A New Dilemma (Imitai Book 8)

Chapter Twenty (Nerida):

Dusty books in a dusty library around a dusty desk. This room had been untouched for years. Shelves of books at the walls and along a center aisle an entire floor of books. Just about none of them in English.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The quintet of ninjas had successfully infiltrated the building. There were no lights. Light switches were nonexistent. We had to stealthily tiptoe if we needed to get anywhere. Hover if we needed to. Despite the fact my telepathy said otherwise. CCTV could be around for all we knew.

"I wonder if there might be books we need to know about," Vesta said. "Nevermind."

"I'll bring my sister here when she recovers," I suggested, shaking my head. "Maybe I can get her to read some of these books like crazy again."

Asami used to be a bookworm growing up. Now that we were older and she had her royal family, reading had to be put aside. There was no telling whether or not my literary shock absorber for a sister would ever return to such a hobby.

"Anyway," I continued. "This cannot be the precise room. We need to find a way downstairs."

What was downstairs? As much as I regained some knowledge of Japanese Kanji, I didn't wish to get lost in the sea of books. Not to also mention some of them were books about the earlier years of Japan before it became a global hub for technology. Post WWII leading up to the era of the current Minamoto family.

"How?" Angela asked, hurriedly hovering about. "There are books all around the area!"

Vesta, who also hovered about, noticed a discrepancy in one of the bookshelves. "You guys!" Check this out!"

She telepathically waved her hand over the bookshelf and the case twisted open, revealing that it doubled as a hidden door. Much to our shock, a narrow, torch-lit Japanese hallway was revealed. We hurriedly rushed in and she shut the door.

The side to it was also a bookcase.

"Talk about a wild night!" Estella said. "What kind of craziness brought you to seek your old items?"

I shot her a look, recognizing the pun given who said it. "Memories. Maybe I can learn more about myself. Or my family."

Another door was down the hallway that went from wall to wall. Probably at the center. There were two other doors halfway each way. I decided to check the one to the right.

"Check the other at the left," I commanded.

We then split up. I went to my door with Estella in tow. Angela and Joyce went with Vesta. Hence, I sought an opportunity to speak with her. Stopped at the door and engaged with her in a conversation.

"How are you and Lars?" I asked, sheepishly grinning. "You two have been said to be dating."

"We decided to cool down a little," Estella bluntly said, blushing as my telepathic senses picked up a heightened wave of worry from her mind. "You saw the tape, didn't you? Vesta told you? Or was it your aunt?"

My face heated up. "I'm not even talking about my aunt! I heard, but that's not the point! Estella, the two of you need to keep that whatever sexual shit you are doing out of the office building! Ashley would have had a field day if word got out and Joyce and Angela heard about it!"

Her face went red. "It will not happen again, but I have to admit, Lars and I are madly in love and plan to marry soon!"

"Ashley would have been cool with it," I told her. "Just hope and pray she never sees the footage."

"Oh I deleted it!" Vesta irately said from behind me, prompting me to turn around and catch her glowing pink eyes. Both Joyce and Angela were down the hallway by the other door, waiting on us. "And may I say that you're lucky none of my subordinates heard about it. We had old Robbie behind the screens that night. He sends his reactions of disgust and says that he graciously turned the other cheek that night. He earned three months paid vacation at the company's expense thanks to you!"