Chapter 77 - 79
Botan POV
We come into the expansive library with towering bookshelves, carved from dark mahogany and inlaid with gold leaf. A spiraling glass staircase climbs the shelves, granting access to the higher tiers. The centerpiece is a circular reading nook, encased in a dome of faceted glass that filters sunlight into a spectrum of soft, enchanting hues. Plush armchairs upholstered in velvet the color of midnight.
A sharp scream—my hand flies to my gun.
Avara runs out of an aisle like a junkie and this is a room full of crack.
Swiveling around, she shouts, "There are so many books!" She pauses to glance back at me before her eyes leap to another bookcase. "Can I read one?"
"In due time, you might read them all—they are yours, after all."
She freezes, and her eyes seize a breath from my lungs. "What do you mean by that?"
I step aside to introduce everyone. "Avara, this is Martha. My grandmother."
Martha gasps and kicks my calf in a playful chide, maintaining a solemn composure as I gesture to the staff and security. "These are the main members of the household guard and staff. They all work for you."
"Me?"
"This palace and the lands surrounding it are yours. The title deed and other paperwork are in your office."
Avara appears like she might scream again or vomit but I brace for either reaction. She spins around, turning her back on us momentarily as she paces feverishly, fanning herself with her hand, breathing audibly before she decides to graces us again by turning back around to gawk at me with glassy eyes.