Morganville (Justin Bieber)

Chapter 61

"But-"

"Take them! Take them and get out! I'm busy!"

Myrnin rushed past me, bowling over stacks of the books in his haste, to flying open the door through which Amelie had disappeared. He was at least a foot taller than the door itself, like a human in the hobbit house.

"Did you hear me?" He snapped. "Go. No time now. Get out. Come tomorrow"

"But...I don't know how to get home. Or back here"

He stared at me for a second, and then he laughed. "Someone will have to bring you. I can't configure the system just for you"

Configure the system? I stopped, staring back. "What system? These doorways?" If Myrnin understood the doorways, controlled the doorways, the ones that appeared and disappeared out of nowhere in Morganville.

"Yes, I am responsible for that, among many other things, though it's hardly the most important thing right now" he said. "Later, Anastasia. Go now. Talk tomorrow"

He took hold of me, bodily shoved me through the doorway, and slammed it behind me. I heard his hand hit the wood with stunning force.

"Lock it!" He shouted. I grabbed the key out of my pocket. I could barely get it in the lock; the light was bad here, and my hands were shaking. But I managed, and heard the solid click as the tumblers fell. "Take the key!" Myrnin yelled.

"But-"

"You're responsible for me now, Anastasia. You keep me safe" Myrnin's voice had fallen low. "Keep me safe from everyone"

And then he started crying.

"Myrnin?" I said, bending closer to the door. "Are you okay? Should I come in and-"

The whole door vibrated with the force of his blow. I scrambled backward, shocked. And the crying continued. Lost, little boy crying.

I hesitated for a few seconds, then turned to see that Amelie hadn't left after all. She was standing quietly by the desk, in the glow of a single candle, and expression was composed but sad.

"Myrnin's mind is not what it once was. He has periods of lucidity, however. And all costs, you must take full advantage of these to learn what he has to teach. It can't be lost, Anistasia. It must not be lost. There are things he does that-" Amelie shook her head. "There are projects in motion that must continue"

My heart was racing, my whole body shaking. "He's crazy, he's a vampire and you want me to be his student"

"No" Amelie said. "I require you to be a student. You will comply by the rules of the contract you signed of your own free will. This is valuable work. I would not risk you unnecessarily"

"What are the risks?" I demanded.

Amelie millie pointed to the bookcases, where my backpack still leant. I grabbed it and hauled it to my shoulder and paused, because a doorway had formed in the blank area of the wall. "Open it" Amelie said.

"But-"

"Open the door, Anastasia"

I did, and the glare of fluorescent lights and the dead, air-conditioned smell of the administration building swept over me in a rush.

"Be ready at four o clock tomorrow in the University Centre" Amelie said. "Sam will fetch you. I suggest you do the reading Myrnin requires of you. And Anistasia tell no one what you're doing here. Absolutely no one"

It wasn't until I was in the hall, with the door shut, that I realised Amelie hadn't answered my question.

"He's sick" I said aloud. "That's why she talk to him like that. He's old, and he is sick. Maybe even dying" vampires could get sick? Vampires could die? Somehow I never considered that.