Scarlet and the Keepers of Light by Brandon Charles West Page A

in her room at the top of the spire. At breakfast, her dad told her that they’d be going to see Xavier to begin learning magic. She could tell by his face that he felt as silly saying the words as she did hearing them.
    The library where Scarlet would be taking her lessons encompassed the entire second floor of the east wing of the castle. Unlike almost every other building and room in the castle and the village of Illuminora, the library didn’t glow with light playing in and on every surface. Here the light was subdued, background to the splendid, ornate woodwork.
    The library was nearly a full three stories high, with shelves lining the walls from floor to ceiling. Halfway up, a dark wood balcony ran around the room, giving access to the higher shelves. Glittering mosaics were set into the domed ceiling, illustrating—as Xavier explained—the saga of Hulpric the Great and the eventual dividing of the two worlds. Their rich, deep colors made the cavernous space feel smaller, more intimate. At the far end was a stone fireplace easily large enough to hold Scarlet’s whole family; inside, flames danced gently, warm and inviting.
    Xavier, who was sitting in a high-backed chair underneath the dome, motioned for Scarlet and her dad to join him. As they did, he opened a large leather-bound book and set it on the table between them.
    “How are you, dear?” he began, his voice calm. “I’m sorry it took so long for me to talk to you again. There were many things that needed to be worked out.”
    “That’s okay,” Scarlet said without hesitation. She too had needed the time.
    “If you remember, I told you that we don’t know how long it will be before Prince Thanerbos will be free and his strength at its fullest. We must act as though time is short, in case it is. You need to begin learning to deal with him.”
    Xavier glanced down at the book. Scarlet could see the pages, full of hand-painted illustrations and what looked like handwritten text. It was a beautiful object, and just the look of it piqued her curiosity.
    “Aha!” Xavier exclaimed suddenly. “These pages are always changing. Never the same place twice. I’ve found it, though.”
    Scarlet looked again at the book. Although Xavier had not turned any of the pages, she saw that the text and illustrations were different. She looked up at Xavier, thoroughly confused.
    “In my younger days,” Xavier said wistfully, “I would chase what I was looking for all through the book. Old age has given me the patience to just open and wait. The right page always comes. . . . Look here.” Xavier turned the book so that Scarlet and her dad could see properly. The illustration was of two indistinct figures, one little more than a shadow, the other a white shape that might be a woman, varicolored beams, flashes, and sparks colliding between them. On the ground a tangle of roots encircled the two figures, while over their heads a wave of water collided with a ball of fire. “You, obviously, are the woman in white.”
    Scarlet stared at the picture. She knew that she had never seen the illustration before, but something about it felt ominously familiar, like a name on the tip of her tongue she couldn’t quite remember, a name linked to something bad.
    “I’m sorry if this scares you, Scarlet. I wish it didn’t have to be while you are still so young,” Xavier said. “You can see from the picture that the woman of the prophesy appeared to be full grown, although I must admit that the vagueness of the drawing leaves a great deal to the imagination. At least we got the woman part right.”
    “I’m not scared,” Scarlet responded immediately. “I’m just confused—by all of it. How can I be this person?” She started to point at the illustration, but found that somehow a new one—what looked distinctly like a dragon—had taken its place.
    “You will have to trust me. I have waited and searched for you my whole life.”
    Suddenly her father, looking as if