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Chapter 14: The Library

Bright light spilled into the room through the curtains, Aelin scrunched her eyes tighter trying to block out the suns penetrating rays. Rolling onto her stomach, she pulled the blanket over her face, success. She knew it was probably mid-morning, and that she had over slept, but she didn't care, after being up till almost four in the morning she was exhausted. Her foot stretched across the bed feeling for the cool body of her mate, but it came up empty. Aelin's eyes shot open as she turned gaping at the empty bed beside her. Worry started to rise in the pit of her stomach, but she pushed it down. There was no need to worry. Most likely he had woken up before her and gone to meet Chaol for breakfast. Neither the less she got dressed more quickly than normal and headed down stairs to the dinning hall.

In the morning Chaol walked into the dining room to be greeted warmly by Aedion and Lysandra. Chaol looked at the mountain of food, his stomach growling as he fixed himself a plate and took a seat next to Aedion.

"Looks like things have been busy here while I've been gone." Aedion nodded, "Busy is any understatement. You saw the armies on your way in?" Nodding Chaol took a bite of his apple. Rowan entered the room, fixed himself a plate and sat on the other side of him. They continued eating in silence. After a few minutes Chaol cleared his throat, looking at Rowan. "Is Aelin still sleeping?" He knew that they shared a room. Lysandra coughed, her hand covering her mouth. Rowan smiled, "I'm not sure." Odd. The suffocating silence resumed as they continued eating. Chaol having finished with breakfast stood to leave. "You're not going to wait for Dorian?" Lysandra asked. Chaol looked at the clock on the mantle. "They should be down soon." Sighing Chaol sat. He would give Dorian a few more minutes before he made his rounds, he had a lot to discuss with Ress after walking in on last nights festivities.

Aelin came storming into the dinning room a few minutes later quickly surveying it's occupants her brows scrunching together. "Where's Dorian?" she asked to anybody who wanted to answer. "He has not yet graced us with his presence this morning." Aedion added rather smugly. Worry flooded over Aelin's face. Aedion also seemed to pick up on this, "Is everything alright?" he asked. Aelin bit her lip as she turned to face Chaol. "You haven't seen him this morning?" Chaol shook his head, "No, he is probably still sleeping." "No he isn't." Chaol stared at her for a second, how would she know that, perhaps she checked their first he decided. "Sit down and eat something, Fireheart I'm sure he is fine." Aelin nodded as she grabbed an orange, pulling out a knife she had hidden somewhere on her person she started peeling it, worry never leaving her face as she watched the clock.

Dorian was becoming extremely agitated as he stared at the stag symbol on the wall. He had awoken early the past two mornings in order to find whatever it was that Gavin wanted him to. The first morning had been spent trying to locate the wooden panel Gavin had referred to, and now that he had found it. Well, it didn't move. The wood panel with the stag symbol was solid paneling, there was no secret compartment behind it, nor did it lift out of place or anything simple like that. He had already tried prying the paneling from the wall, but it wouldn't budge. Cursing Dorian sat down against the opposite wall staring at the smug little stag. Perhaps he was going insane. That was more likely he thought than Gavin leading him to a secret compartment in the library catacombs.

Sighing Dorian stood to leave, he didn't know what else to do it was like the panel was magically adhered to the wall. His eyes widened as he looked at the panel. Perhaps that's it, magic. Walking over to the wall he placed his hand against the stag, concentrating the flow of his power into that one wooden panel. The wood turned cool beneath his hand, other than that nothing else seemed to happen. Sighing, Dorian dropped his hand. Well it was worth a shot. As he turned to leave, a piercing blue light caught his attention out of the the corner of his eye. The stag on the panel was glowing. Dorian's eyes widened as the panel leapt off of the wall and crashed to the floor.

He couldn't believe it, behind the panel was a secret compartment and inside there were several paper scrolls. Dorian quickly grabbed them, sealed the compartment back up, and sat on the ground bringing the oil lamp closer as he examined them. The age of the scrolls was the first thing he noticed, they had to be hundreds of years old perhaps more. There were three of varying sizes, and they were sealed. He held the scroll closer to the light trying to make out the seal. No it couldn't be. Dorian looked at the seal his hand shaking, it was the seal of Gavin. Carefully breaking the seal of the smallest scroll, Dorian unrolled it and started reading.