Later that evening, Eli opened the heavy wooden door to an enormous library. It was a multi-story affair with an arched roof made of stone and wood, and walls that featured enormous glass windows. As his eyes moved downwards he saw over a dozen floors, each of which held what must have been thousands of bookshelves. Each floor terminated in a marble balcony overlooking the foyer where he stood, presenting an intimidating first impression for anyone entering for the first time.

  His gaze gradually travelled downwards before pausing at the ground level, his eyes flicking across the myriad of sturdy wood tables which had been set up for library patrons. He idly watched a high elf wearing a toga stand from an enormous desk situated in the middle of the floor before casting a spell, launching herself into the air through the open foyer. She paused her ascent at the 5th floor, reaching out to grab the edge of the balcony before pulling herself over the lip and landing.

  I guess that’s what it takes to be a librarian at a magical library. Eli thought to himself idly. I really hope I don’t have to search every floor for Minerva though.

  Mercifully, he found her at a table tucked into the corner less than a minute later. Despite her distinctive grey dress, white wings, and red hair he’d missed her in his first cursory inspection because of the enormous stack of books in front of her. She was in her usual state when he found her – nose deep in a musty tome, glasses pushed all the way up, lips pursed in a thin line and a look of intense concentration on her face.

  “Hey Minerva.” He said softly as he slipped into a chair beside her.

  She yelped in surprise, drawing the attention of the other patrons around her. “Eli!” She hissed.

  Eli grinned as he held a finger to his lips. “Shh. Don’t you know you’re supposed to be quiet in a library?” He teased.

  She glowered at him for a moment before responding. “I just… you surprised me, that’s all.”

  Chuckling to himself he craned his neck to look at the title. “Got lost doing some light reading?”

  She held onto her frustration at him for a moment longer before it cracked, giving way to excitement and joy. “It’s…incredible. The things I’ve learned in the last few hours turn thousands of years of magical history on its head. Royal Bloods have had a hand in so many things we’ve just taken for granted, pulling the strings from far away without anyone knowing.”

  “Like what?” Eli asked.

  “Well…according to this, they helped solidify the Hightower family as the default custodian of portals between Earth and the various magical realms. They subtly pushed several of their agents to provide the seed funding required to set up the first waystations. Without it, the Hightower family likely wouldn’t have set up their network for another decade, and at that point there may have been several competitors in the market.”

  Eli grinned. “I’ll make sure to share that tidbit with Aria.”

  “Oh! There’s more too.” Minerva said excitedly, pulling an already-open tome from nearby. “Their research into protecting their worlds from the Titans led them to becoming the authorities on portals. Admittedly this isn’t my area of expertise, but the theories they’ve had about portals are far more advanced than anything the High Elves have come up with.”

  “Theories about portals?” Eli asked dubiously. “I didn’t realize there was anything to research.”

  “There’s so much! We’ve got a baseline understanding of the techniques, but the Royal Blooded researchers went much further. Look here.” She said, pointing to a complex series of diagrams. “They conducted research, combining their knowledge of magic with that of human astronomy. They spent a lot of time trying to figure out if it was possible to see the other realms from Earth through a telescope. What they found was that the stars were completely different.”

  “That’s not that surprising.” Eli said. “The stars would look different from a different realm.”

  “Not just look different.” Minerva corrected him excitedly. “They are different. As in: they couldn’t find a single common star between one realm and another.”

  “So what does that mean?” Eli asked, leaning closer and putting a hand on her thigh.

  She blushed before continuing. “One possibility is that the realms are so far away from each other that they can’t see any common stars.” She paused. “The other theory they have is that the realms are different universes. Meaning that every time we step into a new realm, we’re not just going to a new world – we’re going to a new universe.”

  Eli furrowed his brow. “I remember reading something about a multiverse in a physics textbook once. It’s pretty common in human sci-fi media too.”

  “It’s still a theory, but maybe when this is all over we could prove it one way or another.” Minerva smiled. “With magic.”

  Eli chuckled. “Proving science with magic is most definitely not in any human textbooks.”

  She locked eyes with him for a long moment, enjoying their closeness before looking back at her book. “How are the rooms?”

  “They’re great.” Eli answered. “You should come see them – we’ve got a small castle to ourselves.”

  “I will.” She promised. “I just want to stay here and read a bit longer.”

  “Minerva.” Eli said gently. “You basically sprinted here the moment Athena finished her story. I know I asked you to find stuff that corroborates what she said, but I didn’t mean that I wanted you to burn out here.”

  “I can keep going.” She protested, turning away from him.

  Eli opened his mouth to contradict her, but paused when he saw a tear forming in the corner of her eye. He reached forward and touched her face softly, wiping the tear as it fell down her cheek. The gesture caused Minerva to look back at him before falling into his embrace, wrapping her wings around him and letting the tears fall.

  “Hey. It’s okay.” He said, rubbing her back soothingly. “What’s this about? What’s wrong?”

  “It’s just…” She said softly through sobs. “If I can find proof here, then you won’t have to…won’t have to…” She trailed off.

  The realization hit Eli like a ton of bricks. “I won’t have to do the other thing Minerva suggested.” Eli finished her sentence. “I won’t have to go with her to the front lines to see it for myself.”

  She looked up at him and nodded before gripping his white shirt. “Yes.”

  “Hey.” Eli said, tilting her head up. “Listen to me. I’m going to tell you something you might not want to hear, then something you will. Okay?”

  “Okay.” She said softly.

  “Even if you find something here…I’m probably going to the front lines in a few days – or whenever Athena says she’s ready to take me. I have to see it for myself. I have to know. There’s no way I’ll truly believe it otherwise. So there’s no use in you burning yourself out here trying to find proof. Do what you can, but don’t do it for that reason.”

  Fresh tears welled in her eyes. “Oh…okay.”

  “Now for the part you’re going to want to hear: I am coming back. Charging headfirst into dangerous situations is always going to be part of my nature, but I will always come back – to you, and to the rest of the girls.”

  “Okay.” She said softly as he wiped the tears away.

  The two of them stayed like that, locked in their embrace for several more minutes. Gradually, Minerva’s tears stopped – giving way to steady breaths. As he was about to release her though, a thought occurred to him – one that quickly blossomed into a full-on plan.

  “You know…” He said softly. “I still owe you a date.”

  “You do.” Minerva confirmed, her face still buried in his chest.

  “How about one right now?” Eli asked.

  Finally, she looked up at him. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, let’s have a date right here. In the library.”

  “That’s…I mean… who would want to have their first date in the library?” She questioned.

  “It’s fitting, for us.” Eli replied. “And besides, I have something special in mind. Do you have a spare piece of paper and a pen somewhere?”

  Nodding, Minerva released him before finding a pad of paper and a pen – both of which were hidden under a stack of tomes. She handed them to him and he tore out a page before leaning over the table, shielding the paper with one arm. Glancing up at Minerva he shook his head and grinned.

  “No peeking!” He said before beginning to write frantically.

  When he was done, he tore the paper into 6 pieces before standing, causing her to tilt her head in confusion. “I thought we were having our date?”

  “We are.” He assured her. “I just need to… set something up. Give me 10 minutes? And stay here?”

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  “Okay.” She said, her curiosity overriding her previous anxieties.

  With that, Eli raced towards the enormous desk in the middle of the floor before he caught sight of the high elf he’d witnessed flying before. She looked at him sternly as he ran, but her look changed to one of outright confusion as he approached her.

  “You’re the librarian, right?” He asked as he neared the desk.

  “I…yes.” She said, nodding. “Can I help you?”

  “I need your help finding these books.” He said, leaning over conspiratorially.

  Shrugging, she moved closer to him. He quickly described his plan, glancing back at Minerva several times. As he spoke the librarian tried to maintain her stern demeanour, but couldn’t in the face of his infectious enthusiasm. In less than a minute she was nodding along, pointing at the various floors and offering to help.

  Over the next 10 minutes Eli and the librarian distributed the hand-written notes amongst the books before returning to the bottom floor. When it was finally done Eli wore an enormous smile on his face – one that only served to confuse Minerva even more. He excitedly passed her a note before explaining his plan.

  “Welcome to your literary treasure hunt. This is your first clue – it corresponds to a book somewhere in this library.”

  “Okay.” Minerva said, smiling and standing.

  “When you find that book, you’ll find a clue pointing to the next book. I want you to keep following the clues until the end, where you’ll find a location. That’s where I want you to meet me. Think you’re up for the challenge?”

  “I think so.” Minerva said. “Unless you’ve given me some impossible clues or something.”

  “Take a look.” Eli said. “You tell me.”

  Minerva unfolded the piece of paper and read it aloud. “A curious girl and a rabbit hole…” She trailed off before an enormous grin appeared on her face and she met Eli’s gaze. “You’re on.”

  She flapped her wings once, firing into the air before suddenly changing directions and darting towards one of the floors. Eli smiled as he watched her deftly leap over one of the balconies before scurrying down a row of shelves. When she was out of sight he turned around and headed towards the exit, triggering a transformation into his phoenix form the moment he was out the door.

  After a short flight Eli found the spot the librarian had told him about. It was a small clearing nestled higher up the mountain, accessible only by those with the ability to fly. He landed lightly in the tall grass, using his wings to tamp it down before transforming back into his human form and waiting, looking up at the sky full of stars above him as he did.

  I can’t believe we might be in a different universe. He thought to himself as he watched the twinkling lights. Incredible.

  It didn’t take long before Eli heard the rustling of white feathers. Minerva shot into view, still holding the hand-written notes in one hand. She had a triumphant grin on her face – a far cry from the way she was feeling less than an hour ago.

  “I did it!” She shouted as she landed next to him.

  “Yeah?” Eli asked, sitting up. “Tell me what they were.”

  “The first one was easy – Alice in Wonderland.” Minerva started, sitting cross legged next to him in the grass. “That led to the second clue – ‘the art of deduction’.” She smiled before holding the paper up. “Sherlock Holmes.”

  “Very good.” Eli nodded.

  “The third clue – ‘a world invaded’ – gave me a bit of trouble because it could have been a few different books. I narrowed it down pretty quickly though, and found the next clue in the War of the Worlds.”

  “Nicely done.”

  “Now, the 4th clue was ‘a monster with a heart’. That one was really hard, until I realized you meant the original human monster book: Frankenstein.”

  “Mary Shelley would be proud.” Eli grinned.

  “Then, that led to the hardest clue yet – a king’s fall from grace.” Minerva said, holding up the last clue. “I really had to think about that one. There are so many stories about people falling from grace, often royalty.”

  “How did you figure it out?”

  “Well all your books up until that point were human literature, so that narrowed it down. I also knew you had to improvise this, so it had to be a well-known human author.” She smiled. “And if this is a date, why not choose someone romantic? Why not choose someone known for writing romantic poetry?” She asked before holding up the last clue – the one containing directions to where they now sat. “King Lear. Shakespeare.”

  Eli clapped as he smiled. “Bravo.”

  Minerva performed a mock bow as she smiled – something Eli had never seen her do. As she looked at him he saw the side of her that few people got to see: a confident, poised woman completely in her element. His smile grew at the sight, his hands reaching out to hold hers.

  Her breath hitched slightly at the contact but she didn’t pull away. In a rare moment of assertiveness she instead pulled herself closer, pressing her lips to his in a chaste kiss. It caught him off guard for a moment but he quickly recovered, moving closer and kissing her in return – this time for longer. She wrapped her wings around him as they settled into the grass, their hands roaming as their lips met over and over.

  When they broke apart she was smiling from ear to ear. “I liked this. Thank you. The fact that you remembered what I like and planned an entire date themed around it means everything to me.”

  “It was the least I can do. I care about you, Minerva. I love seeing this side of you.” He paused for a moment. “Although I’ve been meaning to ask: what is it about books that gets you? Don’t get me wrong: I’ve lost more than a few days of my life to reading novels when I should have been doing other things, but your appetite for reading is voracious compared to me.”

  She looked at him thoughtfully for a moment. “You know, nobody has ever asked me that.”

  “I’m asking.” He pressed.

  “I guess I have a powerful imagination.” She answered after a long pause. “It’s easy for me to read a book and imagine myself in the characters shoes – thinking about what I’d do, or how I’d feel.”

  “You’ve got a strong sense of empathy. I admire that about you.” He said before kissing her on the cheek.

  She blushed crimson. “You’re very kind. But I don’t know if that’s true. You should see the notes I take after finishing every novel.”

  “You take notes after finishing novels?” Eli asked before shaking his head and holding up his palm. “No, wait – I shouldn’t be surprised by that.”

  “You really shouldn’t.” She teased him. “But yes, I do. I’ve read thousands of novels by this point, and my notes usually consist of all the things I didn’t like about the book. If you read how angry some of my notes get, you’d realize I’m far less empathetic than you give me credit for. I have very strong opinions on novels.”

  Eli thought about what she said for a moment. “Have you ever thought about writing your own?”

  “Well…maybe…” She said, her shyness from before returning.

  “That’s a yes.” Eli said before kissing her on her nose and causing her to squirm happily. “No pressure but I’d love to hear one of them.”

  Minerva slowly opened up to him, detailing her idea for a novel involving two human brothers in a magical realm. As he asked questions she became more and more animated, excitedly outlining subplots and various sequel ideas. By the time she finished she’d unconsciously laid next to him, laying her wings over them like a blanket as she nuzzled her head against his chest.

  “And that’s why the main character has to be-to be-“ She stuttered through a yawn.

  Eli looked down at her. “Tired?”

  “I… yes.” She admitted. “I didn’t realize how late it was.”

  “It’s okay. We should probably head back anyways. It’s been a big day.”

  He moved to get up but she held him down for a moment. “Eli. There’s something I want to say.”

  “Okay.” Eli said, settling back in. “What is it?”

  “I want you to know that I’m ready to bond with you, if you’ll have me. Nobody has ever treated me as well as you do, and I want to be yours. Do you still want me?”

  Eli kissed her softly before nodding. “Absolutely. Come back with me. We’ve got the entire night ahead of us.”

  She shook her head. “I have one condition. I want our first time to be after you come back from the front line. Consider it an extra incentive to come back in one piece.” She leaned towards his ear and whispered. “The rest of the girls already told me they approve of me, and they gave me some hints about things you like. Vespera’s also been coaching me, and well…I can’t wait to show you the outfit she helped me pick out.”

  Eil grinned in reply. “Deal. I’m looking forward to it.”