When Elettra and Portia stepped off the train, Elettra didn’t see any sign of Locke or Taro or anyone associated with the Starlings.
Elettra and Portia lived in the rooms on campus. It was dark by the time they arrived, and their bags had already been brought to their rooms. Elettra forced herself not to fall into bed and sleep in her clothes.
The next morning, Elettra awoke to a thick dark fog that enshrouded the college. She dressed quickly and splashed water on her face. She threw on a sweater under her black scholar robes before climbing into her heavy coat . The cold morning air stung her face and eyes. She buried her chin in the collars around her neck, as she stuck her hands in her pockets. Elettra wiggled her fingers and threads of magic warmed her fingers as she walked. Other black-clad students walked through the fog like a flock of black birds flying through the clouds.
First, the library. Elettra always had library duty in the morning before her classes. The path from the dorms to the library narrowed, and Elettra noted to herself that none of the Starlings would be close by. Then she paused.
Second-- forget the Starlings.
Elettra’s cheeks burned as she pushed open the tall, heavy door to the library. A deep moan resounded from the hinges as Elettra softly stamped the snow from her boots. The fires roaring in the hearths made her skin prickle. The library was tall, dark, and dry. It smelled of old paper, and already she could hear, soft echoing footsteps. Elettra pulled off her coat and went directly to the circulation desk. She quietly smiled at Mrs. Carr, the head librarian, as Elettra grabbed a pen and headed straight for the tall stacks. Dozens of broad desks were lined uniformly down the middle of the library with colorful lamps already lit. Between the stacks were tall, stain-glassed windows that appeared pale against the glaring winter light. At the other end were stairs that climbed into a hall where ancient scrolls were kept and more serious scholars spent their time.
Elettra spotted the book cart. She watched a slender hand reach out from under a thick wool sleeve for another book. Then it disappeared between the stacks. She followed where she had seen the hand, and when Elettra turned the corner, she saw the long, thin boy from the train with the large dark eyes, who first poked his head through the compartment. Elettra had never spoken to Ivo Veremond, but she knew him from afar: he was delicate with translucent skin, and fine features. Ivo only glanced at Elettra sideways:
“I haven’t had a chance to put the histories away,” he spoken in a low whisper, gesturing to the books at the bottom of the cart, “but I have put them in order for you.”
Elettra muttered a thank-you. Elettra had had several library partners since coming to Haightford; they all seemed to shrink in Elettra’s presence, but she watched Ivo from out the corner of her eye, and his soft gaze was also steady and concentrated on the menial task of putting books away. He seemed as composed and occupied in his own thoughts as though she weren’t there. It was different, for Elettra. But soon, the two fell to a rhythm of taking books from the cart and occasionally handing each other books. And soon other students started filing into the library, having just come from breakfast. Elettra was so absorbed in her work that she nearly missed the fire-haired Sparrow bolt past her.
“Breakfast?” Sparrow lifted the lid of a paper box revealing an array of pastries to Ivo.
“Contraband,” Ivo smiled softly and shaking his head. “Don’t let Mrs. Carr catch you.”
“She can’t let you starve!” Sparrow suddenly whirled around and presented the open box to Elettra, “pastry?”
Elettra hadn’t expected Sparrow to acknowledge her or look up at her with her wide, blue eyes that almost pleaded with Elettra to take a sticky, sugary pastry.
Elettra opened her mouth to say something and then closed it. Then she smiled and shook her head.
“Sadists—”
“—masochists,” Ivo corrected, shoving a book into its place.
“Whatever,” Sparrow sighed, closing the box and angling her head toward the cart, reading the titles on the spines.
Elettra glanced down the corridor of books, her pulse quickening. Were there any other Starlings?
Suddenly, Elettra felt a hand tug on her arm: Portia had gathered her arms aroung her ribs when Elettra turned.
“Why do you look so pale?” Portia hissed, “are you sick? You know you need to tell mother if you’re sick.”
“I’m not sick!” Elettra inhaled, trying to recompose herself. Then she noticed that Portia had pushed herself between Elettra and Sparrow. Sparrow just stared at the small, fearsome thing before her. Then she slowly lifted the paper lid, “Pastry?”
Portia looked from Sparrow to the pastries and then back to Sparrow. “No.”
Sparrow slowly closed the lid, and as soon as she did Ivo grabbed the box from her. When he turned Taro had somehow appeared at the other end, and Ivo handed him the box, and then returned to shelving books.
“Why weren’t you at breakfast?” Portia took a step closer to Elettra—a step that Elettra didn’t think was possible considering that they were all packed between the stacks. Sparrow was trying to squeeze from between them. Ivo continued to shelve as Taro slowly opened the box and slowly selected a pastry from the box—unsure why there were pastries in the library and if they were actually for him.
“Library duty,” Elettra flushed from embarrassment that at least two other Starlings, besides Taro, were listening in on Portia’s interrogation. “I’ve always had library duty—you know that!”
Elettra snatched a book from the cart. She was too flustered to think and shoved the book in an open space above her.
“Onyx wanted to know where you were.” When Elettra tried to step away, Portia only moved closer.
“You seem more annoyed at Onyx than me,” Elettra’s nostrils flared.
Ivo suddenly reached across Elettra and took the book she just shelved and placed it in a gap on the shelf behind her. Elettra wanted to bury her fingers in her eyes, but she knew that looking discomposed was out of the question.
“You should’ve told him I had library duty.”
“I did.” Portia sniffed.
“And?” Elettra towered over her sister, wanting to be done with this line of questioning.
“He still didn’t understand why you didn’t come to breakfast.”
Elettra huffed and finally pushed herself past Sparrow and the cart and into the hall behind the stacks. Portia followed after her.
“Where are you going?” Portia whispered, jogging to keep up with Elettra.
Elettra was swift, and she was grateful that she didn’t drop anything as they were in the anteroom of the library. Other students moved around them noiselessly.
“Classes.”
Portia just stared at her as though she didn’t understand.
Elettra wanted to grab her shoulders and shake her.
“It’s a college, Portia, if Onyx is too stupid to understand that I have classes, then…”
Elettra couldn’t think of anything. She just wanted to murder Onyx for being so obstinately nosey.
“He’s just doing what mother wants.” Portia shrugged, her indignation at Elettra’s annoyance simmering under her seeming indifference.
Elettra always wanted the last word, but she was already late. She pushed open the door and disappeared in the morning fog.
