In Exchange for Magic

"Here it is," Ez breathed. "It's right here in front of us... My father was here... My own father stood right here..."

I laughed. "Sorta weird, isn't it?"
"Yeah..."
"It makes you think back to when we-"
"Shhh!" Ez hissed, placing a finger to his lips.

I raised an eyebrow. "What?"
Ez's ears twitched and his eyes darted around nervously.
"Someone's coming..."

My heart twisted and squirmed, lodging itself somewhere up in my throat. The intensity of Ez's sudden fear made the hair stand up on my arms. I started to whisper something to him, but Ez swatted a hand in front of my face and breathed a barely audible, "Hide!"

I stood stock still in shock. Hide? What the hell did he mean, hide?

Ez grasped my arm and widened his eyes at me in a silent question. I shook my head and shrugged helplessly. We were in the middle of a hallway, standing before the heavy double doors of a giant library. Where was I supposed to go?

By this time, even I could hear the footsteps. They were large and heavy, moving with an urgent sense of importance. And I knew, if my useless ears could detect the sound of them, that they were near.

In one panicked movement, Ez swung open a door to the Library, grabbed my arm, and shoved me inside. I was still in the utmost state of horror, and couldn't find the words to protest this. Ez winked at me and smiled grimly.

"Wish me luck," he whispered. "The book we want is titled, A History of Magical Deformities and the Mixing of Breeds."
"I... I..."

And the door slammed shut directly in front of my face.

Immediately after they were closed, I grasped at the handle. But I knew my efforts were in vain. Ez was standing in front of the doors, and I couldn't overcome his strength. Instead, I opted to press my ear to the keyhole.

Seconds later, the footsteps stopped in front of Ez and my worst fears were confirmed.

"Step aside, boy," the voice commanded. "I need to enter the Library."
"Sorry," Ez apologized. "But the Library is closed today."
"And why would that be?"
"Uh... Bees."
"Bees?"
"Bees."

"Young man, if you do not-"
"Giant bees. Nasty bees! Sir, I will not be held responsible for your stings!"
"Step aside," the voice ordered, no longer amused at Ez's antics.
"No."
"No? Don't you know your place, boy? Where are you supposed to be? The stables? The kitchen? I suggest that you move now, before I am forced to move you myself."
"Move me yourself?" Ez laughed, teasing the man. "Why, the wind would knock you over! I could-"

His words were interrupted by the sharp sound of a slap. I heard Ez cry out in surprise and he stumbled slightly away from the door. The handle to the door opposite from the one I was listening at wriggled, but it stopped as soon as Ez yelled, "Wait!"

The man's footsteps shuffled as he turned towards Ez.
"What now?"
Silence.
The mans voice questioned, "Why are you smiling at me like that?"

I gasped at the same time as the man outside did.

"Your teeth..." the man choked. "Your... Oh... But your ears are..."
"I'll give you a hint. My mommy was an elf, and my daddy was a vampire. So that makes me..."
"A Half-Breed!"
"Ooh, very nice!" Ez mused, clapping slightly.

I heard a grunt of pain as the man took hold of Ez. The unsheathing of a sword, and the man's voice rang out at the same time.

"To the dungeons with you," he hissed. "One funny movement, and this blade goes straight through your neck."

And so that's how I learned that Ezekiel Jonas Sullivan was being taken down to the dungeons, under the not-so-gentle care of an evil man and a sharp sword.

-_-_-_-

My fingers shook as I reached out towards the surprisingly light volume. For the entire history of Half-Breeds, the book was sort of unimpressive. I guessed three-hundred pages at the most.

The gold lettering was peeling, but I could read it well enough. Dust filled my mouth and caused me to sneeze as I pulled it off the shelf.

A History of Magical Deformities and the Mixing of Breeds.

I flipped it open to a random page and was met with a shockingly gruesome depiction of a "magical deformity." It looked a bit like that pink monster guy off of "Goonies."

Disgusted, I snorted and slammed the book shut.

"Young lady!" A voice demanded from behind me. "What in the name of the King do you think you are doing?"

I clutched the book behind my back and whorled around to face the voice. A stern, grey-haired librarian was looking down from above an enormously hawked nose at me. Her watery blue eyes were squinted in disapproval.

"Where is your uniform?" she demanded.
"Um... On my bed?" I guessed.
"Someone has already cleaned the Library today!"
"Oh... Really?" I asked, pretending to be surprised. "Well, I'm really sorry, ma'am."
The woman shook her head as she scurried away. "Honestly! Hiring a vampire into the cleaning service... They must be getting desperate!"

I breathed a giant sigh of relief and clung tight to my precious book with sweaty hands. Instantly, I made a dash for the Library door, stumbling over my own feet once or twice.

Upon opening the heavy double doors, I was met with a tall and skinny man who looked at me as disapprovingly as the Librarian had. I gasped and spun around, praying that he would just let me go on my way.

"You there!" Called the same voice that had been threatening Ez. "Stop!"

My heart screamed for me to run, but my brain, unfortunately, was the organ that was controlling my legs. I slowly turned around and was met with intense golden eyes. The man, true to Ez's taunts, looked as if a good strong gust of wind could carry him straight out of the Royal City and into Attannia's countryside - which Ez says is quite beautiful.

"Y-Yes?" I stuttered.
"Where are you supposed to be?"
"Um..." I thought on my feet. "Cleaning in the dungeons."

His eyes narrowed in suspicion.

I was panicking and I could tell that it was showing. I kept mechanically clenching my hands into fists and then releasing them. It was all I could do to keep from running away!

"Are you entirely sure of that answer?" he asked, taking a step closer to me.

Well... Actually, running away was an option. No, to fishy. I could try to overpower him? I could scream, I could punch him, I could flirt, I could... Hey... I could flirt!

I batted my eyelashes once, twice, three times and smiled sweetly.

"Yes, I'm sure, " I told him. "And do you know something?"
"What?" he asked, surprised - but not exactly angered by my change of attitude.
"I didn't catch your name," I purred.

He rolled his eyes, dismissing my hints.
"Off to your quarters," he said, laughing slightly as if to say, 'I've still got it.'

This caught me off guard.

"Uh..." I stuttered. "Well... You see... It's my first day and..."
He bought it. "The servants quarters are on the second floor, at the end of the long hallway immediately to your right."
"Oh," I replied, widening my eyes and throwing in a few more bats of the eyelashes. "Thank you so much!"

He just sighed and turned to walk away.

"Wait!" I cried after him.
He turned around.
"And the dungeons are...?"
"Take the back staircase located to the left of the kitchens."

And with that, the book and I dashed off to the slave quarters.