Of Mystery and Magic || The Librarians

Chapter Two

Not for the first time, Nimue couldn't help but think about the day she received her invitation to join the Library.

It was almost too good to be true. Out of anyone the Library could've picked, they picked her: an English, dyslexic, anti-social orphan nobody, to become something that most people would dare dream of having. It was almost funny how fast one's world could be turned upside-down, especially after receiving a simple white envelope... from a magical Library.

Being Flynn's Guardian had its downsides, though they got better eventually, Nimue believed that, in this case, the pros outweighed the cons. She couldn't imagine her life without the Library, without Flynn, Judson, or Charlene, and all of the adventures she experienced with Flynn, who she viewed as a father figure, retrieving magical artifacts and escaping certain death in the process. She liked her life, as lonely as it was, and she had half-hoped it would stay that way forever. 

Rubbing the outside of her bare left forearm, she watched as Flynn carefully placed the Opal of Samara in its proper place inside the Library, she knew that whatever loneliness she felt during this job was worth it. Because if that meant people didn't have to be turned into flesh-eating zombies or something of the like, then she guessed that having only her Librarian for company wasn't so bad. 

By the next day, Nimue was perched on top of one of the bookshelves, listening to music on her portable MP3 player and watching Flynn, who was still carrying the Opal of Samara, walk down the long aisle of bookshelves to the place where the Opal would be kept. He was talking on the phone, so she paused her music and took out her earbuds, shoving them both in her pocket as she listened to the conversation.

"Uh, Mr. Carsen is actually in Minneapolis at a Library Sciences Seminar, but we have many other very qualified Librarians," he lied smoothly, placing the Opal in its proper place. Nimue couldn't help but roll her eyes at the lie, but then the words registered, making her stiffen.

Someone was calling for Flynn. And judging by the response that he gave, that someone must've asked for a Librarian. But how was that possible? As much as she wanted to shake it off and think that someone must've gotten the wrong number, intending to call the actual library upstairs, she couldn't help but feel... off. Her Guardian instincts kicked in, making the gears in her head turn at lightning speed. Without even having to think about it, she swung her legs off of the shelf she was perched on and jumped down, landing in a crouch. She jogged over to join Flynn, catching onto his next words, which made her blood freeze.

"How do you know who I am? And how do you know about Nimue?" he questioned, on the defensive. Walking towards the exit, Nimue managed to catch up with him, walking side by side and listening intently to his side of the conversation.

"What do you mean you're outside?" he said abruptly, breaking into a run. Nimue chased after him. "H-how do you know about the Library?"

Oh no.

"Flynn, what the hell is going on?" Nimue said sharply. "What's happening? What's he saying?"

The Librarian ignored her, still listening to what the mystery caller had to say. Since this was most likely a matter of life and death, she didn't try and interrupt for fear of missing anything on Flynn's end. They made it to the stairs by the front entrance of the library upstairs, and what they saw made Nimue curse under her breath.

A man was lying face down on the floor at the foot of the stairs, surrounded by papers. Judging by his clothing, Nimue guessed that he was a professor. Only a professor would dress like that and carry as many papers as he was. She looked around, searching the crowd of bystanders surrounding the corpse and beyond that. But whoever did this was long gone.