Page 32 of Librarian

Ten

Pierce

“Good, they’re looking after you.” Benny sweeps his eyes up and down Anthea’s plain clothes like they’re an improvement on the designer outfits she used to wear. “How’s the food?”

She narrows her eyes at him but aims her words at me instead of acknowledging our grandfather. “I should’ve guessed. You always did have a soft spot for the old man. How long have you been working for him?”

Benny helps himself to a dented metal stool on the other side of the room, drawing it closer to the bars. “Does it really matter? You yourself tried to defect from Isidora’s side, didn’t you?”

Anthea stares at me, and I stare back, lifting one shoulder.

I’m not here to talk to her. Benny wanted to see her, not me.

“She was going to have me executed,” she finally admits, glaring at me. “It should’ve beenyou, but?—”

“My dear, from the moment Pierce was proven to be more powerful than you, it was always obvious what would happen.You’re not stupid. You know your mother never meant to spare you.”

Anthea’s lips settle into a mulish line. “So I’ve been told. And now you’re going to kill me instead.”

“That depends.”

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen my sister go so still. What’s going on inside her head? If I know her at all, she’ll be looking to turn this to her advantage.

“What do you want, Grandfather?”

Benny offers her a genial smile. “I want many things?—”

“From me,” she amends. “What do you want fromme?”

“Let’s settle for your grimoire burned to ashes, and your memory wiped clean of all the dark magic you’ve already learned from your delightful mentor.”

Her pallor turns sickeningly pale. “And if I refuse?”

I scoff, turning away. Antheacan’trefuse. She’s a prisoner. If our grandfather were even slightly less principled, he could easily force the matter. That point seems to slowly hit home for her as the silence between them stretches.

Besides, a memory wipe spell isn’t always permanent. A new grimoire can be filled with whatever she chooses. Benny is giving her the chance, but there’s every opportunity for her to throw it back in his face. Really, he should insist on a covenant to make sure she doesn’t fall back on bad habits.

That’s not how he is.

He places too much value on things like free will.

“I’d rather die,” she spits.

“Given how you reacted to your arrest and impending execution, I sorely doubt that.” Benny steeples his ring-covered fingers in front of him. “What I’m offering you is a gift. As long as you do exactly as you’re told and swear not to return to the forbidden school, you can start anew. Once this is over, and you’ve helped us achieve our aims, you can live peacefully inexile amongst the inepts. You can even continue to use magic, as long as you’re discreet. A new grimoire. A fresh start.”

He pulls a brown-leather book from inside his sporran, which stretches in a telltale sign that it’s been magically altered. It’s a typical spell book, but the cover is so plain and unassuming that Anthea would never have chosen it for herself. Still, her eyes don’t leave it as he flicks through the blank pages, taunting her.

She’ll never go for this. My scheming sister is only at home amongst the rich and the powerful. A quiet life would eat away at her, and we would never be able to trust her to stay in exile.

“Why should I believe you?” she demands. “What do you get out of it besides the satisfaction of seeing me humbled?”

Benny sighs and leans back, tapping the book against his knee. “Think about the moment Mathias and your mother stood back and watched enforcers drag you away. What did you feel?”

Anthea pins me with a glare, and I turn away rather than face the accusation there. I wish I wasn’t even a part of this conversation.

“Betrayal.”

“Go on.”