Empire of Dreamers

And so it begins...

 "I'm afraid the book you're looking for is already reserved" The librarian pushes her salt and pepper coloured fringe away from her glasses and oers me a sympathetic smile.. If I had to hazard a guess she is probably in her late 70's. I have been coming to this library since I could remember, meaning I have seen her before but i can't quite place her name.

I sigh quietly. The sequel to my favourite book had nally come out after 2 years of anxious waiting. I hadn't been able to scrape together the money to buy the book because it was only out in hardback. I couldn't imagine another 6 months waiting for the paperback release. In other words, the library was my last chance.

"Are you sure, you couldn't just knock me up one space. The holder of the book wouldn't even know I'd read it. Give me a day " I plunge my hand into my fur lined pockets, digging around for spare change. I drop the contents onto the table in such a haste that a few pennies drop to the oor, I bend down to pick them up.

"Morning Cheryl, I'm here to take out the Empire of Secrets. I reserved it a few weeks back" So that was her name. A deep voice booms overhead,putting me in an awkward spot, he would have had to step over me to be able to get to the desk.

This is who beat me to it.

I scoop the last of my fallen change and return it to my pocket. I push a loose curl behind my ear and rise to meet the owner of the voice.

"I have it in the back for you, it'll just be a minute." The librarian escapes through the door behind the desk.

"You've read Empire of Secrets?" I ask the tall boy, he's wearing a loose tting grey jumper that's fraying at the edges. His hair , somewhere between chestnut and bronze, curls against his eyes.

"If I had I wouldn't have reserved it" He says not turning to face me. I'm taken aback by his blunt answer. I note his body language, the way he stands, ignorance lingers in his posture.

He must feel my gaze lingering as he nally faces me. His stony expression doesn't show a icker of emotion. If he nds me hideous to look at I wouldn't be able to tell. If he looks at me and sees Aphrodite re-incarnated I wouldn't be able to tell. I become conscious of what I'm wearing, are my loose tting black jeans and navy white striped crocheted jumper not up to his standard? Why am I even worrying about this, I've never seen this boy before. He looks me up and down as I try not to squirm under the weight of his gaze.

"Who is your favourite character?" I ask, a weak attempt at breaking the awkward silence. Maybe if I prove myself to be a bigger fan then he might give me the book instead. It's a long shot but I'm desperate.

He answers my question with another question "What?"

"You heard me, who is your favourite character from Empire of Mischief, the rst book, since we've already established you haven't read the sequel yet."

He chews on his answer for a moment. The silence goes on for so long I fear he has forgotten the question entirely.

"Tristan Godlay"

That explains a lot, the typical knight in shining armour. The golden character, the man everyone would like to be, the cardboard cut-out. A cliche favourite, but I'm not really one to speak.

"And you ? Who is your favourite? No actually, let me guess. Keira Hunsoe."

Right on the bullseye. The heroine of the series, a morally gray woman who doesn't take no for an answer. His guess tells me that he has understood my game far better than I assumed he would. He is trying to get a sense of my character like I am to him.

"Wrong." I reply, even though his guess is correct I don't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that.

He tilts his head slightly challenging me, waiting for me to prove him wrong.