Page 20 of The Librarian’s Familiar

“What does that mean?”

“Exactly that.”

He’d wanted answers, but somehow, he felt as though he had more questions about Charlie, and himself.

CHAPTER TEN

August seemed to be in no rush to leave, and it wasn’t as though Charlie could kick him out of the library, so he needed to get some work done with him there. His magic wanted to find a loose thread to pluck and pull until something started to come undone.

Every word August said was giving his magic something to play with.

He shouldn’t be encouraging anything. He didn’t want to get mixed up with a closeted sportsman. That was like pulling down his pants and asking trouble to bite him on the ass.

“You’re welcome to stay and finish eating. I need to reply to some emails.”

“Library or Coven?”

“You don’t need to know.” He’d check the Coven emails later, but if there was an emergency, he’d get a call. The daily emails were an update on the daily happenings in the prison, including any trouble. It was split into two areas, one for witches and one for shifters, as no one wanted a criminal to find their fated mate and become stronger. Not only that, but between some shifters and witches, there was still animosity, which could lead to fights, and that got messy as imprisoned shifters were in their animal form. There were other wildlife reserves scattered around the globe for shifters who would not survive in the cold.

For witches, though, a lot of security was required, and magic dampeners were used. To be sent there, they had to have fucked up pretty badly. So while there weren’t many people in the prison, they were the kind of people who should never be let out.

“Fair enough.” August bit a cookie and made no attempt to move.

Charlie wasn’t used to company when working. There weren’t that many emails, mostly people returning their library wish lists.

Even though he wasn’t looking at August, he was aware of him, even though mentally, he had already written him off. Sure, it was fun to tease him a little and watch him get flustered, but he was not the kind of man he wasted time with, not even to hook up, because there were far too many conditions and strings.

He had friends who would’ve jumped on the chance simply because of who August was. Then they’d talk about their brush with fame but couldn’t name the sports star because he wasn’t out. Half the time, Charlie thought they did it for secondhand attention. In that respect, he wasn’t much different from August in that he didn’t need everyone knowing his damn business.

He’d never cared if people knew he was gay. That had never been an issue at home or at school, especially by the time he got to high school, and anyone who bullied him ended up with their laces tangled and all their pants inexplicably falling down. There were dozens of ways he could make someone miserable with very little effort that left no proof unless there was a witch nearby who sensed his magic, and that had only happened once. The teacher had made eye contact with him, and for a heartbeat, Charlie expected to get into trouble, but the teacher had simply given him a small smile and turned away as if aware the bully deserved everything coming to him. But Charlie had never been bullied for being gay, being weird because his accent never fitted in, or he read too much, or for not being good at soccer or any sport for that matter. Dumb kid reasons.

He glanced over his shoulder. “Do you need a part-time job or something?”

“No.” August frowned as if not sure why he was still there. “If you want me to leave, you can say so.”

“It’s not that.” He didn’t know how to tell August that it was unsettling and distracting having him so close. “Did you not make any plans for while you’re here?”

“I’m heading out to the lake this afternoon with my brothers.”

“Camping or something?”

“Or something.” He smiled. “Polar bears don’t set up tents.”

“Oh.” When he went out with his brothers, he must shift and stay shifted, which made sense when it was barely warm even in summer.

“But otherwise, I figured I’d come home and relax for a bit. It’s weird not having a schedule.”

Ah…while August was interested, it was mostly out of boredom. Charlie was definitely not a toy to pass the time. “I can certainly find you some volunteer work if you need something to do.”

He was sure that if August went to the school or the hospital or the local council, they could give him something to do. Everything from gardening to painting to repairs. It seemed like it was an effort to stay ahead of the environment. The cold weather, the wind, and the snow did their best to destroy every structure built, and everyone living here was in a constant state of repairing the damage.

August considered him for a moment. “Have you got something you want me to do?”

“Have you seen the state of this place?” The only reason the building hadn’t fallen down was because it had been maintained by the council.

“I thought it was one of those things that you remember differently as a kid. So of course it was going to look small and dingy.”

“The inside does need painting, and I will get to it.” The walls looked like they hadn’t been painted since the library was built sometime in the forties. “But I figured the priority was getting some new fiction books after nine years of nothing.”