Shadow of the Sun (Timeless #1)

Chapter 13: Library

The library towered over us, its lights shining like tiny beacons. We stood outside the door, reading the sign displayed there.

"They're only open until midnight," I said. "We don't have much time, maybe an hour."

"I can assimilate information from paper quickly." He motioned us forward. "Watch for yourself."

We entered the library. The aroma of old and new parchment hit my nose. Rows of books lined the walls, placed neatly in succession and towering up to the ceiling. One of the student employees greeted us with a little wave of hello before sitting down behind the counter to keep reading her book.

Andrew walked along the shelves, his fingers tracing the spines of each book. "This library is remarkably immense." He inhaled deeply. "Don't you just love the smell of books?"

I smiled at his face. He looked like a kid at Disneyland, though his vocabulary proved to be of an exceptionally—and possibly excessively—educated adult.

"This is only the first floor. There are eight more above us."

He looked up.

"Do you still think one hour is long enough?" I challenged.

He moved to the second row of books. "No. But for the important things, yes." His fingers lingered over the bindings of the new row, and then he reached for a book. "I'll start here." The book was Chemistry Methodology and Mathematical Models.

This place was a titanic mine of information, so I nodded. "Take a seat." I pointed toward a table not far away. "I'm going upstairs to look through some of their nonacademic books."

He gave me a solemn look. "Maybe I should go with you?"

"I'll be fine. It's just a library."

He surveyed my face for a few seconds. "It won't bite," he said, mimicking my phrase about the clothing store, except in his wonderfully deep accent. That accent was going to get me in trouble.

"Exactly," I said.

Before I ascended the stairs, I peered over my shoulder to see Andrew staring at me intently, his expression growing more somber by the second, before he reluctantly opened the book in his hands. He leaned over and began reading, flipping past the first two pages before I had even started up the stairs.

On the sixth floor, I thumbed through several science fiction and fantasy novels, wishing I could take them all home with me. I loved reading, and if I had it my way, I'd blow my whole paycheck at the local bookstore. I found a book I'd never read and skipped down the stairs, taking two at a time. When I reached the first floor, Andrew was at the table leaning over a pile of books so large it partially blocked him from view. I gasped and dropped my book, the shock so outrageous it rooted me to the spot.

Andrew leapt to his feet, practically flying across the room, which I knew he could have if he wanted. Within seconds, he was at my side, picking up the book I'd dropped.

"Gabriella? What's wrong?" He led me toward the table and helped me sit.

"How many—" I paused to lift some of the books off the table. My shock turned to awe. There were physics, chemistry, geography, geology, biology, and many other scientific books splayed across the table. Half of them were open. "How many books have you read? I was only upstairs for fifteen minutes."

I checked my watch to make sure I hadn't gotten carried away browsing, which happened more often than not at any bookstore or library.

He looked pleased with himself. "I read through twenty books, and I must say they were fascinating. Science has enhanced tremendously over the past few hundred years."