We all spun to find a man standing between the bookshelves. He was younger than I expected with warm brown skin, dark eyes that hid behind wire-rimmed glasses, and an apologetic expression. He wore simple robes that marked him as scholarly rather than noble, and his hands were stained with ink.
"Sorry," he said quickly, raising his hands. "I didn't mean to startle you. I'm Elias. I'm the head librarian here."
"You're human?" Osilus asked, surprise clear in his voice.
"Half-human," Elias corrected with a slight smile. "My mother was human, my father was a vampire. Which makes me... complicated. But useful in a library since I can work during the day when most vampires are sleeping." He adjusted his glasses nervously. "I've been organizing the curse research for Queen Talia. She said you'
