Jaden (St. Sebastians Quartet #1) by Heather Elizabeth King
Authors: Heather Elizabeth King
Ads: Link
find out about a place. I searched online, but I couldn't find anything. I figured I could use some professional help."
"What's it called?"
"Chimera. Somehow I don't think it's a place that's real. At least not what we'd consider real. I think it's like a fairy tale place, if that makes any sense."
"Chimera, yeah." Crissy started off around the counter. "I got this, Carly."
"You know what that is?" Carly asked.
"Sure do. We have two books." Crissy frowned. "I'm surprised you didn't know that already, Jaden."
"Why would I know that?" Jaden asked.
"Well, we special ordered them for your aunt."
Jaden stared at her. "Books about Chimera? Are you sure?"
"Sure I'm sure. Go get comfortable and I'll bring the books to you. We don't keep them in the stacks. They're too beautiful and too old. You'll see what I mean."
Dazed, Jaden returned to the table where she'd left her laptop.
Aunt Edna had special ordered books about Chimera? But why? How had she known about the place?
"Here you are." Crissy set two large, ornate books on the table. "See what I mean? Aren't they gorgeous?"
To say the books were gorgeous was to understate the fact. The covers were woven in silk. The first had embroidered lettering that simply read, Chimera, and the other didn't have any name on it. Almost reverently, Jaden opened the book called Chimera. The pages were thick, the way she imagined papyrus would feel. The script was large and ornate, and each page was decorated with an artist's drawing. The details were amazing.
She opened the second book and frowned. While Chimera had been written in English, the nameless book had been written in a language she couldn't understand. She'd never seen anything like it before.
"I know," Crissy said. "We've tried to get someone in to translate it, but nobody knows the language. I think it must be old. Really, really old."
Jaden stroked the thick page she was staring at with a finger. Wondering what secrets this book held. That it was old, was obvious. It looked like it belonged in a museum, not the library of a beach town.
"Are these one of a kind books?"
"You'd think so, but they're not. There aren't many copies available. We were lucky."
"Incredible."
"Just bring them back to the circulation desk when you're done."
"Thank you," Jaden said, meaning it. "Aunt Edna, what did you know?" she murmured to herself.
She spent a good ten minutes simply touching the books and studying their bindings. She wasn't a specialist by any stretch of the imagination, but she thought the books had been bound by hand. The pages were sewn together by a thick, leather-like string. The string wound through the covers, binding the entire book together.
"Hi again." Crissy was standing at the head of the table, a steaming cup of something in her hand. "I thought you could use this." She set the cup down on the table and the aroma of fresh brewed coffee rose to greet Jaden.
"That smells wonderful. But is it allowed?"
Crissy waved this off. "Carly doesn't mind. We have a cafe on the second floor."
"Thank you."
"Let me know if you need anything else."
"Quick question. Are you sure these books aren't one of a kind? The pages are sown together with leather."
"I'm sure."
Crissy left, leaving behind the scent of lavender.
Jaden took a sip of coffee, then began to read Chimera. By the time the others arrived, she had the foundation of a story.
Sydney was the first to get there. She came in with a briefcase and looking very polished in a gray pantsuit with her dark hair pulled back. She must have come straight from work.
She settled in across from Jaden, then eyed the books. "How long have you been here?"
"Not long. About forty minutes or so. And you won't believe what I've learned. And you won't believe what happened to me last night."
Sydney set her briefcase on the chair beside her and leaned in close. "What happened?"
"Let's wait until the others arrive."
"I knew you'd say that." She set a coffee on the table, then
"What's it called?"
"Chimera. Somehow I don't think it's a place that's real. At least not what we'd consider real. I think it's like a fairy tale place, if that makes any sense."
"Chimera, yeah." Crissy started off around the counter. "I got this, Carly."
"You know what that is?" Carly asked.
"Sure do. We have two books." Crissy frowned. "I'm surprised you didn't know that already, Jaden."
"Why would I know that?" Jaden asked.
"Well, we special ordered them for your aunt."
Jaden stared at her. "Books about Chimera? Are you sure?"
"Sure I'm sure. Go get comfortable and I'll bring the books to you. We don't keep them in the stacks. They're too beautiful and too old. You'll see what I mean."
Dazed, Jaden returned to the table where she'd left her laptop.
Aunt Edna had special ordered books about Chimera? But why? How had she known about the place?
"Here you are." Crissy set two large, ornate books on the table. "See what I mean? Aren't they gorgeous?"
To say the books were gorgeous was to understate the fact. The covers were woven in silk. The first had embroidered lettering that simply read, Chimera, and the other didn't have any name on it. Almost reverently, Jaden opened the book called Chimera. The pages were thick, the way she imagined papyrus would feel. The script was large and ornate, and each page was decorated with an artist's drawing. The details were amazing.
She opened the second book and frowned. While Chimera had been written in English, the nameless book had been written in a language she couldn't understand. She'd never seen anything like it before.
"I know," Crissy said. "We've tried to get someone in to translate it, but nobody knows the language. I think it must be old. Really, really old."
Jaden stroked the thick page she was staring at with a finger. Wondering what secrets this book held. That it was old, was obvious. It looked like it belonged in a museum, not the library of a beach town.
"Are these one of a kind books?"
"You'd think so, but they're not. There aren't many copies available. We were lucky."
"Incredible."
"Just bring them back to the circulation desk when you're done."
"Thank you," Jaden said, meaning it. "Aunt Edna, what did you know?" she murmured to herself.
She spent a good ten minutes simply touching the books and studying their bindings. She wasn't a specialist by any stretch of the imagination, but she thought the books had been bound by hand. The pages were sewn together by a thick, leather-like string. The string wound through the covers, binding the entire book together.
"Hi again." Crissy was standing at the head of the table, a steaming cup of something in her hand. "I thought you could use this." She set the cup down on the table and the aroma of fresh brewed coffee rose to greet Jaden.
"That smells wonderful. But is it allowed?"
Crissy waved this off. "Carly doesn't mind. We have a cafe on the second floor."
"Thank you."
"Let me know if you need anything else."
"Quick question. Are you sure these books aren't one of a kind? The pages are sown together with leather."
"I'm sure."
Crissy left, leaving behind the scent of lavender.
Jaden took a sip of coffee, then began to read Chimera. By the time the others arrived, she had the foundation of a story.
Sydney was the first to get there. She came in with a briefcase and looking very polished in a gray pantsuit with her dark hair pulled back. She must have come straight from work.
She settled in across from Jaden, then eyed the books. "How long have you been here?"
"Not long. About forty minutes or so. And you won't believe what I've learned. And you won't believe what happened to me last night."
Sydney set her briefcase on the chair beside her and leaned in close. "What happened?"
"Let's wait until the others arrive."
"I knew you'd say that." She set a coffee on the table, then
Similar Books
