Roan's Point of View

Chapter 7

Wild magic buzzed in the air like static, needling at me to pay attention. The library might not be haunted, but there was definitely something off about it.

Nyssa seemed to really believe that we could trust these creatures, and despite my hesitation, they hadn't given me a reason not to. Yet. I wanted to trust her, to believe that her instincts were right, but I knew all too well how fast wild magic could turn on people.

"Sleep well, cuties," Lisa said as she opened the door to the caretaker's room. "See you in the morning."

"Cuties?" I whispered to Nyssa, who just shrugged as she covered a yawn.

Empty bookshelves lined the walls with a small table in the corner and a bed with a bookshelf headboard in the middle of the room. A side door opened up into a bathroom with a large round tub inside. I didn't see anything suspicious though, no wild magic creations at least.

"Seems safe," I said, walking inside.

Nyssa followed and fell backwards onto the bed with a sigh. "It's been a long day. I can't believe I won them over."

"What are they?" I asked as I took the chair by the table. "They had to have been created from wild magic, but they feel different than anything I've seen before. Wild magic usually changes and warps things that are already there, like the lending libraries, but these creatures feel different. New."

She turned her head to look at me, her beautiful auburn hair splayed out on the bed. "I think they're books."

"What?"

"I mean I think they're characters that somehow came out of their books." She sat up, excitement filling her eyes. "I recognized a few of them from stories I've read."

"No," I said, shaking my head, "that's not how wild magic works."

Or at least, no wild magic I'd seen before. But wild magic was....well, wild, so I guess it could do anything. Would the guild believe me if I said the library wasn't actually haunted, but full of books that had come alive? I carefully set my sword on the table, laughing at myself. No way. They'd think I'd lost it.

"Okay, then what do you think they are?" she asked as she nibbled the sandwiches the panda had given us.

I scratched my head, at a loss. She'd been able to talk with them, reason with them, and they even made valid points back. They were sentient, that's for sure, but beyond that, I had no idea.

"We should bring some researchers here," I said.

"I've already got somebody working on it," she said, "besides, there's no way I'm letting strangers in on this just yet."

I leaned forward, elbows on my knees. "Aren't I a stranger?"

Her eyes darted to mine, long lashes blinking slowly as the corners of her eyes crinkled.

"Less and less," she said. "I wouldn't mind hearing more about you though. What's the guild like?"

"Free," I said, grinning. "It's a dream job. I get to travel the world, taking interesting missions and meeting all sorts of people. Nothing ever ties me down."

That last part was my own personal rule and part of why I'd become an adventurer in the first place, but whenever I told people about it, they tried to fix me. Like there was something wrong with not wanting attachments. For right now, it's what I needed. Because the demon lord was right about one thing: humans were the worst sometimes.

Nyssa frowned, finishing up the last of her sandwich and handing me the other. "Isn't that lonely?"

"A bit," I said, my smile turning forced, "but I partner up with other adventurers when I need to and go out with people often. There's something about only having a short time to get to know people that makes you experience it all the more deeply."

"So you'll be leaving soon then?" she asked, fiddling with the sandwich wrapper.

That downcast look of hers tugged at my resolve. "Well, not right away. I did lose the bet, so I'll help you repair the library."

"Ah, right, that bet," she said with a small smile, "almost feels like you wanted to stay."

I shrugged. "Maybe? Who knows. I do like to take my time once in a while and this library is full of interesting things."

"Interesting things, huh?" Her gaze lifted to mine as a slight rosy hue spread across her cheeks.

That blush was beautiful. She was beautiful. Staying to help repair the library was one thing, but getting close to her was entirely different, especially since we were stuck in this room together all night.

Wait.

I glanced at the bed that Nyssa sat on, then around the room. How had that not crossed my mind earlier? There was only one bed.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"No," I said, "just...thinking about where I was going to sleep."

Her eyes widened, then she laughed. "You can have the bed. You are the one who traveled all the way here after a mission."

"What makes you think that?"

"Well unless you got that dirty walking," she paused, motioning at my clothes with her hand, "I'm guessing you ran into some trouble."

So much for making a good impression on her. Better that she thought I was on a mission than I'd been in such a rush to get here that I slipped in some mud on the way up the mountain.

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"Nothing I couldn't handle," I said, standing up to stretch to cover up my embarrassment. "Why don't I go get cleaned up and you can get some sleep? I'll take the floor. I've slept in far worse places."

"I won't argue with that," she said, falling back on the bed with a sigh. "But the bed is more than big enough for two."

I froze at the entrance to the bathroom. Was she offering to share the bed with me? When I glanced back, she was smiling so innocently that she had to know what I was thinking.

Oh, she was trouble.

I forced myself into the bathroom instead of taking her up on that offer, no matter how much I wanted to. Fleeting romances and one night stands felt pretty hollow after a while and Nyssa deserved better than that. I should focus on the job, not on whatever I might be feeling right now.

Speaking of, I should update the guild. I pulled a piece of paper out of my jacket, jotting down a quick note. "I got inside the library. No signs of a haunting. More details soon."

I held the note up into the air until flames licked the edges, sending my message to the guild like ash on the wind. There. That should hold them off for a bit. Now time for that bath.

My jacket was caked with mud as I slid it off and my clothes were dusty from the long trek here. I dropped them all in the clothes washing basin, brushing my hand over the cleaning crystal. Bubbles engulfed my clothes, lifting them in the air and spinning them so I could relax and take a bath.

I stepped into the waist high tub as water seeped through the stones, fulfilling its purpose before I even had to ask. Magic really was a wonderful thing. Before I could settle down, ice cold water touched my skin. I yelped. It was freezing!

"Everything okay in there?" Nyssa called out.

"Yeah, just fine!"

I searched for the heating stone, but the rune was already glowing. My breath caught in my chest as the freezing water rose up to my knees. I would not jump out of this tub and have Nyssa hear me. I would not.

When shivers swept through me, I pressed the stone for cold water on a whim. Glorious heat swept across the water. The runes were backwards. Figures this rundown library would have mismatched runes too. I'd have to watch out for that elsewhere.

Steam curled around me as the water rose up to my waist. I sank into it, sighing with contentment. The heat dug into my muscles, easing the aches and pains from travel. It was always nice to rest and relax after a mission. The tub even had an angled top so I could rest my head back comfortably. It almost made up for that freezing water. Almost.

Something wet pressed against my cheek followed by a pop. My eyes snapped open. Shimmering bubbles filled the room, swirling around me like playful sprites.

Their iridescent sheen reminded me of wild magic storms, which might be why the tub was messed up. Magitek used careful programming to bind magic to crystals and runes, but wild magic liked to tweak that, causing all sorts of mayhem.

The bubbles pulsed in the air, growing bigger and smaller like they were breathing. Music chimed whenever they touched and light glinted off them like rainbows. Maybe this would be like the rest of the library and play nice? It was kind of cool looking.

I ducked underwater, running my hands through my hair quickly to clean up, but in that short time, the bubbles had gotten closer. They pressed up against me, popping explosively when they touched my skin. It tingled like my arm after lying on it too long, but it didn't hurt.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Nyssa asked, her voice louder right outside the door.

The bubbles merged around me, strengthening and pushing against my skin like they were searching for dirt to clean. I couldn't move, couldn't do anything but sit here. I reached for my sword, but realized I'd left it in the bedroom. Blast it.

This was why I should always take my sword with me to the bath. People laughed at me for it, but now I had a good reason. Wild magic frickin bubbles.

"So um, on second thought," I called out slowly, "could you, uh, bring me my sword?"

"Your sword?"

"Yes, and hurry," I said as the bubbles grew and multiplied. Soon there wouldn't be room for both of us in here.

The door opened after a few moments and Nyssa walked in, biting her lip to stop from laughing when she saw me. She had my sword though, loosely grasped in her hands.

"Now what?" she asked, gracefully not saying anything about the bubbles.

I sank deeper into the bath, face on fire. "Pop them with the sword. It'll absorb their magic."

At that she did laugh, but she went around the room popping bubble after bubble, dancing and laughing like a nymph in a bubble forest. When she got to the ones on me, she slowed, holding my sword out to me.

"Here, you can do these," she said.

I tried to take the hilt, but the bubbles wouldn't budge. They'd gone from easily poppable to firm. I stopped struggling, admitting bubble defeat.

"You can do it," I said, "but don't ever tell anyone about this."

"Whatever you say, big guy."

Mirth danced in her eyes as she carefully sliced each bubble from my shoulders down. The bubbles had been covering me up pretty well, but the more she popped, the more naked I was. Her amusement turned to something else. That pretty pink blush was back as her gaze slowly traveled the length of my body.

"Think that's enough?" she asked, holding the sword out to me. "Your hands are free now."

Free to do what with? All thoughts of bubbles left me as steam dampened the curls around her face. She'd run in here without a thought, ready to help me with whatever wild magic was around. And now she was kneeling right beside me, making sure I was okay. If these bubbles weren't locking me in place, I might have kissed her.

The edge of her mouth curled into a smile as she leaned closer. "Your sword, Roan."

"Right, sorry."

I took it from her and the moment was gone, she was already off investigating the wash basin. I popped the last bubbles in the bath and got out of the tub, wrapping a towel around me before going over to the laundry where bubbles were still forming. At least my clothes were clean and dry, dropped on the counter next to it.

"Guess that's the cause, huh?" she asked, pointing at the bubble crystals that must have been warped by wild magic. "I'll find somebody to take a look at them tomorrow. I already contacted a contractor about the holes in the roof and the windows, so what's one more thing?"

Her face fell, as if the weight of all the repairs were too much. She wasn't backing down though, just adding another thing to her list. There must have been a really important reason why she loved this library so much.

"Let me know how I can help," I said.

"Guess we'll have to see what you're good at then, huh?" She smiled, holding my clothes out to me. "I might enjoy that."

Water dripped down my chest, making me all too aware of my lack of clothes. This felt so uneven, her fully clothed and me with just a towel. The heat in her eyes made me want to say something, do something, but I didn't want her to think there could be something more between us. Instead, I just took my clothes, pulling my shirt over my head quickly as she left the room.

The heat left with her and suddenly the room was chilly. I rushed to put the rest of my clothes on and join her in the bedroom.

"The contractor wants us to pull down all the old patching," her voice was muffled behind her hand as covered a yawn, "so we should get some rest. It'll be a long day tomorrow."

I opened a closet, hoping there would be extra blankets and pillows in there. Sure enough, it was well stocked. I pulled some out to make a cozy bed on the floor, but Nyssa frowned at them.

"The bed really is big enough for two," she said, "and I don't bite."

My skin tightened as warmth spread over me. I might like it if she did. "I'm really fine on the floor."

"Suit yourself," she said as she crawled under the covers. "Feel free to change your mind though."

She yawned again, then snuggled even deeper under the covers. I stood there frozen, instantly regretting my choice to sleep on the floor. She looked so cozy and the idea of cuddling with her made my thoughts scramble.

"Sleep well," she said, her voice thick with sleep already.

I laid out the first blanket out on the floor in front of the door. This was for the best. I was an adventurer in the middle of a library full of wild magic. I should be focused and on guard, not thinking about getting into bed with a beautiful woman like Nyssa.

I plopped down onto the still far too hard floor and leaned a pillow against the wall. This was fine. I'd slept in much more uncomfortable places before.

Nyssa's breathing slowed as she fell asleep, her hand hanging outside the blankets a bit. The urge to tuck her in was almost overwhelming, but I forced myself to close my eyes and ignore my thoughts.

This was going to be a long night...