"Actually, I, um, found something else besides the ambrosia flower while we were out in Colorado," I said. "Some sort of . . . artifact, I guess you would say. Do you feel like taking a look at it?"
Nickamedes straightened his shoulders. "Of course. I may still be a little under the weather, but I'm not dead yet, Gwendolyn. You should know by now that I'm always interested in artifacts."
So I pushed my sleeve up and held the bracelet out where he could see it. He leaned forward and ran his fingers over the leaves just as Grandma Frost had earlier. Nickamedes turned one of the laurel leaves this way and that, studying it with his usual intensity.
After a moment, his eyes brightened with wonder. "The mistletoe chain is quite beautiful, but this looks like a silver laurel leaf. They all do. Where did you get so many of them? Silver laurel is even rarer than ambrosia flowers. I've never actually seen them myself, not in person, just pictured in books in the library."
"Oh, it was just something I . . . picked up in the ruins," I said, not quite ready to tell him the whole story yet. "I need to know how to use the leaves and what they can do. Do you think . . . you can help me with that? Please?"
Back at the ruins, Covington had bragged about how he'd been researching artifacts for the Reapers. I figured it couldn't hurt to have Nickamedes do the same for the Pantheon - and for me too.
He smiled again, looking more and more like his old self. "Of course. I wonder if I could convince Ajax to bring me some books from the library. Well, actually, you can go get them. You'll be able to find them quicker than he would anyway. I know just the place to start researching this. Hand me that piece of paper and pen, will you? Quickly now, please. I want to make some notes before I forget them . . ."
I handed the librarian the items he asked for, and he started muttering to himself and scribbling down all the books he wanted to use to start researching the silver laurel. Instead of leaving, I sat down in a chair in the corner and listened to him talk, happy that he was going to be okay and that everything had worked out, despite the Reapers' plans.
For now at least.
Chapter 36
Things slowly got back to normal over the next few days.
Once Nickamedes was out of danger, my friends and I went back to our regular schedule of classes, homework, and weapons training and tried to catch up on all of the assignments we'd missed while we'd been away. Rumors swirled around campus about what had happened in the Library of Antiquities the night Nickamedes had been poisoned and about where my friends and I had gone, but I ignored the stares and whispers. All that mattered was that he was getting better. Besides, I doubted the other kids would believe everything that had happened anyway. I could hardly believe it, and I'd been there.
A few nights later, I was back in the library, sitting behind the checkout counter, working my usual shift. Alexei was standing against the glass wall behind me, while Aiko, the Protectorate guard, was at one of the study tables, reading a book. After the attack, the Powers That Were at Mythos had decided to assign Aiko to watch over me, as well. It wouldn't do much good, though. If the Reapers wanted to get to me, they would get to me. All I could do was just keep trying to become a better warrior so that when I faced Vivian again, it would be for the last time. So that I would finally manage to defeat her.
It was a slow night in the library, and most of the kids had already left to go back to their dorms for the night. I'd grabbed several books out of the stacks and was poring over them, comparing the pictures on the pages to the artifacts on the map Oliver had drawn for me. Since the attack at the Eir Ruins, I was more determined than ever to find the artifacts before Vivian, Agrona, and the rest of the Reapers did -
Tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap.
I glanced behind me. Nickamedes slowly shuffled out of the glass office complex. With his left hand, he cradled some books to his chest. With his right hand, he leaned on the cane that he was using to help him walk. The librarian was still feeling the aftereffects of the poison that had damaged his legs, and his steps were slow and a bit unsteady.
Tap-tap-tap. Tap-tap-tap.
Nickamedes was getting around well enough, and Metis had said he would probably make a full recovery, but the faint, hollow sound of his cane hitting the floor caused a fresh wave of guilt to surge through me - because it should have been me hobbling around instead of him. As soon as we figured out exactly what the silver laurel did, I was going to use one of the leaves on him to make him as strong and healthy as he'd been before.
Still, despite my guilt, I made myself smile as Nickamedes walked over to me and carefully slid the books in his arm down onto the counter.
"Anything?" I asked.
I wasn't the only one doing research. As soon as he'd been released from the infirmary, Nickamedes had started stockpiling books to go through in hopes that they might contain some information about the silver laurel leaves.
He shook his head. "Not in these books. But don't worry, Gwendolyn, we'll find out more about the laurels. It'll just take some time."
I looked at his too-thin face, the tired slump in his shoulders, and the way he had to lean on the cane just to stay upright. More guilt surged through me, along with anger. Not for the first time, I made myself and Nickamedes a silent promise - that the Reapers were going to pay for what they'd done to him.
"Gwendolyn?"
"Yeah," I said, pushing my dark thoughts away and forcing myself to smile a little bigger and brighter. "I know you'll find out something about the leaves. It'll just take some time, like you said."
"Anyway," he replied. "You can shelve those. I've got some more books to go through in my office. I want to start researching the mistletoe too, in case it has any special properties."
I nodded. Nickamedes gave me a tired smile before he slowly turned and headed back through the glass door. I watched him out of the corner of my eye, making sure he made it back to his office and was seated at his desk again.
I had reached for the books so I could go shelve them when footsteps sounded. I looked up to see Logan walking toward me.
My heart lifted at the sight of him. I hadn't seen much of Logan these last few days, since he'd been spending a lot of time with Nickamedes, making sure the librarian was resting and taking it easy like Metis had ordered him to. I also hadn't had any more nightmares about Logan stabbing me. Our time together on the mountain had at least put those fears to rest.
My eyes traced over Logan's face. His chiseled features looked as handsome as ever, but something seemed . . . different about him. Maybe it was the square set of his shoulders or the way his gaze fixed firmly on my face instead of skittering away as it had so often on the mountain. He just seemed . . . better.