Gideon Eldridge scurried down the hallway, checking every corner before proceeding. The jar of grain alcohol was getting heavier, and he wished that he could take an elevator down to the Silver Knights’ headquarters under the school, but knew that they’d be watched. The only way to where he needed to go was through a secret staircase in the main library.

The library of Grenfield was arguably the largest building on campus. It was believed to have been built as a cathedral at the behest of one of the original founders of the school, but once they died it was converted.

That god must not have been popular enough, Gideon thought as the library came into view. The massive building, erected of speckled white marble, stood proudly in front of its own perfectly manicured courtyard. Ornate carvings of that god that Gideon couldn’t remember the name of were delicately carved across the facade, all pointing towards the main door. He knew better than to take the “main” anything while being hunted, so Gideon opted for a less conspicuous side entrance.

The entrance he chose was passable with the use of a simple, but still very ornate wooden door. He cracked it open, and peered inside. It took a few seconds for his eyes, going from noonday to an unlit corner of a library, to adjust to the change in light. The student slipped in, closing the door behind him.

The library had started out as a refuge for Gideon’s first year at Grenfield. The stacks of books, nestled in their comfortable wooden shelving almost seemed to hug him when he was the most homesick. It also helped his studies; many recruits failed their first year due to their abuse of their newfound freedom, but Gideon never forgot what he was there for. Once he joined the Knights, he traversed the sea of tomes less and less, instead focusing more on combat.

Gideon ducked, seeing an indication of movement near the center of the area. He was in the Mathymaticks section, and chose to come in this way for a reason; no one was ever there. Or, historically no one was. He lifted his head slightly, and was somewhat relieved to see one of the librarians, Sorastra Adame, zipping back and forth between stacks of books needing to be returned to their homes.

Thankfully, she hadn’t seen him. Keeping his distance and being careful not to knock any books onto the floor, he made his way back to the corner of the library he came for. The door that led to the staircase was almost hidden, the wood of the door matching the same grain and color as the wooden paneled wall it was sunken into. Gideon looked around for good measure, then pulled at the handle.

The door didn’t budge.

His mind started to panic, before he forced himself to calm down. Of course it’s locked, Gideon thought. No one is supposed to use it. He recalled hearing stories about how the hidden passage had once been used by recruits to smuggle in contraband, utilizing a network of suppliers and hustlers to bring forbidden items onto campus.

Gideon pulled out his dining knife and went to work on the lock. He was irritated; if he had any notice that Dorian would call for his death, he could have packed his things more appropriately. A set of lockpicks is invaluable for someone on the run.

The lock relinquished its grip with a satisfying, albeit loud CLICK. Gideon gently opened the door, but the hinges protested in a loud groan. His option for stealth gone, he sprang through the doorway, only to be hastily pulled back out by a tight grip.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

“Just WHAT do you think you’re doing, young man?” Adame prodded with a superior tone. She was surprisingly strong for a woman in her fifties, but considering how she spent all day lifting and rearranging books, maybe that shouldn’t have been a surprise.

Gideon stammered, trying to keep the jar of alcohol from her view, but failing.

“And with that…are you going down to hide and drink yourself to death?” She balked.

“I was just taking this to storage…” Gideon started.

“Yeah okay,” she rolled her eyes. “There are plenty of ways to get down to storage without going through there. Come with me, mister Eldridge,” she ordered, pulling him away from the door.

“There are other ways down there,” a voice came from behind the nearest shelves.

Frederick Usher, one of the Knights of the Silver Moon and Gideon’s best friend, walked out into the feuding pair’s field of view. Gideon was immediately on high alert; even a friend would betray another for Dorian.

“But mister Eldridge is on a special assignment,” Frederick continued flatly. “The head of security tasked the Knights with prodding for potential weaknesses in the campus’ defenses. Every square inch has to be combed over, for safety, of course.”

Adame’s eyes shifted to Frederick, to Gideon, then to the jug.

“And the alcohol?” she asked.

“Well…” Frederick answered with a grin. “That’s good old-fashioned Silver Moon hazing. We have to prove he can do it, no matter the circumstances. Right, Gideon?”

Gideon blinked, staring at his friend, before collecting himself.

“Yes, of course,” he responded. “I may be in my final year, but I still have to take orders from my commanding officers”.

Frederick handed Adame a slip of paper, crammed with writing and signed in a gork scratch at the bottom.

“You’ll find all necessary clearance for our actions here, along with a signature of the head of security,” he clarified, before pulling out his pocket watch. “Mister Eldridge, we have limited time so let’s get going, yeah?”

Gideon nodded as Frederick escorted him through the door, then shut and promptly wedged a doorstop under it to lock it from the inside.

“That paper is a bunch of legal-sounding gibberish,” Frederick revealed. “By the time she figures that out, she’ll have to get help to open the door.”

Gideon wordlessly looked at his friend, then started hustling down the winding stone staircase. He had to keep brushing cobwebs from his face as the temperature became cooler and cooler during the descent.

“Gideon…” Frederick started.

“Don’t,” he responded. “I don’t know why you helped me back there, but I’m not going to stand there and let you turn me in or kill me.”

Frederick stopped, then walked faster, catching up with Gideon as they both continued down the steps.

“I was told to kill you,” he said in anguish, his mouth twisted in pain. “Dorian made me swear.”

Gideon stopped.

“Then why am I still alive?” he asked.

“Because I can’t do it!” Frederick cried. “You and I have been friends since what, the second day of first year? Dorian has been creeping me out lately, asking us to do stranger and stranger things…I want to leave, but I don’t know how. I’ve been following you since you left the kitchens, hoping to get you alone so I can tell you that I want to help. I know you’re trying to escape.”

Gideon’s brows furrowed, looking up the stairs at his friend.

“How can I trust you?”

Frederick smiled, his palms exposed. “You’re still alive, aren’t you?”

Gideon nodded. If his friend wanted him dead, he’d be dead.

“Ok,” he said, patting the jar as he relaxed slightly. “Tonight, the headquarters of Knights of the Silver Moon is going to burn to the ground.”

Gideon’s friend rubbed his hands together. “Good, I was getting a little chilly.”