Storybound by Marissa Burt

Author:Marissa Burt
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: HarperCollins US

Chapter 16

Una didn’t mention the City Hub to Snow when she returned to Grimm Dorm later that night. Or what had happened at Heart’s Place. Snow was already back when Una arrived, and she gave Una the barest of nods. Their room felt like a tomb. Una wasn’t sure whether she liked silent, stoic Snow or pouty, mocking Snow better. Neither one was the Snow she had glimpsed earlier that day in the fabric shop. The real Snow. Una couldn’t bring herself to apologize, and Snow didn’t seem interested in conversation anyway, so when Snow settled in to study, Una headed for the Woodland Room.

While Una didn’t exactly enjoy the forced silence of her dorm, she wished a little of it would rub off on Peter. He couldn’t stop talking about the City Hub. She and Peter were sitting with Sam in a corner booth. Una flipped through the sheaf of papers titled How to Win Your Hero that Peter had given her to memorize before Heroics class. The only reason she actually read the thing was to mock it. The assignment was addressed to Village Girls. “Ready yourself. Make sure you look refreshed before you wait on the Hero. Take a few moments to freshen up. Smooth your hair. Tighten your corset. Remember, you may be the nicest thing he’s seen all day.”

She tossed the papers aside and pulled out the one book that had consumed her attention all day.

Peter’s eyes widened, and he darted a panicky glance round the room. “Una! Put that away!”

She shifted it closer. “No one’s around. I checked.” She ran her hands over the now familiar cover. They had taken turns trying to decipher the book. She had examined the cover for something, anything, that would help them read it. Peter had looked for hidden clues on the creamy pages, and Sam had smelled the bindings for suspect ingredients. All to no avail. The blank book was just that. A blank book. Nothing spectacular. Nothing about the Muses or the King or, well, anything.

Sam stretched and batted at the book’s cover. “Feels old,” he said, and licked his paw. “And tastes bad.”

Peter grabbed the book from Una. “It doesn’t matter, anyway. There’s nothing in it.” His mouth twisted into a bitter smile. “Maybe I should just give it back to my father. He’s the one who thinks it’s important enough to save.” He shoved the book into his satchel. “Besides, if we get caught with it, then what will we do?”

Una didn’t answer. She let her thoughts wander as she watched a cluster of pigs the next booth over laugh and slap a large wolf on the back. What would we find if we could read the book? A Tale? Heroes? Villains? Sam curled up next to Una and started a reassuring purr. Soon he was asleep.

Peter went back to memorizing his outline for Heroics. Una reached across Sam and picked up a discarded magazine from the floor. Today’s Faerie was emblazoned across the front in flowing letters.

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