Rejected (Shadow Beast Shifters, #1)(38)

“Finally someone as excited as me to learn,” he said, and I wondered if that flash of green was his happiness shining through.

“Totally,” I chimed in, ready to butter this goblin up so that I could have one powerful ally for future issues. I mean, maybe he wasn’t powerful in a physical sense, but someone who had the role of “concierge of the Library of Knowledge” had to be a useful friend to have.

Truth be told, I kind of liked him. People with his level of enthusiasm and child-like excitement for life were few and far between in my world. Shifters were more about being badass and snarky; even our pups were sassy little shits.

As we moved back through the many bookshelves, I noted that the multitude of beings I’d seen before were all gone, and in their place new ones perused the shelves, stacking books up in their arms and leaving again through their world’s door.

“So none of these beings from the worlds work here?” I asked.

Gaster turned back to look at me, that damn smile still in place. “No one really works here, but there are a few dozen of us demi-fey who keep it running. The Library of Knowledge is a powerful entity, and if it fell into the wrong hands…” For once, that thought did not make him smile.

“Where do all the shelves go when it packs up for the night?” I asked, thinking of my first empty trip through these halls.

He offered me a blank sort of stare. “They go nowhere. The shelves remain as they are right now.

Nothing has changed in the Solaris System and Library of Knowledge since I started here a thousand years ago.”

Okay, ignoring the fact that he was at least a thousand years old, I focused on the rest of what he’d said.

“That can’t be right,” I murmured. “When I walked through this building with Shadow, yesterday or whenever, this hall was empty. All I could see were windows and the doors, but no shelves or books at all.”

Gaster took a second to answer, like he was weighing up his thoughts. “The master would have been deciding your fate,” he finally said, his voice lower and less animated than usual. “Until that was decided, you would not have been privy to the gift of knowledge that is contained here.”

Oh. Right. “Shadow probably was planning on killing me at that point,” I said. “So it makes sense.”

Gaster threw both hands up, looking panicked. “Oh, no, I’m sure he wasn’t. He’s just cautious with strangers.” Yeah, that was it.

We were in the center of the library now, surrounded by a mass of tables and chairs and some plump beanbags that looked super inviting. Unfortunately, there was no time for me to dive into their depths with a great book, because I was at “work.”

“Feels weird to be the only one working here who isn’t demi-fey,” I said.

Gaster nodded. “I know, but you won’t feel alone. As I said, many others are always here to gather knowledge. It’s the highest honor to be chosen to peruse the library.”

“Exactly how many worlds are there in this Solaris System?”

He’d mentioned a few, of course, but my need for more knowledge was increasing with every hour I remained here. The unnamed doors called to me, demanding I learn about them.

His eyes widened, black orbs shimmering in the twinkling lights above us. “Oh, you are in for a real treat. Follow me.”

So I did.





21

He walked so damn fast that it was lucky I was a shifter and able to keep up with his short, powerful legs. He led me right to the farthest point of the room, to the veil that hid the white hallway from view.

“This is the directory!” Gaster chirped.

I stared around blankly, trying to figure out what he was talking about. “Directory?”

He gestured to the shimmery veil. “When it’s not acting as an early warning system to protect the library, it can be used to navigate the Solaris System.”

Oh, yes. Now that was excellent news.

Gaster placed his hand on a small panel that was offset to the veil, and since it was as white as the walls, I’d missed it completely until he touched it. “Place your hand here,” he explained, “and say divulge.”

The moment the word left his lips, the shimmery veil solidified, turning into an eight-feet-tall map. A very detailed map…

Gaster slid the screen across, zooming in on one section.

A very detailed and interactive map. Fuck yes!

“This is where we’re standing, and from here, you can find everything els—” He was cut off by someone shouting his name, a tiny figure hurrying into sight.

“A book is missing,” she said. It was clearly another goblin, looking decidedly more feminine than Gaster, with her shoulder-length golden hair and thick dark lashes.

“This is Lady Hel,” he told me. “She is a royal of the demi-fey and helps me out here as part of her right of passage to her final role.”

I nodded like I knew what the fuck he was talking about. Lady Hel didn’t even look my way, already hurrying back to the tragedy of a missing book.

“If you could excuse me while I deal with this disaster,” Gaster said with a head nod. “Feel free to navigate the directory and I’ll return shortly.”

I shot him a broad grin. That sort of blind trust was going to get him into trouble, but for now, I wouldn’t do anything too crazy. Especially not with Inky slinking around nearby, not letting me out of its “sight.”