do the rest of the research on your own.”
“What? Why?”
“Only Originators are allowed in the Hall of Memories.” He said it like I was supposed to know that.
“Well, I hope what I need is in there then, because I don’t have time to go hunting. I have too much shit going on.” I hooked my thumbs in my belt loops. “Why is it that everything bad always happens all at once?”
“I’m afraid I do not know.”
“You’re not very helpful.”
He picked up a small packet bound with a tan string, and pushed it at me. Close up, I realized the string was actually something that used to be part of a living creature. Don’t ask, Devany. Don’t ask. “What is this?”
“You told me I could utilize the library at Tytan’s manse, did you not?”
“Yeah.” I drew out the word as I brought the papers closer to inspect the cord. String? Tendon? Ew.
“I found that in a cubby hole situated behind one section of books. Those are Ravana’s documents. Records of her experiments.”
Tytan had told me his former mistress enjoyed experimenting on him, Ellison, and the rest of her spawn. “There isn’t much here.”
“It’s infinity paper.” He sighed when he saw my expression. “Infinite paper. That could hold five pages worth of writing or five million pages. Infinity means—”
“I know what infinity means, thank you very much. It’s not used on Earth literally except in math class.” Infinity paper. Wild. “Will it still work on Earth?”
“It should in your presence. Otherwise it will just look like an old sheet of parchment.”
I wasn’t sure I wanted to find out what she was experimenting on and in all honesty, what did it matter? “Do you think she had info about Skriven with souls in here?”
He shrugged. “I know not. But if anyone had looked into it, Ravana would have. She was obsessed with souls and her spawn and creating new things.” He nodded once. Stopped. Nodded again. “You did her spawn a great service when you killed her. Because of that, and because you claimed me and kept me safe from Amara, I will search farther afield. For you. Only you.”
I was honored. Vasili hated being away from the Slip. He would have no power in either place except that which he could pull from me. I wasn’t an asshole like most Originators and allowed a steady pull as long as they abided by my no wanton killing edict. So far so good. Even with my relaxed strictures, he hated leaving his home. “Thank you.”
“You may not want to let the one you call Tytan know you have those papers.”
I stared at them as if they’d grown teeth. “Why?”
“A feeling. He had them hidden for a reason.” Vasili seated himself behind a broad table covered in books and test tubes. “They should have gone to you when you unmade Ravana. Everything she owned or created. Have you asked yourself where all that wealth went?”
***
Vasili’s words echoed in my head as I hooked home to put the infinity paper in my underwear drawer. I pondered for a minute, wondering if it was the safest place for it: Tytan had a habit of popping into my bedroom and bathroom. I wouldn’t put it past him to snoop. I dithered for a moment, then left the paper where it was. I could think more about it later, when I had time. I hooked to Marantha’s house in Midia. I hadn’t seen her since she helped me get Arsinua out of my head and into Lucy’s body. Perhaps she would have info about what these Riders were and how I could find and kill the little bastard before its potential took up residence in my son’s head.
Marantha’s house was a sweet little cottage surrounded by blooming flowers, some growing on the bushes like they would on Earth and some floating in midair, twirling like ballet dancers. I tapped one with my finger and it popped, spraying petals everywhere. I glanced around in guilt but it was dusk in Midia and no one saw me kill the blossom. Stupid magic flowers.
I knocked, and a musical tinkle filled the
“What? Why?”
“Only Originators are allowed in the Hall of Memories.” He said it like I was supposed to know that.
“Well, I hope what I need is in there then, because I don’t have time to go hunting. I have too much shit going on.” I hooked my thumbs in my belt loops. “Why is it that everything bad always happens all at once?”
“I’m afraid I do not know.”
“You’re not very helpful.”
He picked up a small packet bound with a tan string, and pushed it at me. Close up, I realized the string was actually something that used to be part of a living creature. Don’t ask, Devany. Don’t ask. “What is this?”
“You told me I could utilize the library at Tytan’s manse, did you not?”
“Yeah.” I drew out the word as I brought the papers closer to inspect the cord. String? Tendon? Ew.
“I found that in a cubby hole situated behind one section of books. Those are Ravana’s documents. Records of her experiments.”
Tytan had told me his former mistress enjoyed experimenting on him, Ellison, and the rest of her spawn. “There isn’t much here.”
“It’s infinity paper.” He sighed when he saw my expression. “Infinite paper. That could hold five pages worth of writing or five million pages. Infinity means—”
“I know what infinity means, thank you very much. It’s not used on Earth literally except in math class.” Infinity paper. Wild. “Will it still work on Earth?”
“It should in your presence. Otherwise it will just look like an old sheet of parchment.”
I wasn’t sure I wanted to find out what she was experimenting on and in all honesty, what did it matter? “Do you think she had info about Skriven with souls in here?”
He shrugged. “I know not. But if anyone had looked into it, Ravana would have. She was obsessed with souls and her spawn and creating new things.” He nodded once. Stopped. Nodded again. “You did her spawn a great service when you killed her. Because of that, and because you claimed me and kept me safe from Amara, I will search farther afield. For you. Only you.”
I was honored. Vasili hated being away from the Slip. He would have no power in either place except that which he could pull from me. I wasn’t an asshole like most Originators and allowed a steady pull as long as they abided by my no wanton killing edict. So far so good. Even with my relaxed strictures, he hated leaving his home. “Thank you.”
“You may not want to let the one you call Tytan know you have those papers.”
I stared at them as if they’d grown teeth. “Why?”
“A feeling. He had them hidden for a reason.” Vasili seated himself behind a broad table covered in books and test tubes. “They should have gone to you when you unmade Ravana. Everything she owned or created. Have you asked yourself where all that wealth went?”
***
Vasili’s words echoed in my head as I hooked home to put the infinity paper in my underwear drawer. I pondered for a minute, wondering if it was the safest place for it: Tytan had a habit of popping into my bedroom and bathroom. I wouldn’t put it past him to snoop. I dithered for a moment, then left the paper where it was. I could think more about it later, when I had time. I hooked to Marantha’s house in Midia. I hadn’t seen her since she helped me get Arsinua out of my head and into Lucy’s body. Perhaps she would have info about what these Riders were and how I could find and kill the little bastard before its potential took up residence in my son’s head.
Marantha’s house was a sweet little cottage surrounded by blooming flowers, some growing on the bushes like they would on Earth and some floating in midair, twirling like ballet dancers. I tapped one with my finger and it popped, spraying petals everywhere. I glanced around in guilt but it was dusk in Midia and no one saw me kill the blossom. Stupid magic flowers.
I knocked, and a musical tinkle filled the
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