The Archivist and the Feather excerpt
Read Chapter 1
The Archivist and the Feather is the second book in the Phoenix Empress series.
Read Chapter 1 of The Archivist and the Knife to start the series.
An unexpected meeting
Tajamar was everywhere. There was no escaping his presence. I tried to keep my distance, but he had my staff, Walnut, Fuschia, and Poppy, eating out of his hand. If he wasn’t bothering me, they were asking me things on his behalf or conveying something he did or said. His effortless charm, which had always infuriated me in the Tindersands Hall of Children, was even more insufferable when subjected to it every hour of every day. I’d chosen to become the archivist rather than work under him, and now he’d moved in with me in the Archive. There was no escape from him.
I took to sitting in the entry hall waiting for visitors just to have some time for myself.
“I don’t understand why you’d scorn help.” Walnut attempted to reason with me.
I clenched my teeth, stopping myself before spitting at him. “He’s the reason I came here in the first place. To get away from working with him. Why on earth would I be happy he’s now here to irritate me?” He’d been my rival through training, the one person I wanted to beat, the one person who rubbed my few defeats in my face. When he’d been First Chosen instead of me, I’d picked to become the archivist rather than any role within the Tindersands Family. They’d thrown me out, considering it a betrayal, leaving me to learn what I needed to know here myself. Though the Family Parent and I seemed to have moved on and were working together. Hence his insistence that Tajamar stay with me here. So I was not only working with him, but had been forced to have him stay with me as well.
Walnut sighed. “He’s not here to annoy you. Can’t you let him help? The Archive needs more hands.”
I forced my fists to open, my shoulders to lower, and my jaw to relax. “I’m trying my best. But he doesn’t listen to a word I say. And what would he do, anyway?” My frustrations threatened to bubble over again.
“You know, in the Archive’s heyday during the reign of Fiere, twenty people worked here. Imagine what they accomplished in a day.” His gaze softened. “When I started, there were fifteen of us, three of whom spent all their time bringing order to the basement collection and restoring anything damaged. Then there was a designated liaison for each Family. Two people who re-shelved everything and kept the public space tidy. Three who catalogued the new materials. The chief who managed everything else. And me, who was brought in as his assistant. There was also a rotating collection in the display boxes, which I loved helping to arrange.” Walnut shrugged. “We’re far less busy than we were, so some of those tasks aren’t necessary, but plenty of responsibilities have fallen to the wayside and stopped being done.”
“How am I meant to do this? It’s hard enough to learn how the Archive works myself, without him crowding me out.” I wanted to thump something.
Walnut wrapped an arm around my shoulder. “Nobody is forcing you out. Even if he wanted to, we wouldn’t have it. And you’re the Archivist, sworn into the role, with the responsibility. If you really wanted to, you could take it before the Family Council and demand he leave. But I don’t think you really want to go that far.”
I released a breath. “No, I can’t do that.”
The Tindersands Parent wouldn’t appreciate me advertising the fact he’d sent Tajamar here at all. Or that we were tasked to work outside the Families to get to the bottom of who was stealing shadows from other people. Let alone how a petty tantrum would make me look in front of the very people I needed to convince to work with me. Somehow, that made the situation worse.
Walnut patted my shoulder. “We’re here to help you. Take a moment to calm. When you’re ready, come join us in the staff room.”
However much Walnut tried to smooth things over with logic, Tajamar’s presence in the archive, even for a couple of days, had tainted the whole place. Even my apartment was affected, as I’d been forced to share the space with him. This would be the longest season ever.
Instead of returning to the archive, I left the building, heading to the hidden spaces in the garden which had become my solace. The gardens circled the palace, separating it from the Family segments which surrounded it, making up the rest of Fenixia City. Few people explored all the twisting pathways, which left me plenty of secret places to sit and rest alone. Exactly how I wanted to be.
While the Archive was open to the public, I’d given up protecting the Archive’s collection from him. My absence gave him full access to the contents of the reading room, the staff area, and my apartment, but I couldn’t take it anymore. I needed time alone.
Footsteps headed in my direction. Hoping they’d veer off towards the palace door, I hunkered down on my bench, lifting my feet so I was less likely to be spotted.
Instead, the person took the path I dreaded, approaching closer.
I peeked through the branches of the tree, wondering who invaded my privacy. It wasn’t one, but three people, identically dressed in black, all closing in on me. My first thought was that they were servants from one of the Families, but that wasn’t right. If they were, their clothes would be edged in the respective colour to show which they served.
My body froze when I recognised the hooded capes. They were the same as had been worn by the man who’d attacked the palace during the renewal of the walls. While I’d fought him off with the help of the palace guards, we were no closer to knowing his aim. We assumed he was working with the unknown people who’d stolen shadows from various servants, but that was not necessarily the case. Either way, I was split between wanting to hide and wanting to accost them. In my indecision, I knocked my foot against the bench, scuffing it in the gravel.
Their attention flicked in my direction. They spread out, blocking my escape. One lifted a shadow crystal. Darkness concentrated around it. But this time, the dark smoke reached towards me, engulfing me in its embrace and smothering me with shadows.
The dark force held me stationary. Even my mind slowed, inhibiting me from drawing power through my own crystal to combat it. Frozen, I couldn’t stop them. They’d caught me with my guard down. Now I would pay the price.
No! You don’t get to disappear like that. The voice reappeared. Close your eyes.
What?
Don’t make me repeat myself.
My eyelids were the only part of me I still controlled, so I did as the voice insisted.
A flash of heat seared around me. Screams rent the air. I nearly collapsed to the ground. Whatever force had held me up dissipated as if it had never been there.
Flicking my eyes open, I caught myself on the edge of the bench I’d been sitting on. My eyelids immediately closed again, shocked at what I saw.
In front of me, a phoenix hissed sparks at the person who’d accosted me. Flames dripped from its wings, sizzling on contact with the gravel. One ignited the tree fern beside the path, singeing the fronds. Large enough for its beak to threaten every vital organ, it blocked the path between me and what was left of my attackers.
“What?” I stared at the creature. “Where did you come from?”
Seriously? That’s what you’re worrying about?
The vicious bird thrust its head towards the person now lying at its feet. They cowered, both arms held over their face in a vain effort to protect themselves. Their clothes showed burn marks and rips where the phoenix had caught it.
Looking around, no sign remained of the other two. They must have scarpered as soon as the phoenix attacked.
Shreds of black fabric, singed round the edges, flew into the air as the bird continued pecking at the remaining attacker.
The person scrambled to their feet, running away between the tree ferns. Their crystal lay abandoned on the side of the path.
See them run!
The bird turned to face me.
I stepped back, uncertain. Would it attack me now?
It cocked its head.
Hmm. You look different than I imagined.
My jaw dropped open. You’re the bird? I thought at it.
It sniffed. Not just any bird, I am the Radiant Phoenix herself, Fire Bird of the Whispering Sands, Bringer of Flame and Cleanser of Ashes, the last remaining original inhabitant of the Hollow Expanse, Queen of the Golden Flame, Ruler of Mount Cataclysm, and She Who Burns.
I nodded. “I can see that.” The phoenix was real. Mentally, I reeled from that fact. We’d all heard the stories about the founding of the empire and how they claimed the emperor had a phoenix companion, but that was considered a myth. Yet, one stood here.
“Why can I hear you? Can anyone else?”
As if just anyone would be bestowed that honour. Only those of...well, you’re fortunate, that’s all.
The phoenix glanced away. You should return inside. I only scared them off. From now on, be aware of who is around you. Use your crystal. I might not be around to save you next time.
My stomach churned. “You think they were targeting me? Why?”
I don’t pretend to understand the motivations of such people. But that’s no excuse for making it easy for them to get you isolated and out of sight of the guards. If you were a random target, then you shouldn’t be here when they return. If they did want you, then going somewhere else will make it more difficult for them to try again.
“But I enjoy coming here to get away.” Maybe I could hide somewhere in the stacks, but it wouldn’t be as restful as the gardens.
The bird hopped closer. You have the whole palace to hide in. Why do you come here?
“The whole palace?” I laughed. “I shouldn’t go in there. It’s not my place.”
Nobody would know. Except me, but I won’t tell.
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