She leads me to an area of the Archives I’ve never been, even during her tour, then up a winding spiral staircase. When we reach the top, my jaw drops. There’s a small platform tucked right where the stained-glass dome meets the walls, somehow invisible from the entryway. It’s only about twelve feet in either direction, but a worktable with chairs along with several hanging hammocks create the coziest looking alcove I’ve ever seen.

“This is amazing,” I mutter. Genevieve beams at me, her expression so unguarded and open it takes me aback.

“Not many know about it, and the rest of the librarians would never be caught using such a small space as their office. They all prefer the larger, ground-level offices, but as soon as I discovered this space, I knew I had to claim it.”

Light dances across the alcove in more intense colors this close to the stained-glass dome, and the heat from the windows warms the room to a perfect temperature. When I’m done gaping at her office, we both set up—me at the table so I can spread out my books and Genevieve in one of the swinging hammocks. I get to work translating, and she loses herself equally in whatever it is she’s reading.

After an hour or so, she stands, stretching her arms above her head in a way that I try not to notice shows off her figure. Padding over to sit across from me, she places her elbows on the table and her head in her hands, looking at me with an innocent curiosity.

“Can I ask what you’re translating? There aren’t any Old Fae books in the archives.”

“His Majesty provided me with several books from his personal collection. As far as I can tell, this book is a collection of stories about the fae.”

She claps her hands in delight. “That is a most high honor from His Majesty!” Her entire body quivers, clearly excited to simply know someone who’s been granted access to Mazus’s personal collection. “Would you permit me to examine the books? Only when you are done with them, of course.”

I smile at her enthusiasm, noticing the way it makes her features even more radiant. Internally chastising myself for getting distracted by a pretty face, I respond, “Of course, I’d be happy to share them with you when I’m done. In fact, you can look at the others while I’m busy translating this one.” I nudge the three books toward her.

Genuine thrill crosses her expression. “Thank you.” She picks up the book titled The Secrets and Stories of Velmara and immediately dives into reading. Studying her, I wonder whether I can trust her with my concerns about Mazus providing me the books. It would be helpful to have another person reviewing the contents of them with skepticism.