CHAPTER#27

"Indeed." Mike stuffed the bar in his pocket, taking another minute to rest against Zel. The weakness soon passed, and he stepped away, his legs protesting. He did a quick stretch, easing the tension in his limbs.

"Little bit better?" Zel asked.

"Some." He gave Zel an affectionate pat on the back, then immediately regretted it. He didn't know her that well, and was grateful when she said nothing. Zel guided him through some of the thicker vegetation, her lower half easily clearing a path for him to follow. Shoving aside a large cluster of vines, he found himself back in the clearing with the Mandragora plant.

"Watch out for the pods," Mike warned, giving them a wide berth.

"Oh, you don't have to tell me twice," Zel informed him. "I was dumb enough once to try and harvest the pollen. Pod burst all over me and I had to run away before the tentacles could grab me. Let's just say that there's a tree not too far from here that I can't even look at anymore without blushing."

Mike nodded his head, gazing warily at the pods. Already, they were beginning to wilt, their purpose finally served. "So what's going to happen to the Mandragora?"

"I imagine it will hibernate for a bit. It takes a ton of energy to build a vessel for fertilizing, and now that it's reproduced, it will probably sleep for some time." Zel stepped over a clump of vines that had curled around each other, forming a noose. "I think this is what you are looking for?"

Mike walked to where she stood. The hilt of the dagger reflected the sinking sun's light, its shadow like a sundial on the smooth stone beneath it. The blade was so sharp that it had easily embedded itself in the stone. Mike wondered how far the blade would have sunk without the metal of the hilt to slow its descent.

"Are you going to take it?" Zel asked. Mike realized that he had been staring a the knife for some time.

"Yeah." Wrapping his fingers around the hilt, he gave it an experimental tug, expecting some resistance. The blade slid free, its dark edges glinting dangerously in the light. Holding the knife, he realized he had nowhere to put it. Shoving it casually in a pocket would end in disaster at best, and Mike didn't want to trip and impale himself.

"Here." Zel handed him a strip of leather. Mike carefully wrapped the leather around the blade, marveling at how quickly it bit into the tough fabric. Zel handed him a small sack to stuff the dagger into. He pulled the drawstrings tight, cinching the bag shut. He hefted it carefully, satisfied that the knife wouldn't suddenly slide through the edges.

"Thanks," he told her, using the strings to tie it through his belt.

They walked largely in silence, Mike still stumbling on occasion. Zel's hooves pounded a steady rhythm into the dirt, luring him into a partial trance. He wondered how mad everyone would be when he got back, hours later than his expected return. It wouldn't surprise him to see Abella circling overhead any moment, or to spot Cecilia's glowing form in the shadows.

Tink would probably bite him for making her worry.

Worst of all, he was strangely obsessed with what Sofia would say. It was really bugging him that she didn't immediately like him. Then again, Cecilia had been the same way at first. He wondered what he could do to bridge the gap, prove that he was worth getting to know.

"Shit," Mike swore, stopping in his tracks.

"What's wrong?" Zel asked.

"I should have asked Sofia about the Grimoire." Sarah had been obsessed with it, a magical book of great power. It made sense to Mike that such a thing would exist in the Library, and he had forgotten to even mention it. There had been too much on his mind, there was always too much on his mind.

"Who's Sofia?" Zel asked. She had turned around, staring at him from the middle of the path.

"She's a cyclops who watches over the Library. You haven't met her?"

Zel's eyes fell to the ground, her left front hoof pawing softly at the hard soil. "Um, no. Not exactly. I guess there's something I should tell you."

Fuck, Mike thought. "What is it?"

"I've never actually been in the house," she said. "I only met Emily the one time, about ten years ago."

"Wait, you only met her? You didn't live with her?" Mike appraised the centaur. Did she work for the Society? He was suddenly aware of how tightly he gripped the bag in his hand.

Zel bit her lower lip. "No. We were only visiting."

"Then why are you still here?" Mike asked. "As far as I know, there's only one way in."

"We never left. My aunt and I came here in the guise of academic pursuits through a magical portal. My aunt stole some magic from our tribe to get us here, and she convinced Emily that we only needed some plants from the greenhouse. Emily was really nice, and told us to take what we needed. However, that was a lie." Zel's tail twitched, slapping her rump. "We were refugees is the actual truth. My aunt was protecting me from a forced marriage to the chief's son. I don't know that you'd understand it even if I explained, but my aunt left me here to keep me safe from him."

"Why did your aunt leave?" Mike asked. "Shouldn't she have stayed to protect you?"

"Because she knew they would keep looking for her. She went somewhere else, leaving a trail for them to follow. I've been out here for nearly a decade, living in secret." Zel turned around, looking away from Mike. "It's been unimaginably lonely. I used the healer arts to survive, and further my studies, but it isn't enough. I was really hoping that-"

"You could move in? Sure." Mike walked by her side, taking Zel's hand in his own. "We might need to figure a few things out, but as long as you don't cause any problems with the others, why the hell not?"