Page 38 of Librarian

“That’s a terrible idea.”

Benny’s words stun me to silence, but Pierce is already agreeing with him. “The Arcanaeum locked you out to protect itself. The moment Mathias finds you, he’ll use the dagger to control you, just like last time. If you’re reconnected to the building while he’s in possession of that blade, he wins.”

“Well, what would you have me do?” I demand, then rear back as I read the truth in his eyes, then North’s, thenLambert’s… All of them. All of them are giving me the exact same look. “You want me to hide.”

The very idea grates. Hiding? Doing nothing as he murders his way back into the Library?

“Not hiding,” Benny corrects. “Waiting. You’re not the only one who has been working against Mathias. I have an extensive network in place, with people in enforcement and Isidora’s household.”

“Carltons and their spies,” Dakari mutters under his breath.

“Teach us what we need to know to go after him and let us do it,” North suggests. “Fuck this creeping around bullshit. He’s a danger to everyone, and we’re strong enough to defeat him. We know the phylactery is in the knife, right? Problem solved.”

Lambert nods, like he thinks that’s even possible.

Swallowing back my sadness, I break their dreams of valour with cold logic. “But youaren’tstrong enough. Not individually, at least.”

North only knows a handful of destruction spells, and his overconfidence would be amusing if the circumstances were different.

“I could train you for the rest of your lives, and you wouldn’t learn even a fraction of the magic that Mathias commands. A brute force attack would only end with you all dead.”

As much as he may terrify me, I’m the only one who comes close to his knowledge and power.

“Wait,” Benny repeats. “We need to sow enough chaos that they’re caught off guard when we do strike. If we can gather enough evidence, we may even get enforcement on our side and wipe out a considerable portion of their supporters. You may be the only person alive with a magical ability to rival Matty’s, but right now, you’re in no condition to fight. It would be better for you to put your considerable talents towards breaking the other Ó Rinn ensorcellments?—”

“She doesn’t have to do that,” Leo objects, and I groan at the reminder that he’s here. “I’m handling it.”

Benny raises a brow. “We need all the allies we can get. If Kyrith is willing, bringing Ó Rinn to our side is the most strategic use of her time.”

“The Librarian has done enough. She owes us nothing.”

My eyebrows rise, because I promised to help, but before I can say as much, Leo continues.

“And it’s a mite suspicious that a Carlton is telling us to sit on our arses while his daughter helps a lich destroy arcandom.”

“I’m telling you to wait while we build up alliances.”

Leo isn’t placated. “You met with Anthea earlier. Why would you do that when she’s been on their side since the beginning?”

Benny cares for his grandchildren. The truth potion told me as much. I understand Leo’s suspicion, but I’m willing to bet that the older Carlton is trying to judge whether his granddaughter can be saved. While his optimism may be misplaced, I’m certain his judgement is sound.

Otherwise, Anthea would be here right now, or on the run again.

I open my mouth to tell them Benny is trustworthy, but he lets out a long sigh.

“Because once upon a time, I was a young arcanist who’d just lost the love of his life. I became enthralled by a magister who promised he could reunite me with her…” His shoulders drop, fingers lacing together under his chin. “The sad truth is, by the time he’d finished showering me with his attention, I didn’t even want her resurrected. I wanted to move on, with him. He was wonderful with Izzy and seemed to genuinely care about both of us.”

He pauses, and my heart falls, because it sounds like he’s saying he…loved Mathias. Then a cold mask drops down over his normally affable face.

“As soon as he was sure I was properly under his thrall, Matty slowly tore my life apart, used me up, and left me for dead. Not unlike several others at this table.” Benny looks at Leo, and then Jasper, and finally at me. “Not unlike Anthea.”

His words touch a nerve, but before I can object, he continues. “I visited her to see if she could be convinced to join us.”

“She’s a necromancer,” Jasper objects. “They kill people. It’s in the name.”

“She was the one who hit me with all of those ensorcellments,” Eddy adds. “And it’s not like she apologised while we were cell buddies, either.”

Pierce’s knuckles turn white, but he says nothing in his sister’s defence.