Falling in Love with the King of Beasts

KALLE

Gahrye stopped after they passed through the double doors and Kalle smiled. He gaped at the old Victorian interior of the building. It had been updated and extended many times. But she loved the library, because the school had maintained the original interior, even having it restored back in the eighties after an earthquake threatened to bring down some of the molding and crack the ceiling.

The library was three levels, but this lower level had a towering, vaulted ceilings, original, solid-wood paneling, and decorative pillars along the walls, and sprinkled throughout the shelves. The original wooden floor had been refinished again a couple years earlier, and some of the back rooms converted into study and research spaces that the students and staff could reserve.

Kalle herself had a standing reservation of one of the small rooms for most evenings to allow herself privacy when she was studying the Anima—something she'd done every day for as long as she could remember. She found them fascinating. And for obvious reasons, the only people she could speak to about them were her Grandmother and uncle. Her mother was dead, her father was… no longer around. And her older brother had turned his back on the "myths" as soon as he was old enough to leave home.

Kalle loved what she did—was so grateful to the Creator that she'd been chosen for this work. But it was true there were days she wished that she wasn't sworn to secrecy. That there was someone special to share her joy and discovery with.

Had she married, it would have been the choice of the Council whether she could tell her husband about the Anima—the Guardians encouraged marriage outside of the family line to keep their blood strong. But that meant dancing a fine line around the truth. Her own father had been aware of her mother's role, but hadn't ever really believed in the Anima. And then he'd left.

Her brother called them myths—like Santa Claus, or the tooth fairy.

Her grandmother had been dealing with them since before she was Kalle's age, and she was rarely surprised or impressed by them anymore, though she too enjoyed her role.

And Uncle Shaw had… a very strange kind of hero worship for them. As if they weren't just different, but better than humans. Kalle was often uncomfortable when he really got rolling, talking about his adoration of the Anima as a people. So she tried not to draw him into conversations about her studies.

She couldn't help but hope that Gahrye would have time to answer some questions for her beyond the things she would help him discover for Elia.

She tugged at his sleeve so he'd turn away from staring at the vast library and come behind the reference desk in the corner, where his grandmother was smiling and watching them.

Luckily, most of the students were busy and hadn't noticed him stand, gaping at the room. But as they crossed towards her grandmother, Kalle didn't miss the women whose eyes followed Gahrye.

She couldn't blame them.

"This must be Gahrye," her grandmother said and nodded her head in what was almost a bow.

Gahrye's eyes widened. "I'm… yes," he said, then looked at Kalle. "You must be grandmother?"

She laughed. "You can call me Eve," she said, clasping her hands to her chest. "I'm very glad you're here, Gahrye."

"I am… also," he said, looking around again, but he didn't sound certain. "I understand you'll be helping us. I'm grateful for your assistance. We are… Elia calls it flying blind? I think that's really a saying for the Avalines, but I understand it works here?"

Grandmother laughed again. "Oh, yes, you'll do, son. You'll do. Please come with me. I put your usual room aside, Kalle, and I've already put some of the books in there."

Gahrye fell in behind them as her grandmother started towards the room the smallest back room that Kalle preferred and Kalle followed, squeezing her hand when she caught up. Her grandmother widened her eyes towards Gahrye, then winked.

Kalle rolled her eyes, but her heart sped up. She prayed Gahrye wasn't paying attention enough to hear it. He walked closely behind her and she wished she wasn't so hyper-aware of his warm strength at her back. She was already going to be sad when he left. She liked it. It made her feel more… solid.

It was only moments to reach the room that only included the grand, old paneling on one wall, while the others were simple off-white walls. An oval table sat in the center of the room, and a very small desk in the corner where Kalle usually put her laptop so she could use the table to spread out the books.

The book about the Anima were mostly all over one hundred years old, massive, hardback and leather bound, and beautiful. She always tried to avoid sitting them next to modern technology. It just felt wrong. Grimacing at herself, she stepped into the room, appreciating the large stack of books already on the table.

"Thank you, Grandma," she said. "This is going to save us a lot of time."

"Well, it's not busy tonight, so if you need anything else, just let me know and I'll find it for you so you two can stay here and keep looking. We're still focused on the pregnancy?" she asked quietly, her white hair bobbing as she looked between them.

Gahrye nodded, but he wasn't looking at them. His neck was craned around and back, so he could look at the large book stacks out in the main library, and the room that he'd clearly found so impressive. Kalle would have to ask him whether it was the books or the size of the library that held his attention.

He always stood strangely, Kalle realized, his hands out and loose, ready for something, rather than shoved in his pockets like most of the guys she knew.

He looked so good in those jeans she wanted to eat him.

She blinked at the thought and turned back to her grandmother, who was staring at Gahrye, her gaze measuring.

"We'll dig in and let you know. But if there's anything you can think of, just bring it. I think… I think we'll be here late."

Her Grandmother's eyebrows arched, but she just nodded and patted Kalle's shoulder. "Okay, I'll let you know if I come up with anything. It was nice to meet you Gahrye."

He whipped his head around, obviously realizing he'd been staring and nodded. "I'm sorry, yes, thank you. Thank you for your help."

Her grandmother gave a half-smile, then cut a look at Kalle. "No problem at all, son. I'll be right outside."

Then she left, closing the door behind her so they were closed off from the world. There was only a small window in the door, and Kalle pulled the shade down over it so no nosy students would be peering through and see Gahrye.

They stood then, side by side, staring at the table full of books. "Are you ready?" she asked quietly.

"Not even close," Gahrye said. "But I'm hopeful. So maybe that's the same thing."

Kalle nodded and pulled out one of the chairs. "Let's get started."

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