Shatters.

“Fuck.”

My breath catches. Holds.

Something in my chest relaxes, the sensation alien when my body is primed for fight or flight.

I squeeze my eyes shut as I wait for the moment my magic is sucked from my bones.

Nothing.

I peek at the carpet.

Is that it? The phylactery is destroyed, and we’re not part of the Library hive mind. I don’t feel myself being drawn to the Arcanaeum anymore.

This is…good?

That explains why my chest feels lighter. There’s no drain.

Thank magic. It’ll take time and rest for my reserves to refill, but we can kill the lich now. He’s not invulnerable anymore.