Crimson

Chapter 36: Broken Glass

"Where is it?" You thought to yourself. No sooner had the sunlight streamed across your sleepy eyes that you remembered what had kept you tossing and turning all night. The Creatures Almanac was gone. And you had no idea where.

"Bout time you got up," Simone said. Those blue eyes remained fixated on the book in front of her. Your heart froze-

But it wasn't the almanac. Just a book you'd been assigned and were already a chapter behind on. Actually, you thought that since you loved reading so much, you'd have gotten through way more chapters. Certainly over thirty six by now. But that's what happens when real life has you by the neck.

"Don't just sit there in silence," Simone said, looking up.

Do I ask her about the almanac or no?

I mean, who else could have been in here?

... It's not like the almanac was ever mine to begin with.

You awkwardly shuffled out of bed, mostly ignoring your roommate, until it dawned on you.

"It's Monday- we have to go to class!"

"It's fall break. Don't be so tense."

"Right..." you muttered, no more relieved. "What about the night patrol?"

"It's way more voluntary during holidays," Simone returned to her book. "I have to go, but you don't... you should though! With less members on patrol, you'll have more time to be with your friends."

You didn't indulge Simone's implications but instead grabbed your bag and headed for the door.

"Oh, y/n?"

"Yeah?" You came to a stop, holding the door.

"Do you think... Theodore's been acting... I don't know, weird?"

This took you by surprise.

"Weird?" You repeated. "I don't know Simone... why?"

She gave an aloof shrug, but something about her face told you she was deep in thought.

"I just- I've known him for a while now, it's our second year. He seems unlike himself. Maybe the school work's finally getting to him or something. I don't know. Just wondering. I'm sure he's fine."

"Yeah, I'll... definitely tell you if I notice anything," you said before leaving.

Your thoughts had gone from the missing almanac to Theodore, and back to the almanac just like that. You were with him in Roman's room when he took it. What did he say? He said it was his, right?

Maybe that's why Theodore seems different, you thought. Was he anxious over his book? Guilt began to eat at you before you realized even if you wanted to apologize, you didn't even have the book.

With your body on autopilot and your mind on books, you found yourself at the library. Breakfast could wait. Maybe you could find some other supernatural books to unravel some secrets. Maybe even something about the history of Arcadia.

"You shouldn't be here." A voice weakly said.

"Lucian?"

You turned to see his slumped figure over his desk just through the narrow crack to his study. A glass of amber liquid danced around its crystal prison as though it'd just been set down.

Unlike previous encounters, nothing in your head told you to stay away. And even if it had, you probably wouldn't,

"You look awful," you said, inviting yourself in.