"I'll be right back," Marcus says. "Just keep reviewing the northern territories while I'm gone."
They disappear around the corner of the bookshelf, footsteps fading into the hushed quiet of the library. For the first time since we sat down, I'm alone with the books and the shadows and the weight of what's coming. The exam looms like an executioner, blade already swinging. I drag in a breath that stretches my binding tight across my ribs and turn back to the massive tome in front of me, determined to squeeze every last drop of knowledge from these pages before time runs out.
The alcove feels smaller without Marcus here, the shelves pressing closer, watching me with their spines of cracked leather and faded gilt. I shift in the wooden chair, wincing as yesterday's bruises make themselves
