Amid the Clouds (Brave New World Book 1)

Chapter 25

I had visited many libraries in my time. Including very old ones with stunning architecture in European monasteries and castles. And yet, this gargoylish library was like anything I'd ever seen.

It wasn't so much about the lack of books – there were scrolls everywhere I turned. Or about the shelves going up and up along the tower's rounded walls until the very ceiling. It was rather about the clouds in here.

Yes, clouds. There were small puffy clouds the color of cotton candy coming in through the left wall just under the ceiling and exiting though the opposite wall.

"Holy crap, my Queen?" Samuin said through a tiny smile.

I smiled myself. "Holy crap, indeed. You've got clouds in your library! I mean, I know this whole building is basically a cloud, but... What if rain clouds enter the library and ruin the scrolls?"

"These clouds are of a special variety, my Queen. Their movement is limited to the tower for the purpose of keeping the temperature and humidity levels stable. This prolongs the life of our collection."

"Cool."

I went to the only table in the center of the library. This room had a crazy-high ceiling but was otherwise small in width, creating a cosy feeling. Adding to that effect was the dark-red color of the wooden shelves, table and four chairs around it, and the bright light coming in from above.

I could spend a whole day here.

"You find it cool, my Queen? Should I bring the temperature up for you?"

I snickered. "No, I'm perfectly fine." Which was strange, given my half-naked state. "'Cool' means... impressive."

"Ah, I understand." His wings fluttered in what I assumed was excitement.

Someone liked learning new slang words.

"What will my Queen like to read?"

"Um..." I looked around. This library had certainly been designed with winged readers in mind. There wasn't a ladder in sight, so apart from the scrolls on the lowest shelves I couldn't reach anything. "I was thinking about a scroll on the history of your kind? Possibly also something on your culture and traditions?"

I hoped to learn more about the monsters the gargoyles had fought before. Any info about these creatures could be life-saving for my community.

"Our history spans hundreds of years, my Queen. Would you like to see the most recent scrolls telling the history of this particular homecloud? Those have been drawn by my liege's mother so you will not need a translator."

"Okay... Isn't everything written in English?"

"Mostly everything is in Gargoylish, I am afraid, but I will send a translator to you, if you wish."

I shook my head. I didn't want anyone to know exactly what I was reading. Besides, I wanted to have this library all to myself. "Can you bring me everything that's written in English or in the form of drawings?"

"Certainly, my Queen."

He flew up and started gathering scroll after scroll from various shelves. I was starting to worry that the literature I had requested wasn't as limited as he'd suggested, when he landed by the table with only five scrolls in hand.

"Is this all of it?" I couldn't hide my disappointment.

"There are two more scrolls. They are the most important ones." Samuin walked to a shelf behind me and pulled out two very worn-out scrolls. "It is human females who read them the most, hence the easy access, my Queen. Please return them to the same shelf once you are done with them."

I took the two bestsellers as carefully as possible. I didn't want to damage the delicate material, which felt more like silk that paper. "What are these about?"

"One is the Mating Bond Scroll, the English version. It was translated and adapted to the female point of view by my liege's grandmother on his father's side."

"Oh."

"The other scroll contains drawings by my liege's mother again. I was told she was a talented painter of..." He stayed pensive for a moment. "Ah, the word was co-mics. She drew co-mics, my Queen. She took it upon herself to leave detailed information for all human females yet to arrive here with their newfound mates."

"Information about what?" I asked, already opening the scroll.

What I got a glimpse of was a drawing of - in very fine detail – a naked gargoyle. Little arrows were coming out of various body parts and leading to long descriptions. Above all this was the title A Gargoyle's Erogenous Zones.

I closed the scroll at lightning speed and placed it aside as if burned. It wasn't so much the erogenous zones bit that got to me, as it was the title under the naked gargoyle. Gargoyle Claiming Positions: For Experienced and Flexible Users Only! Thankfully, I hadn't opened the scroll enough to see any of the drawings, otherwise my blush would have been tomato-worthy.

Judging by the lack of reply to my long-forgotten question, Samuin must have seen enough of my reaction to conclude I already knew the answer.

"I will leave my Queen to her useful reading," was what he said, resorting to his subtle humor again. "If you need anything, pull this right here, and I will be with you shortly." He pointed at a rope I hadn't noticed until now.

Probably because I didn't usually expect to see a rope sticking out of the floor.

"Please be informed that only water is allowed in the library. No juices or food, my Queen. Your lunch will be served in the dining garden, to which I will personally escort you."

Dining garden? That sounded promising.

One wing flap later for a polite goodbye, I was left alone to what I hoped would be exciting reads.