Read The Glass Gargoyle (The Lost Ancients Book 1) for Free Online

smacked the air. They’d almost got me but I was expecting it. Taking someone out of a spell sleep wasn’t easy.
    Holding her still twitching limbs, I called to her.
    “Covey. Covey, you damn old bat, wake up.”
    She flailed around some more, trying to hit something to my left.
    “It’s me. Open your eyes.” I shook her arms.
    She didn’t open her eyes but muttered under her breath.
    “Are you ok?” Maybe he’d hit her too, she usually came out of spells fast. “Come on—”
    “I said, I’m not a bat.” One golden eye peered at me as she frowned and pulled herself upright. She teetered a bit, but made it back into her chair.
    “What the hell happened?” I hadn’t been able to tell if the intruder had taken anything.
    “I have no idea.” Her scowl took up her entire sharp face as she glanced around the room looking for clues. “I came back in after a meeting and surprised some felon. He was ransacking my research files.” Her primitive trellian ancestors showed themselves in that moment; she looked like she wanted to break a few dozen bones.
    “To be completely honest I’m not sure what he was after or even if it was a he. My assumption is based on the individual’s size and movements—” Covey was slipping into professor speak, never a good sign.
    “Are you working on anything anyone would want?” I cut her off. If she started speculating I’d get nothing useful out of her for a week.
    The glare she threw my way warned me the breaking of bones might be aimed in my direction. She was sure everyone was after her finds—I continually reminded her no one outside of the university cared.
    “You know what I mean. Anyone outside of academia. Any long-lost high elven secrets?”
    Covey frowned and folded her arms. “I have found a number of interesting facts, but there was nothing that an outsider would go after.” The emphasis she put on the word outsider almost made me feel unclean. She started picking up the rest of the room and muttering to herself.
    I decided to help just to get my ass out of that chair. Besides, I had sort of contributed to the mess when I was looking for the sleep spell antidote.
    Nothing appeared broken, but whether anything had been taken only Covey could tell. I bent down to pick up one of her scrolls. She might not like to call the race that left them elven—she personally didn’t believe in the mythological beings of eons past—but she was fascinated by their writings. So far no one had been able to read them, so Covey was determined to be the first.
    As I retrieved the fragile papers, I saw a smudge on the rug. Rather, I found a long black hair on the rug. I shoved the scroll under my arm and rubbed the end of the hair. It took a bit, but sure enough faint black dye came off on my fingers. Alric obviously went for the cheap hair dye.
    “You had better not damage those. I might forget our friendship.” Covey stood next to me tapping her foot. I’d been so engrossed in the hair I hadn’t noticed her. With a chagrined smile I handed the scroll to her.
    “Where’s the other one? There were two over there, I think they’re part of the same work.” She peered around me as if I might be holding out.
    I raised my arms, careful to keep my grip on the evidence pinched between my fingers. “There is only one.”
    She literally picked me up and moved me to the side. Another side effect of her ancestors. She was skinny, but strong as five oarsmen.
    “It’s not here.” I waited until she had checked everywhere. “How did you think they were connected?”
    Covey went back to her desk and dropped into her chair. “I may not be able to read them yet, but some of the symbols…” She dropped off as she tried to look for the right words. She finally shrugged. “I can’t explain it. But some of the symbols seem to belong together. This one and the one our friend took are tied together.”
    “Who would want something no one can read?”
    “That is a very good question.