Blind Faith (Book 1)

Chapter 24

Ash

The next day Ash was woken by a loud knock at his door and Rogers's snotty condescending voice, informing him that he has missed breakfast and that he was expected in the library...now.

With a groan, he slipped out from the covers and swung his legs over and jumped out of bed. He felt revived and ready for the day. He had slept pretty well considering, but he guessed that after the day he had, anyone would crash as soon as their head hit the pillow.

His room was basic, a single bed and desk with a small lamp and window, that welcomed in the morning sun, warming his bare back. A pleasant surprise after last night's storm.

After he had slipped on some clothes, just some old jeans, an old hoodie and trainers, no time to freshen up, he opened the door to find Tiff holding a small espresso coffee and pastry on a small tray.

"Thank you," he said taking both and she nodded up at him and smiled. She spun away taking a few steps and beckoned him to follow.

"Ah, great, I don't know where I am meant to go," he said taking a bite of his pastry, trotting along after her as she scampered away quickly into the distance.

"Hey, wait up," he said making chase.

She lead him down the ornate oak staircase from the second floor to the first, turning left, and through a large stone archway into another room with a few single doors to the left and a set of double doors on the right.

Tiff curtsied and disappeared back the way they had come, not giving Ash a chance to thank her. He could only guess he now faced the entrance to the library. The heavy oak doors were no different from any of the others he had come across, and as he leaned his weight against them, he paused for a moment to take a deep breath and calm the butterflies in his stomach.

Now or never...

As he entered he was instantly struck by the overpowering smell of old paper and dust. Then by the vast ocean of books, layered and stored in a mismatched array of heavy shelves flowing away from him, with a second-level balcony wrapping around the edge of the enormous room, holding books in glass cabinets. The library must cover the entire first floor of the building.

The library, they weren't bloody joking...

He moved further into the room and caught the echo of a low voice to his right, where the room appeared to be a little brighter, a pair of large sash windows peeping their heads over the array of heavy oak bookshelves.

He walked in the voice's general direction, weaving in and out of aisle upon aisle of books until it suddenly opened out upon a group of desks completely hidden from the rest of the room.

The morning sun poured in through the enormous windows he had spotted earlier, lighting up a little alcove and giving the space a warm welcoming feeling. Twenty or so young people were facing a Monk, talking at the front. They were in groups of twos and threes, except for a girl with a long golden braid trailing down her back. She sat a little further away from the rest of the group. There was a seat next to her and the location suited him, he was in the mood to sit, watch and listen today, staying as anonymous as possible. He pulled up a chair and sat down next to her.

"Decided to finally show your face - sleepy head," she said, keeping her head down, writing in a notebook. Ash grinned, realising it was the weird girl - goldilocks, he had met yesterday.

"No one told me when class was going to begin," he replied in his defence.

"Here are your textbooks, I took the liberty of getting you the ones you will need this semester." She pushed a pile of books in front of him, with her left hand while her other continued to write frantically. He liked her voice, soft and melodic.