Two Clocks Past Midnight Part 9 (29)

  The Progress City Library was a beacon for those of academic pursuits. It stood near the center of the city. Its front face was like a temple, but that soon gave way to a tall skyscraper that was its bulk. It was more than just a place to read and borrow books. It was one of the greatest collections of writing in the world with only ancient cities being able to compete with it. Of course, one couldn’t expect less in a city hosting so much greatness.

  I stood in front of the directory. A massive tome a foot thick in each direction. The index was a completely separate booklet that was still thick enough to be hefty. I flipped from page to page. Each one reinforced my certainty that I was wasting my time.

  I would look up a subject in the index, like dreams, and then check the directory itself to see if the list books and sector descriptions fit what I was looking for. I had found a few hopefully possible leads, but nothing was popping out as a sure thing.

  I sighed. Giving up was looking really good when a voice approached me.

  “Excuse me, miss.” I turned to find an average looking man in jeans and a Kay Kay Blush t-shirt. He could have easily been a college student. “Can I help you?”

  After looking him over I sighed. I pulled out a cigarette and a fresh lighter I had the mindfulness to buy. “I doubt it.”

  I had pocketed the packaging and brought fire the tip of my cigarette when a hand crushed it and the lighter. Flame and everything.

  “Listen here, punk,” The College Boy's hardened. “This is not a place for delinquents to play around. I'll ask you to leave.”

  I looked at him stunned for a moment, but turned to defiant anger, “Hey! You can't just-”

  “Wrong.” The air around College Boy grew thick. His power level had jumped through the roof, I could feel it without trying. He narrowed his eyes, “It's my job to protect this place from disrespectful punks like you. Now state your business. Or get out.”

  I was shocked. My mind stumbled. I said the first thing I thought of, “I'm from West High. I'm working on a project.”

  “Oh.” His aura vanished. His expression of anger turned kind and warm-hearted, “Sorry I jumped the gun there. Can't be too careful. It only takes one neerdowell.” He laughed before a spark came to his eye, “Wait, you smoke?”

  “It's a part of my demitype,” I lied quickly.

  “It… is?” He raised an eyebrow.

  “Yes, now please, I need to find something.” I shifted the conversation and immediately plotted my escape.

  “Oh of course. What do you need? I know every book in this place.” College Boy said with a beaming smile that caught me off guard. “What's the subject?”

  “Oh, I… umm,” I focused my mind together. I didn't want to raise any alarms, “Dream protection, for… Magical Defense Theory.”

  I didn't even if that was a real subject. The extra classes often had strange names like Interpretation of Greater Text, Theoretical Application of Practical Science, Modern Tactics, and Transformation. I just hoped he wouldn't call my bluff.

  “Oh Ms Crisbell's class!” He slammed fist in hand, “I'm a bit surprised she accepted you. But I guess I shouldn’t throw stones.” He laughed and stepped over to the library directory, “You're going to want to go to the new neurological sorcery section. That's on the twenty second floor. I recommend these titles.”

  He pointed out a few lines before pulling a notepad out, scribbled them down, and handed them to me.

  “These should be a good start.” He said as I sheepishly took the paper with half a dozen titles.

  “Th- thank you.” I stumbled out.

  “No problem. Tell Jasmine I said hi,” College Boy walked off, waving back, “Don't forget you can check out books at any kiosk.”

  He turned the corner, a cart of books with him, and was gone. I looked at the notepad paper and noted the sector they were in. Deciding to take what I could get I headed up to the twenty second floor.

  Starting with the list given to me I soon had three dozen different books in front of me. Using the citation and contribution listings I was growing an increasingly larger pile of deadends. I found a few good nuggets of information, but nothing on how to act against anything.

  A psychomancer attack was the least likely possibility, but also the most easy to counter. Just find and attack the psychomancer. Same with any other physical creature with psychic potential, but there was a major catch. Elizabeth House had a threshold.

  This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

  Thresholds were the natural barrier created by the spiritual energy of people in places where they make homes. It was built by the eating, sleeping, washing, and other activities people did with the comfort of being home. Elizabeth House was a glorified orphanage, but for many of the boys and girls there it was truly home. Thus a powerful threshold had formed.

  So for the psychomancer theory to work it would take one of three things. Power enough to bypass the threshold in the material world, expertise enough to bypass through the Dream World, or already being inside Elizabeth House.

  Gaining entry into Elizabeth House without permission would be impossible with Lady Helena. Either physical or remotely. So the first was out, and the third would require the psychomancer to be a resident of Elizabeth House, which I was ready to believe. That left the second option, and Occam's Razor said it would just be a psychic creature, which was my primary hunch.

  But I still didn't have any evidence of what it was or a clue on how to handle it. I was in a deadend of circles. A dozen ways to go and no direction to head in.

  I was at my wit's end. I pulled a cigarette out and readied as I reached for my lighter. Only to remember that College Boy had grabbed it, likely crunched it, and was either on the floor twenty one stories down or in College Boy's possession.

  “Damn it,” I slammed a fist and just rested my chin in my hand. It was only a disposable Top Notch branded plastic lighter, but it was the only source of fire I had. I didn't get enough sunshine for a light, and I didn't want to run out just to smoke.

  I just sighed and rolled the cigarette thinking. I thought back to my very first time smoking. It was about a week after finding The Black Book. The thing I remember most was waking up wanting nothing in the world more than my mother, and then going to bed hating her. The day I threw my old name away and became Jessica Black.

  That thought made me think. Was this whole goose chase something I actually wanted, or was this actually the will of The Black Book controlling. It had the power to influence me and warp my mind. In fact that's why I smoked so damn much. To give me the focus I needed to push its influence away, but it seemed fairly tame at the moment. As if it was acting nonchalant. Knowing I would think to turn to it.

  It was a manual to things beyond the here and now. It surely knew what the Dream Eater was and how to handle it. All I would have to do is open and read it. But that would require me to let it be read by me. Something that could turn unpleasant. I was at a crossroad. One path grassy and wanting wear, and the other just as fair. Except neither choice was particularly pleasant to think about. I sighed to myself.

  “No smoking in the library.” A voice came out of nowhere and startled me. I turned to a boy about my age. He was wearing a khaki school uniform and a scowl. “Wait a minute. Don't I know you?”

  Looking him over I realized he was familiar but I couldn't place from where. I stood up and faced him as I introduced myself, “I'm Jessica Black. I'm in Class J of West Progress's Freshmen Class.”

  He narrowed his eyes and lifted his chin, “Yes, I've heard of you. I am Zariah Nunez. Class D. Junior year.” He looked at the table. “Interesting spread of books you have there.”

  “It's for Magical Defense Theory.” I quickly repeated my cover story.

  He narrowed his eyes to daggers, “Ms Crisbell's class? Who's your partner?”

  “Abraham,” I snapped out the first name that came to mind, “Prince.”

  “I know Abraham. He's in Ms Crisbell's first year of Magical Defense Theory.” Zariah checked a wristwatch, “Which is still in session for another two and a half minutes.”

  His tone was odd in a way I couldn't pick up on. I immediately thought to protect my thoughts. “Skipped class to get a head start.”

  “Is that so?” He said and seemed to deepen his thoughts.

  I couldn't sense any aggression off of him, but I didn't sense anything off Allen Wrench either. I couldn't afford to lower my guard. “Yes. What do you care? What business is it to you?”

  His eyes widened at that before hardening again, “I possibly am being too forward. I am in the second year of Magical Defense Theory under Ms Crisbell. She did not allow me to attend my freshman year.”

  “Yeah. And?”

  “She is selective in her disciples.” he said, “Yet she allowed you to enroll. Why?”

  “Guess I'm better than you.” I bite back. I still wasn't sensing anything in my mind. Was he even weaving magic? Could I tell if he was? I had never studied mind magic, or any magic really. A harsh realization was dawning on me. I was way out of my weight class. If Zariah wanted he could easily handle me. In fact, I was now acutely aware of how hot the water I had put myself over was. I needed an out.

  Before he spoke again I cut in, “Zariah Nunez, I am sorry. I am being very rude. I have no reason to be hostile to you. Let us make peace and be done here.”

  I tried to use extra flower in my words and made a little bow. Hoping it would appeal to his wizarding nature.

  It did. I think. He nodded and turned to walk past me, “Very well, Ms Black. I will leave here with no strife, but do not think I did not notice your hand on your book. I will not fault you, but be mindful next time we cross paths.”

  With that he walked away. I looked down to where I had unknowingly reached for The Black Book. Looking at it now I could feel its power. A thought came to me. I tried to push it away, but it was too forward in my mind now.

  The Black Book was a powerful manual of all kinds of magic and more. The problem was it wasn't just paper and ink. It forced the knowledge into the mind and rewrote the psyche. I had only opened it a few times. The first time being when I found it and learned about the things I force myself to not think about. Since then I also opened it and was taught the basics of energy weaving. Another opening gave the ability to place wards. The last opening was a few months ago when Jesse and I fell into the Potomac. I learned how to pull heat into my inner well and formed an ice wall saving us. It was an advanced version of the sun lighter trick I had been using. Or rather the sun lighter was a simplified version of the ice wall

  Regardless, I was stalling. I had to make a choice. Either take little I could get and pack it in, or take the risk of using The Black Book. The much smarter option was to just let things be. I had enough resources I could figure a good defenive strategy and maybe I could go ask Ms Crisbell since she was apparently a real teacher teaching a real class I had made up. Yes. There were a lot of better options for moving forward. I didn’t need to relay on The Black Book