Chapter 60: A Pact Amid the Pages

Eldric leaned against the table, his gray wool cloak brushing a pile of scrolls, his green feather earring glinting as he adjusted his wire-rimmed glasses. His dark brown eyes, sharp and unyielding, fixed on her, the scruff on his jaw catching the dim glow.

"I wasn’t lying," Sophia said, her voice firm despite the nervous flutter in her chest. "When I said the language felt familiar, I meant it."

Eldric’s lips twitched, his fingers brushing the green bead at his neck. "Familiar isn’t enough for me," he said, his tone low, almost a challenge. He stepped closer, his braids swaying. "Who are you, Sophia?"

"I don’t know who I am." She told him.

Eldric hummed as he circled her.

"Why are you the only one who can read this language? Where are you from? What could you possibly be? What mysteries do you hold?" His voice dropped as he asked the questions which seemed like they were meant for himself rather than her, but the words carried heavy curiosity.

Sophia swallowed. His intense gaze held her, as he came to a stop right in front of her. Beneath the doubt clouding his mind about who she was, she caught a spark of something else, an excited glint in his eyes, like he’d stumbled on a puzzle he couldn’t wait to unravel.

It sent a shiver down her spine, not from fear, but from the realization that Eldric wasn’t just skeptical; he was thrilled, as if she were the best mystery to cross his cluttered desk.

She crossed her arms, a wry smile tugging at her lips. "I’m glad to see my condition is so exciting for you."

Eldric blinked, the glint fading as he sobered, his glasses slipping slightly. He cleared his throat, leaning back. "Do you like books?" he asked, the abrupt shift catching her off guard. "Are they familiar to you, too?"

Sophia frowned, thrown by the change, but her face lit up, her voice brimming with excitement. "Yes! I love books. I think a part of me always has." She glanced at the shelves, her fingers itching to touch the spines. "They’re... comforting, you know?"

Eldric tilted his head, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "Were books a vital part of your life before the amnesia? Before... whatever brought you to that altar?"

Sophia shrugged, her torn dress rustling. "Maybe. I don’t know." Her voice softened, a pang of frustration creeping in. "I only feel a familiarity and sense of comfort at being in the midst of a huge library like this one."

"So it could be a vital part to you recovering your memory?" He asked her.

She shrugged. "Maybe."

Eldric nodded, his fingers tapping the table. "I’ll help you recover those memories," he said, his tone resolute. "Being in a place like this, around books, where you feel comfort, might spark something."

Sophia raised an eyebrow, skepticism flickering across her face. "You’re not a doctor, Eldric."

He smirked, adjusting his glasses. "No, I’m not. But I live for research. There’s a reason I’m buried in this library and a reason why I’m the historian, not swinging a hammer at the forge." He paused, his voice dropping. "And besides, I’ve been talking with Lysander, too, about that book Tobias gave him."

Sophia’s jaw tightened, her fingers curling around the scroll. She doubted books alone could unlock her past, her amnesia was a stubborn wall, not a door waiting for a key. But Eldric’s confidence, that glint in his eyes, made her hesitate. She wasn’t about to dampen his enthusiasm, not when he was offering her a chance to belong.

"Alright then," she said finally, her voice steady. "We will have it your way."

Eldric’s smirk widened, and he extended a calloused, ink-stained hand.

"Then we have a deal."

Sophia met his gaze, her heart thudding. She clasped his hand, her grip firm despite the nervous tremor in her fingers. The handshake felt like a pact, sealing her place in this chaotic study, among the scrolls and secrets. "Deal," she said, a small smile breaking through.

Eldric released her hand, his cloak rustling as he straightened. "Follow me," he said, his voice brisk. He led her out of the study, through the narrow corridor lined with dusty scrolls, and back into the main library.

The vast room greeted them with its quiet hum, shelves towering to the vaulted ceiling carved with wolves and crescent moons. Pack members moved silently, their green earrings and beads catching the candlelight. Eldric clapped his hands, the sharp sound echoing through the serene space.

Every head turned, scholars at the tables paused, their quills hovering; a woman on a brass ladder froze, clutching a tome; even a young boy shelving scrolls spun around, his green headband slipping.

Eldric’s voice carried, clear and commanding. "This is Sophia, our new member. She’ll be working with the scholars and librarians, but she’ll also be working closely with me."

Silence fell, heavy and thick. Eyes shifted from Eldric to Sophia, their gazes sharp, some curious, others indifferent. Sophia’s stomach twisted, she was suddenly feeling too small under their scrutiny.

She shifted, her boots scuffing the polished oak floor, waiting for a nod, a smile, anything. But the pack members turned back to their work, their movements brisk, dismissing her without a word. The woman on the ladder resumed climbing, the boy shoved a scroll onto a shelf, and the scholars bent over their tomes, quills scratching again.

Sophia swallowed, her cheeks warming. Was this how life here was going to be? Would she be ignored at every step of the day! She shook her head. There was no point in overthinking when she still hasn’t even started working yet. And besides, they will be sceptical of her because she is new. She had still yet to earn her position as part of them.

She glanced at Eldric, but he was already moving back towards his office.

"Come on," he said over his shoulder. "We’ve got work to do."

"Are we going to the shrine?" Sophia asked excitedly and he chuckled.

"No, we are going to be clearing out and organising my office."