Chương 65: Losing Dogs

The best solution Lira could devise on such short notice was an air purification spell. It was nowhere near as elegant as the Mana Stabilization spell, but hopefully it would be effective enough. She sat behind her desk with ink-stained fingers tapping anxiously against the wood while her mind raced through magical structures she already understood. She did not have time to invent something sophisticated. The guards could already be searching the palace grounds.

So instead of creating something entirely new, she stitched together concepts she already understood. Her wind manipulation spell, the self-cleaning spell, and the Mana Stabilization enchantment. If scent were simply bits of stuff carried through the air, then theoretically she should be able to disrupt or purify them the same way magical cleaning spells removed dirt and dust. Lira grabbed a loose parchment sheet and quickly began sketching runes and their meanings. Kisar. Riad. Luneth. Tarasana. Kurur. Symbol.

Wind. Purification. Pocket. Space. Next, she entered meditation.

"Pika. Selan. Tureth." She focused on the magical words, the structure of previous spells that used them, and how they would fit together in this new configuration until... Click. The spell imprinted itself into her mind. The next step was the rune structure that would stabilize the spell. Using her ink magic, "Asatan. Tir. Kisar." Lira quickly drew a circular framework using the runes for Tarasana and Kurur, creating a bounded spatial effect.

Then she placed Riad and Luneth at the center, allowing wind and purification to circulate repeatedly within the confined space instead of dispersing outward. She pressed her fingers against the parchment and whispered the new incantation.

"Kisar. Riad. Luneth. Tarasana. Kurur." A soft current of air stirred around her desk. Then the scent of ink, dust, parchment, and old paper vanished from the immediate area entirely. Lira blinked. That actually worked disturbingly well. The air suddenly felt cleaner and sharper, almost unnaturally fresh. Anyone with a functioning nose would immediately notice the difference, which meant she absolutely could not allow anyone near her while the spell remained active.

She folded the rune parchment quickly and slipped it into her apron pocket before standing. Then she began moving through the library. She methodically retraced every path Maren had taken earlier that evening, stopping near the entrance, around the reading area, between the bookshelves, and especially around the tapestry concealing the hidden alcove. As she walked, the purification field silently erased lingering traces of scent from the surrounding air and surfaces.

Before leaving the library, she lit up a tallow candle to mask the newer, fresher air. Lira slipped out into the tower corridors and began retracing the route Celene and Maren had taken through the outer courtyard. The bookmark enchantments helped enormously. Without the obfuscation effect masking her mana fluctuations, she never would have risked casting this openly across the palace grounds. The halls were quieter now, though far from empty.

Servants still moved through the corridors carrying linens, candles, or late-night meals. A pair of guards stood speaking quietly near one intersection while a sleepy cook pushed a cart stacked with covered trays toward the noble guest quarters. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. Lira kept her pace calm and unhurried while taking slightly meandering routes whenever possible, widening the purification area.

She had almost reached the servant quarters when rapid footsteps echoed toward her. Two young guards rounded the corner at nearly a run. Lira stiffened instinctively and immediately shoved her hand deeper into her pocket, smudging the ink lines enough to disrupt the active rune structure. The spell deactivated at once. The guards slowed when they spotted her. One stared directly at her face while the other glanced behind her suspiciously.

"Have you seen a dark-haired maid with pouty lips and green eyes?" one of them asked quickly. Lira shook her head immediately.

"No." The second guard narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Where have you been this late?" Lira forced herself not to hesitate.

"I am the library caretaker," she answered smoothly.

"I stayed late reorganizing books after Prince Lyth's daily visit." The moment she mentioned the prince, both guards visibly hesitated. Lyth's increasingly frequent presence in the library had unintentionally become useful social protection, and Lira was not above taking advantage of it.

"It's not her," one muttered.

"Leave it," the other replied.

"Let's keep looking." They hurried off down the corridor. Lira remained perfectly still until they disappeared around the corner. Only then did she slowly exhale. She carefully turned to make sure neither of them entered the library before continuing toward the servant's residence. Once inside the servant quarters, she used her ink magic to fix the runes, then reactivated the spell.

"Asatan. Tir. Kisar."

"Kisar. Riad. Luneth. Tarasana. Kurur." She then retraced the route toward Celene's room several times, moving in and out of adjoining corridors to muddy the trail further. If guards brought scent hounds, this was the most likely place they would begin tracking from. She stopped outside Celene's door with the spell still active. She knocked on the door and waited for a couple of minutes. No one answered. Good. If Celene was elsewhere, that reduced suspicion on her.

Lira quietly entered the empty room and walked through it several times, allowing the purification field to strip away lingering traces of smell before finally leaving again. Halfway back to her dormitory room, she decided that she had done enough and deactivated the spell. The moment she entered the room, she kicked off her shoes and collapsed backward onto the bed fully clothed. For several long minutes, she simply stared at the ceiling while adrenaline slowly drained from her body.

Tessa, who was brushing her hair on the neighboring bed, glanced over and smiled faintly.

"Long day?" she asked.

"You have no idea."

"Get me permanently assigned under you, and I will help."

"You only say that because you are getting sick of laundry duty," Lira snorted.

"Exactly. I would rather dust shelves with you."

"I will see what I can do," Lira lied automatically. The last thing she needed was more people constantly inside the library. Especially now. Before she could even close her eyes, barking echoed from outside. Lira sat upright instantly, her heartbeat spiked again. The sound came from the courtyard below. She moved carefully toward the window and peeked through the curtains. Torchlight flickered across the stone courtyard beneath the dormitories. Hesta stood near the center of a gathering of guards.

Beside them were two large hounds straining aggressively against their handlers. Lira's stomach dropped. A few minutes later, Hesta stormed into the dormitory itself. The older maid looked furious. She ignored everyone entirely and marched straight toward Maren's bed before kicking open the storage chest at its foot. After rummaging through it briefly, she pulled out an undershirt and immediately left again. Tessa hurried toward the window beside Lira, her eyes widening when she saw the gathering below.

"What is happening?" she whispered.

"Are they looking for Maren?"

"I don't know," Lira kept her expression carefully neutral. Outside, Hesta handed Maren's undershirt to one of the handlers. The dogs immediately lowered their heads and began sniffing furiously. Lira watched with cold dread as the animals started tracking across the courtyard. Several nearby maids had gathered nervously near the dormitory entrance, while others watched from windows, whispering anxiously among themselves. Outside, the hounds continued moving.

Lira's fingers tightened painfully against the windowsill. The dogs crossed the courtyard, passed the servant hall, and turned down one corridor after another. Then they reached the path leading toward the library tower. Lira stopped breathing entirely. One hound slowed. It sniffed the ground repeatedly. Circled once. Then abruptly turned away. The handlers cursed softly before following it toward another section of the palace grounds closer to the outer gate.

The dog was probably following an older trail that now seemed fresher in comparison to the path Lira cleared. Maren had been everywhere after all. Relief hit Lira so hard her knees nearly gave out. Her spell had worked, and Maren was safe for now. She leaned her forehead against the cool window glass and released a shaky breath she had been holding for far too long. Then she returned to her bed and practically collapsed into it as exhaustion finally caught up with her.

Tessa sat quietly nearby and muttered a soft prayer to the goddess. Lira doubted the goddess would help. Saving Maren rested entirely on her shoulders now.