Page 98 of Librarian

The room is smothered in it. The door and the bars of Jasper’s cell glow from how much power is in them, and the imposing black desk is almost invisible under the glow.

Dakari’s route has taken him over several, but by some miracle, they remain dormant. There’s a circle around where the revenant was standing…

They must be tied to the use of magic. As the revenant is a magical construct, it would’ve triggered them had it moved over one. That’s why Mathias had to leave the area around it free of alarms. If Dakari hadn’t gotten as close to it as he did before killing it…

We probably would’ve been caught straight away.

“New plan,” Eddy whispers. “We’re taking the dagger home with us.”

“Agreed,” North says, hopping over the window and landing in the safe spot on the other side with a muffled thump.

We can’t let this opportunity pass, but my heart transmutes into lead.

Do we have time? That thing must be coated in protective spells. Mathias won’t be gone forever.

“Come on, Ice Queen. I’ll help you up.” North is already holding his hand over the windowsill.

“What about me?” Eddy mutters, but the moment I’m steady, he helps her over, too.

I hold my breath. Surely, now we’re all inside, something will happen, some trap I’ve not accounted for will spring.

Nothing.

Cautiously, I move through the webs of magic, picking my way over to where Dakari is already staring at the bars between us and an unconscious Jasper.

“Can you take over keeping us hidden?” I ask. “Eddy, it would be helpful if you could keep watch, but don’t touch the desk or the door.”

Those are the places the magic is thickest.

Dakari nods once, and the other two move closer to the window. Once everything is in place, I open my grimoire, drawing a pen from behind my ear as I examine the first spell.

“We could be here a while…” I mumble.

I work with brain-numbing speed,my pen strokes hasty as I unravel a dozen enchantments from the bars, then cast a host of divination spells for every conceivable piece of magic I might’ve missed.

Finally, when I’m sure that there’s nothing between us and Jasper but cold steel, I give Dakari a nod.

The cell crumples, the metal bending silently apart as Dakari strides forward, hefting Jasper’s arm over his shoulder.

The Scot groans, and I wince at the burns and bruises across his tanned skin.

I’ll tackle those when we’re out of here. He’s alive. I can fix anything else.

A noise at the window has my heart in my throat. I whirl, grimoire flicking to a transport spell?—

North is already bending over, picking up the metal sculpture he knocked over with a sheepish smile. I grind my teeth together and shake my head at him.

He almost gave me a heart attack.

“No word from Pierce or the others?” I ask Eddy.

“Nothing.” Her eyes are bright with worry. “Do you think?—?”

“No news is good news,” I decide. “Dakari, can you take Jasper past the wards, transport him to Rathlin Island, and then come back? Take these, too.”

I unbuckle my belt and hold it out.

He’s not a master of restoration, but there are dozens of small vials strapped across the leather. Most of them are healing elixirs.