I went straight at the back. Climbing up the stepping stool till I reached the shelf that was the top most.
This section was not at all consecutive. In fact I had skipped the entire third row.
Luckily Draco was busy rearranging the block I had just finished. He had taken off his shirt.
Who does that inside a reading space? A literally atmosphere?
But I had no intension of correcting him at the moment. Correcting him would lead me to admit that I was staring hard at the sinews of his muscular movements, from behind his back. I held my own head and brought my gaze back on the shelf.
The books there looked rather untouched. There was probably an inch deep layer of dust on top of the covers.
I hesitated. Touching that would definitely lead me to a series of sneezing. And I was specially avoiding drawing any attention at the moment. I had no idea what was wrong with me, but ever since we got back from the Dragon Realm, my body and mind was reacting weird around Draco's presence. Was it because he was no longer a Dragon, but a mere human, like myself. Was I starting to think that we might be equal?
I shook my head and got back to work. I tied my handkerchief over my mouth and nose then, pulled down the first book and started flipping through it.
At first glance, I found myself at blank pages, then words suddenly started appearing on it.
I rubbed my eyes and looked hard. Was I now starting to see things. I looked again at the pages. The words were not letters or sentences. They were symbols or some sort of pictogram.
I zoomed in and out with my head movement. It was beyond my ability to decipher it.
" Ummm, Draco! "
I had no other choice but to call my only assistant.
He turned. His bare chest stared back at my face. The sweat droplets that were glistening over his body hair, immediately made me regret calling his name.
He walked towards me without asking any question.
I stared back hard at the pages of the book again.
I must have strained too much.
The symbols started to rearrange themselves.
They were literally dancing in front of my eyes. My eye balls travelled round and round trying to keep track of it. I thought I was getting dizzy as everything started to become dark infront of my sight but then there was a flash.
Bright yellow light.
I thought I saw a large bird flu swifty past from infront of me. Now I could see it's silhouette only.
It was no bird. It was a dragon. Huge and mighty.
" Liana! " it's voice was feminine.
I was watching the grace with which it's shadow was posing.
" Liana, are you sure you wish to save the Dragon? Do you really want to tread a path unknown for the sake of that man? "
Ummm, that was the exact question I had asked myself and the answer was definitely yes. He was Damian's father and his kingdom needed him. I had seen enough to know that he did not have very many trusted personals around him.
" If you choose to walk on this path further, there might be a point of no return? You still have a chance to break free from this desire! "
Somehow the voice did not seem hostile.
I started walking towards it.
Not saving Draco was not an option. But I needed to see the friendly beast.
Bang!
I crashed against what seemed like an invisible glass wall. I felt it with my palms and face. I knocked against it, but it would not break.
Then there was a spot. It spread. I took a step back. It spread on the invisible surface till it became a mirror.
My reflection crystal clear. It looked like I was inside some cave. The place looked oddly familiar.
" Liana! " now my reflection was speaking with the voice of the beast.
" Do you still wish to go along with the decision of your heart and not your brain? "
Why was it so hell bent on convincing me not to help Draco get back to himself? Was this some kind of sorcery that was inflicted by the blade?
Then my reflection faded.
The exact symbols that were dancing on the pages, appeared on the mirror itself. They stopped after rearranging themselves into a particular pattern.
They were still symbols, but I could read them.
"Blood of the one who willingly sacrificed herself"
That's what it read.
My forehead hit the wooden shelf. My eyes flung open.
Did I doze off?
I looked at Draco. He was still walking towards me.
The exact same scenario. Did I dream everything within a split ? A dream so profound yet momentary.
Then I looked back at the book.
It was blank.
The symbols were gone.
I turned and flipped it over and over.
Draco walked towards me with speed, seeing me fidgeting.
" Where... Where did the words go? Draco... "
I turned the book from cover to cover.
" What happened? Let me see! "
Draco took the book from me. He took did the exact same thing that I did.
" It's blank! Empty! Does it have some kind of trickery? "
He was shaking it like a hand fan, probably expecting the 'words' to tumble down if they were hidden.
" Hey! Hey! Hey! Stop it! What are you doing... Where is your shirt? Why are you roaming inside the library without clothes? "
The book keeper had entered and snatched the book away from Draco's grip.
He thrust his shirt in his hands and turned towards me.
" Missy, That's the section with fake books for the one's exploring spells and curses. They are used to mesmerise the audience. It used to be popular back in the old days. Now they all know the ' science' behind those ' special effects' and ' visuals'.
They have been rusting on the top shelf for half a decade. "
Then he turned towards Draco.
" And shaking a book so old like that would only tear those pages. If you want me to show you how it's tricks work, you will have to buy them. Because, I do not waste my time on that and then get laughed at , in the end. "