And worse it got. Ezekiel dreamt of her, rather he should call it a nightmare. It was abominable. He already saw her during the day, did she really need to haunt his nights as well? It must have been because they fought. There was no way it was because he felt some sort of way towards her. If he dared to admit that he liked her, he would be ruined. Emry crashed into his world and destroyed everything. It was insanity. And to think he was going to take her to the library again today and spend yet another day with her? Maybe he was the insane one.

He rose to his feet and grabbed yesterday’s clothes. He rushed to throw them on. Perhaps, if he was quick enough, he’d avoid seeing Emry, and she wouldn’t trek her way through the forest to get to the library. Oh how wonderful that sounds.

As soon as he finished dressing himself, two knocks came from his wooden door. His brows furrowed.

“I made you breakfast,” Emry’s voice said through the closed door. “I’ll see you at the counter of yours.”

He growled. She used the food he was saving to make breakfast for him and her. So besides being a liar, she was a thief. Liar, thief, seductress, and attempted murderer. How fitting for a human. A small part of him liked the idea of eating breakfast with her. She’s talked with the cooks at the restaurant many times. He bet she was a fantastic cook because of the way they gripped on to each of her words when she spoke.

But it could have been any old story, couldn’t it? She had a way of speaking that made Tralechs listen. The way she talked to the waitress and Azuriel proved it. So maybe she was a terrible cook and this breakfast was going to be deadly to eat. He would not be surprised if that was the case. Though, it would be nice to see her be bad at something when she was so great at everything else he’s seen her done.

Maybe he would make her supper tonight. Ezekiel did consider himself a decent chef. He had to learn to hunt and cook for those long summer days he spent in the library. He shook his head and brushed his hair to the side. Why was he thinking about making her breakfast? She was a thorn in his side. There would be nothing more satisfactory than removing it as soon as possible.

He walked outside his room and down the hall. The smell of fresh food wafted through the air. He smacked his lips together, anticipating the meal that would be laid before him soon. Ezekiel picked up his pace and soon entered the dining area. Two plates were stationed side by side. One had eggs, bacon (where she got that he had no idea), and some toasted rolls. The other only had the bread.

Ezekiel reached for the plate that had more food on it.

“That one isn’t yours,” Emry said. She watched him from the other side of the counter.

“And why is that?” Ezekiel’s brows furrowed.

“You didn’t apologise to me for walking off in the middle of a discussion. If you want that same meal, then you’ll apologise for what you did last night.”

“Fine,” he said. He set the plate down with the nice meal on it and grabbed the roll of bread off the other plate. “I’ll see you at the library.” He left the house and sat down on the porch steps. The bread was warm and soft in his hands. His eyes dropped down to the roll. He did appreciate her making him a nice toasted breakfast, even if she didn’t give him a full meal. However, he would not apologise to someone who stole ingredients from him and expect him to say sorry for his actions the night before. Ezekiel didn’t do anything wrong in the first place, so why should he apologise to her? He’s not the one who forced a fake relationship on the other.

He stood up. The tip of his tail moved back and forth. He bit into the bread. It was sweet, but not so much. It melted in his mouth. He never knew bread could taste this food before. He growled as he realised who made it this way. He finished up the bread quickly and walked onwards. How stupid, he thought. All his hopes of her being a terrible cook came crashing down. Of course she was, because if she wasn’t good at this, then that would mean he had something to hold over her head.

He looked at the daisies in Azuriel’s garden. More flowers were starting to pop up, but he couldn’t tell what they were without seeing them. He suspected they were snapdragons. Azuriel was fond of those, specifically the purple variety. She always brought him a bouquet of them every year. He wondered if she wouldn’t do it this year because he had a “girlfriend.” Granted, the bouquet never lasted long because he was always out of town. A sigh escaped his lips. Maybe one day, he’ll be able to take care of every flower Azuriel hands him.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

The walk to the forest continued. He enjoyed the peace and quiet that came from the early morning. Their birds that weren’t tempted by the sap sang their song overhead. At least for now. Would he become like the birds and succumb to the temptation? That would certainly be one way to become immortal. A tree that never dies and produces children by killing others. It was a type, but not the one Ezekiel wanted. He wanted what that book talked about. He would get his answer soon. All Emry had to do was show up. He hoped she would, being the only one to read those books and all that. He sighed again. She was really getting on his nerves. Every action she’s done of late was just something new that pressed buttons.

He stood at the edge of the forest, waiting for her. She had one hour to show up. If she didn’t, he would just go to the library and read that precious book of his in the basement. He didn't need her to read. He would just find out new information, as unlikely as that was. A sigh escaped his lips. He was tired of her games that he was forced to play. They were frustrating and getting on his nerves, like her.

Ezekiel marched into the forest. He was not going to play this game with her today. If she wanted to come to the library, she would have to cross the forest herself. It seemed fair, considering what stunt she pulled this morning. Why should he have to apologise? He did nothing wrong. He acted like any reasonable person would when they’re forced into a relationship. She just expected him to follow her lead. Well, he wouldn’t. Not now, not ever.

“Where are you stomping off in such a hurry?” Emry’s voice called out to him.

Ezekiel threw his head back and groaned. “To the library. Where else?” He turned around and glared at her.

“I thought maybe you were going to just find the heart of the forest. The book did say to get immortality, you have to reach the heart of the forest. There’s a few more steps after that.” Emry smirked.

He grinded his teeth together. “And why didn’t you tell me this yesterday so I could have spent last night preparing instead of arguing with you?”

“Because you wouldn’t have listened to anything I say afterwards. You need me to tell you the rest of the steps anyway. So I have to come with you.”

There it was, her plot. Now he just needed to get the information out of her before they reached the heart of the forest wherever that was.

“Did you bring supplies then?” He cocked his head to the side. She removed a strap from her shoulder and tossed a pack towards Ezekiel. He stumbled to catch it. He cursed under his breath. Once the pack was situated on his shoulder, he walked away from Emry and headed in the direction of the library. He didn’t need to look behind him to know she was following.

Once at the library, Ezekiel wasted no time in heading down to the basement. He opened the door to the basement and sighed. The torches lit to life as always. The walls felt like they were closing in on Ezekiel as he descended the stairs. The whole library felt off. He couldn’t pinpoint why, though. It was the same as every other day, wasn’t it? Broken, ancient, and falling apart slowly. What could possibly make it feel different today? Was it the rabbit that entered the library that changed the place?

“Something bothering you?” Emry asked, snapping Ezekiel out of his daze.

“No,” he said. He placed his index finger in the keyhole. The door’s mechanism activated and drew blood from his finger. His tail flicked in response. He removed his hand from the door and brought his finger up to his lips, licking the blood off.

“Did the book have an illustration in it of what the heart of the forest looked like?” Ezekiel turned to ask Emry.

“Maybe,” she said with a smirk. She walked over to the case that harboured the book, pulling it out from the shelf. It hit the table with a soft thud.

Ezekiel grimaced. “Did you have to be that rough with the book?” He walked over to her and stood behind her.

Emry pulled a piece of paper and pencil out from her satchel. She opened the book and flipped through the pages, landing on one about three-quarters of the way through. For a moment, Ezekiel could see the map that flashed across the page. It vanished just like the other times he looked into the books.

He watched Emry closely as she sketched out trees and something strange in the centre. It was a ruin of some sort. He recognised it, but couldn’t place where he recognised it from. Maybe it was from a book his grandfather had? No, that couldn’t be it. His grandfather didn’t like to read, so he wouldn’t have a book open to that page, anyway. Was it from the time he last saw his parents? That sounded right, but something about it felt wrong. This whole thing felt off.

“Is something the matter?” Emry asked.

“No,” Ezekiel said.

Emry nodded and turned back to her sketch. “I think that’s everything for this, so we should be good to go.”

“Great.” Ezekiel clenched his fists together, Sweat formed on his brow. “The rune in the centre, what does it mean?”

“According to the book, it means God’s Key.” Emry shut the book.

“What does it say about the God’s Key?”

“That whoever claims it, gets their wish.”