ure hall. Black ink dripped steadily from Professor Kael Draven'

d her ground in the back row. Her heart hammered against her ribs in a frantic, terrifying rhythm. She had openly

He looked predatory. The invisible tether connecting them pulled tight, humming with a magnetic energy that m

nding a dangerous shiver down her spine. "You memorized a textbook. Memorization is not c

is pocket and pulled out a dark, silk handkerchief, wiping the ink from

reached every corner of the room. "You will submit a fifteen-page analysis on the Forgotten Bloodlines of the First Era. You wil

ssroom. Seraphina turned in her seat, h

Archives were, but the sheer terror radiating from her classmates told her every

issed," Kae

d feel his amber gaze tracking her every movement. She wanted to look back at him. She wanted to close the distance between them and demand t

g. Her siren roommate took one look at Elara's p

hair shifting colors in the dim light of

assignment. Fifteen pages on the First Era bloodlines.

e floor with a heavy thud. Her iridescent scales l

estricted Archives are not just a library section. The magic in those books is feral. The texts whisper

my hand," Elara replied

like ice. Kael Draven was testing her. He was pushing her to the edge of a cliff, waiting to see if

said firmly. "He is waiting for m

wing blue pearl, pressing it into Elara's palm. "Keep this in your pocket. It is a siren tear. If t

and, deeply grateful for

d heavy incense washed over her. The library was a massive, sprawling labyrinth of towering bookshelves that seemed to stretch

hushed whispers. She headed straight for the

of dried blood. This was Madame Vesper. As Elara approached, the woman lifted her head. Her eyes were milky wh

er head, taking a long

oice sounded like dry leaves scraping across a stone floo

ks burn hot. "I need access to the Restricted Archives

across the desk, her frail, bony fingers finding Elara's wris

e eyes widening. "He is trying to push you out of the nest before the predators arrive

he back of Elara's neck. "W

h. "I smell a dormant queen waking up. Be careful in the dark, Elara Quinn. Not all shad

nder the desk and pulled out a heavy, rusted

ward the heavy, iron barred gate located in the furthest, darkest corner of the library. She slid the r

eavy gate open a

e main library did not cross the threshold. The only light came from the fain

ate slammed shut behind her, locking

was

aching up into the pitch black ceiling. Marina was right. The books were whispering. A low, scratching s

ing to keep her sanity intact. She ran her fingers alon

lara kept her hand tightly in her pocket, gripping the siren tear Marina had gi

r. The whispers grew louder here. Th

g with an ominous violet light, was a massive tome tit

attached to the brass rail on the floor. She grabbed the sides of the ladde

her arm out, her fingertips brushing t

he whisperi

Elara froze. The hairs on her arms stood up. The air pr

e dark aisle. It was the sound of thick

forward. It was not falling by accident. An invisible, crushi

Elara

e. The brass rail snapped. The wood screamed. The towerin

stone floor. A split second later, the massive wooden shelf an

lungs. The heavy weight of the wood and books pinned her to the freezing sto

st, but it was far too heavy. Her left

illed books flickered and died. S

the Restricted Archives shifted. The old parchment scent vanishe

ring sound echoed

all. It did not move like a normal cast shadow. It moved like a liquid snake, sliding across the floorboards wit

not move. And the darknes

or's

new she would be in this much danger? Madame Vesper's warning about a "dormant queen" is giving me major chills! What do you think Elara's hidde