Witch, Wolf, Woods

CHAPTER 29: SABRINA'S LEGACY

Katja and Wolf made their way to the library and eventually found Tante Winola, who was in a dark corner deep on the third level.

She gestured for them to stay back as she ran a heavy chain across the front of the door, followed by a rope made of fabric, and another Katja swore looked exactly like braided tree bark. She wanted to ask what sort of book required such bindings, but she also had more pressing issues.

"Tante Maedra and Tante Gerta told me the truth about how I came to live in the castle," she said when Tante Winola finished and came to stand in front of them.

The smile faded from the librarian's face, and she glanced at Wolf, who nodded.

"Did you know?" prompted Katja.

"Yes," replied Tante Winola without hesitation, "and I'm glad they finally told you. I came close to doing it myself once or twice. Personally, I think you could have handled the truth years ago, but it wasn't my place. Those of us living here at the time agreed it would be up to Maedra and Gerta to tell you, seeing as they were the ones who actually witnessed what happened."

She sighed. "I'm so sorry, Katja."

Katja dipped her head in acknowledgement, unable to muster any real anger at the librarian.

"I know everything discussed between a patron and a librarian is confidential," she said, "but is there anything you can tell me about the research my mother worked on? Maybe books she read or what sections of the library she visited most?"

"I can do better than that." The smile reappeared on Tante Winola's face. "I can show you her work—or at least what the library has of it."

"Really?" Katja and Wolf shared a disbelieving look. "How did the library come to have it?"

Tante Winola waved for them to follow her, and she led them up the stairs and across the second floor to a section marked "Archives."

"Before your mother left, she came to see me," explained Tante Winola. "I'd helped her find books and papers before, so I assume she felt comfortable with me...or, at the very least, she knew she could trust me when it came to matters involving the library.

"It was late one night, and she suddenly appeared in the entrance, holding a box. It was obvious she was on a mission, and she told me she wanted to donate her work to the library for safe-keeping. She was very explicit that, as a condition of housing her work, I could never voluntarily tell anyone it was here, but if someone asked about it, I was free to share it."

The librarian's smile turned sad. "She left the castle the next morning, and what a stir it caused. Maedra and Gerta were beside themselves, but then, they'd always been especially close with your mother."

Tante Winola led the way down a long corridor, and as the overhead lighting flared brighter, Katja realized the shelves weren't filled with books—they were filled with drawers and cabinets of various shapes and sizes. Some were so small she couldn't imagine them holding more than a single piece of paper, while others appeared large enough for Wolf to crawl in.

Tante Winola stopped before an especially large cabinet fitted with a lock and a brass nameplate that said, Verrun, S., in tight, formal script. Katja couldn't help but reach out and run a finger over the letters, tracing her mother's first initial, as well as their shared last name. It was a poor substitute for a hug or caress, but it felt good, nonetheless.

As Tante Winola withdrew a large key from her pocket, she raised her eyebrows at Katja.

"Now that you know where your mother's papers are stored, I trust you won't need me to unlock this for you every time you wish to read something."