Book X Pillow Novels & Stories

I wonder what he's thinking right now. I get up and head for the laundry room to get Every some blankets, sheets, and pillows. I stop by Jayk's room to take his pillows and the comforter he sleeps on. I snatch a zip-up hoodie off the floor on my way out. She's still curled into herself when I open the cell and place everything on the bed beside her. "What are you reading?" I ask looking down at the open book in front of her. "Beneath a Scarlet Sky," she answers. I didn't expect that.

A tall bookshelf loomed beside it filled with books upon books that her fingers itched to read. The sleeping area had a four poster bed with its curtains pulled along the poles to reveal the big bed inside. The bed was covered with blankets and duvets that looked so soft and comfy that Celine felt her eyes drooping already. Beside it was a mirror cabinet and two poufs, all of them ornate and made of rich wood.

We follow him to the library where Buppig has been teaching me my lessons every day. I stop beside Buppig as Ailduin walks to one of the library walls. He pulls down a small book, bringing it back to the table where we’re standing. The book may be small, but it is ornate, with a hard cover that feels like it's made of gold and etchings made of a lighter shade of gold. “Have a seat.” He says as he opens the book. He turns it toward me. “Read that. Out loud, please.”

She looked pampered and polished and expensive, like a trophy on display. "There's a book on the nightstand," Lena said quietly as the others began packing up their supplies. "The boss thought you might want something to read while you wait." I walked back to the bedroom on legs that felt like they belonged to someone else. The book was waiting for me on the nightstand, a novel I had never heard of with a cover that showed a woman standing at the edge of a cliff, looking out at a stormy sea. I picked it up and settled into the chair by the window, the silk of my dress rustling against the upholstery.

I wandered, letting my eyes skim across the room in small, tight, cautious sweeps. The bed was impossibly inviting. The crimson silk all smooth and glossy, black pillows stacked like they had never been touched by someone who actually slept. The nightstand beside it was dark wood to match, its surface polished but not to a sheen. I stepped closer, my heartbeat starting to thunder again. Lying on top was a book. Thick, hardbound, the kind with a cracked spine and a ribbon falling out the bottom end as a marker. The title was stamped in worn silver lettering:

“We set it up together, hoping you’d like it. You don’t have to like everything right away, but we can change things if you want.” The room wasn’t extravagant, but it was perfect for him, soft blue walls, a little bookshelf filled with picture books and stuffed animals, a small desk by the window, and a bed piled high with cozy blankets. There was even a plush dinosaur sitting on the pillow, a little surprise Adrian had picked out.

I’m not tackling that crazy today. I move on to my room and it is a lovely calming space, on the larger size. A queen bed with a cream tufted fabric headboard is against the far wall. The comforter and pillows are cream based with a pretty navy and pink floral pattern. The distressed nightstands and dresser match and the rug on the floor is a simple two-toned cream Moroccan trellis pattern. I have a bookshelf in the room too that is filled with books covering numerous topics and a comfy looking wingback chair in navy with a pink throw blanket draped across the back to complete the reading nook space.

I said, “What book?” he asked, “All of them.” He looked extremely puzzled by this request but he simply nodded and left to carry out my wish. I wasn’t sure of what the exact book was but I knew I would recognize it if I saw it and I did when he brought them in. It had a purple hard cover back with the picture of a lily printed on it. She had looked so intrigued by it when she was reading it and I could tell that she loved it given how much she fought to have it.

Cole brings it to me, sitting back down on the couch while the kids roll around with their toys on the rug in front of us. Maeve is slack in Aviva’s arms, both of them fast asleep on the opposite couch. I smile at the image and quietly rip the paper away. It’s a book. Smaller than average and bound by fresh leather. There’s no title engraved on the cover. I look up at Cole, thinking he’d be smiling and a little pink in the cheeks in anticipation for my reaction, but he looks grave. I open it. It’s a printed rendition of the Book of Whispers.

Ash chuckles, “It’s okay, we managed.” She nods, “Could I have the book to look at while we wait for Serena?” Kai nods and gets up to grab it. They had re-wrapped it in the silk scarf that Benny had given it to her in. She lets Kai unwrap it and place it on her lap. The book is clearly ancient, but the leather of the cover is in remarkable condition. But then it had been stored in a dragon’s hoard for years. The cover had an embossed phoenix on it, and a few gems in gold settings to highlight some details.