The library was a large room, shaped as a perfect octagon. On every side, wooden shelves rose from the polished floor to the high, vaulted ceiling. The wood was dark, almost black, and carved with patterns of winding roots and spreading branches. There were no windows. Light came from orbs of soft, white crystal that floated just below the ceiling, giving the room a steady, shadowless glow.

The air smelled of old paper, dry leather, and a sweet floral scent. Three elven girls sat at different tables in the room.

In the far corner, near a shelf of historical scrolls, was Lirael. She was twenty-five years old, with long blonde hair tied back in a simple leather clasp. She read a book bound in dark green leather. The title read: The Lunar Compact: A Treatise On Werewolf Territory and Law. She traced a line of text with her finger. The book discussed the hierarchy of werewolf packs and their strange, rigid honor codes.

At the central table, two identical girls face each other as they read. They were younger, eighteen. One had long silver hair that fell straight over her shoulders. Her name was Lythrissa. She read a book titled Elementa Weaving For The Novice . The other twin, Lysanthia, had hair of silver streaked with vivid blue. She was reading a much older book, its pages yellow and crumbly at the edges. The title was written in a script so old it was barely legible: Bestia Noctis: A Catalog Of Forgotten Creatures

Lysanthia turned a page carefully. Her eyes moved quickly across the text. After a minute, she looked up at her sister.

"Lythrissa," she said.

Lythrissa did not look up. She continued reading about how air and water could be combined to create a mist.

Lysanthia repeated her name, louder. "Lythrissa."

Still no response. Lythrissa turned a page.

Lysanthia picked up a small graphite pencil from the table. She aimed it at her sister’s head and threw it. The pencil flew in a straight line. Without looking up, Lythrissa raised her right hand, and her fingers spread. The pencil stopped three inches from her temple. It hung in the air for a moment, then dropped onto the table with a soft clatter.

Lythrissa finally looked up. Her face showed no anger. "You have terrible aim," she said.

"I wasn’t trying to hit you," Lysanthia said. "I was trying to get your attention."

"You could have said my name."

"I did say your name. Twice." Lysanthia snapped.

Lirael looked up from her book. She closed it with her finger, marking the page. "What do you want, Lysanthia?"

Lysanthia turned to her older sister. "I found something in this book. A beast I have not heard of before." She looked back at Lythrissa. "It is called a Vargulf. A mad beast. It says here that it is a wolf the size of a horse. Its fur is black, and its eyes are red. It does not speak. It does not reason. It only hunts. It feeds on dead things. And when it hunts, entire packs of werewolves flee before it."

Lythrissa picked up the pencil and placed it next to her own book. "That sounds like a myth. Werewolves do not flee from anything. They are the predators."

"This book says different," Lysanthia said. She held up the old volume. "This was written by an elf who lived among the werewolves for fifty years. He saw the Vargulf with his own eyes."

Lirael set her book down. "Why are you reading about that?" she asked.

Lysanthia shrugged. "I was bored. And the beast Chapters are more interesting than the ones on fungus."

Lythrissa made a small sound that was almost a laugh. "You would find monsters more interesting than medicine."

"Monsters do not give you rashes," Lysanthia said.

Lirael stood up. She picked up her book on werewolf territory. "Do not make a study of those things," she told Lysanthia. "Mother would not approve."

"I was only curious," Lysanthia said.

Before Lirael could answer, the door to the library opened. It was a heavy door made of the same dark wood as the shelves. It swung inward without a sound. Their mother walked in.

Her face was calm, but her eyes moved quickly across the room, studying each of her daughters in turn. She walked first to Lythrissa. She looked down at the open book. "Elemental Weaving," she said.

"Yes, Mother. I am on the Chapter about mist generation." Lythrissa replied.

Velkynara nodded. "A useful skill for concealment. Less useful for combat. Finish it, then move to the Chapter on focused lightning."

"Yes, Mother," Lythrissa smiled.

Velkynara walked to Lysanthia. She looked at the old book. Her expression did not change, but her voice became slightly cooler. "Bestia Noctis," she read aloud. "Where did you find this?"

"On the top shelf in the north corner. Behind a row of agricultural records." Lysanthia answered.

"That book was placed there for a reason. It contains stories meant to frighten young elves, not educate them."

"I was not frightened, mother. I was interested."

Velkynara held her daughter’s gaze for a moment. Then she picked up the book and closed it.

"You may read it when you are older. For now, you will return to your standard studies."

Lysanthia’s shoulders dropped, but she did not argue. "Yes, Mother."

Finally, Velkynara walked to Lirael. She looked at the green book. "Lunar Compact," she said. She picked it up and flipped through a few pages. "Werewolf territorial law. Heavy reading for the day."

"I wanted to understand their customs in case I ever have to negotiate with them," Lirael said.

Velkynara handed the book back. "A wise thought. But you will not need to negotiate. Their laws are simple. They respect strength and direct speech. Elves complicate things with too many words. Werewolves do not."

Lirael nodded. She set the book on the table.

Velkynara looked at all three of her daughters. She stood in the center of the library with her hands clasped in front of her. Her face was still calm, but there was a tightness around her mouth.

"I have news," she said.

The girls looked at each other.

"We are leaving the Kingdom."

Lythrissa’s brows snapped together. Lysanthia’s eyes went wide.

"Leaving? To where?" Lysanthia asked.

"Lycanthria," Velkynara replied.

The twins looked at each other. Then both of them smiled. Lysanthia clapped her hands together once.

"The werewolf kingdom! Truly, mother?!" Lythrissa asked.

"Truly," Velkynara nodded.

Lysanthia turned to her sister. "We will see actual werewolves. Not just drawings in books. Real ones!"

"Yay!" Lythrissa’s voice was higher than usual.

They were both excited.