Shame and Rage

Cyrus stood outside the bookshop, The Arcanist's Tales, hesitating over whether to go inside or not. He'd expected a quaint, little bookshop selling leather bound tomes of knowledge. What he'd found was a bright, airy, modern looking store. 

From the window display, it seemed to mainly sell comic books and graphic novels. This did not fit the image he'd had in his head of Eugene Coyle and his shop. Cyrus was pleasantly surprised, but surprised nonetheless.

He pushed through the door, which made a happy little chirping noise on opening and again on closing. The shop was bigger than it looked from outside, well lit. Pine bookshelves divided up a huge, open space into little squares that each contained either an armchair or a sofa. 

It all looked very cosy and warm. Exactly the kind of bookshop he would have liked to come and spend a rainy afternoon in. 

Cyrus had no time for relaxing though and his mind was not on books. 

Off to one side was a counter, behind it a bookshelf with an alcove in it. A dark curtain hung in the alcove. He approached the counter where a pretty, young girl was taking books from a box, examining them and typing something into a computer.

"Uh, hello," he said. 

She looked up and flashed him a winning customer service smile. "Hi! How can I help you today?" 

"I need to see Eugene, is he here?"

Her eyebrows came together and she tilted her head to the side. After a few seconds of silence she said uncertainly, "Are you Cyrus?"

"I— Yes. How did you know that?" 

She smiled openly, not the customer service one, a real smile. "He said to keep an eye out for you. He didn't say you were so cute though." Her cheeks flushed and her hand shot to her mouth. "Sorry! I didn't mean to say that."

Cyrus ran a hand through his hair nervously. He didn't know what to say. They stared awkwardly at one another for a second. "Uh, thanks. And don't be."

He cringed inside. Was he supposed to have said she was cute too or something? He could never really tell, besides, he had more important worries. 

The girl laughed nervously, "I'll go get Gene."

She put the book she was holding down and disappeared behind through the curtain. Cyrus drummed his fingers on the counter, waiting. After a minute or two nobody had arrived and he turned to lean against the counter, to look around the shop.

There didn't seem to be any customers in. Perhaps they were about to close? The place had an ultra-modern feel, with the occasional nod to the past in the high-backed, leather armchairs. 

The sections each had little signs hanging from the ceiling, History, Academia, Travel, standard book shop fare. One section caught his eye though, 'Occult Studies' the sign said. That wasn't really standard.

The largest section was dedicated to manga, graphic novels and comic books, which each had their own signs and took up nearly half the shop. Perhaps he'd come back one day to browse them, Cyrus thought to himself.

His reverie was interrupted by the sound of footsteps. As he turned around, the curtain was swept aside and the girl emerged followed by Eugene Coyle, his face warm and friendly.

"Cyrus," he said, holding out his hand.

Cyrus took his hand and Eugene shook it fervently. 

"I'm glad you came." His eyes darted around the store as if seeking something. "Is Thalia with you?" He asked, speaking her name with a tone that bordered on reverence. 

"That's why I'm here. Can we talk in private somewhere?" Cyrus glanced nervously at the girl, who had gone back to whatever she'd been doing before.

"Sure," Eugene said. He turned to the girl. "Lilly, can you lock up? You can head home after."

She nodded, put a book back down and with a lingering glance at Cyrus and a shy smile, went into the back. After she'd come back with a large set of keys, Eugene nodded his head towards the door and lifted a corner of the counter so it swung upwards.

"Come on back, Cyrus. We can chat where it's more comfortable."

Cyrus followed Eugene into the back of the shop and found it surprisingly homely. A well used sofa sat against one wall, with a pile of paperback sitting on the floor next to it. A little row of coat-hooks were attached to the wall opposite and a open door led off to a kind of kitchen.

Eugene ignored it all and went through a door at the end of the room, beckoning Cyrus to follow him. The older man led him through a corridor to a set of stairs, like a fire escape. They climbed them and emerged into a room like the one below, divided up by ceiling-to-floor bookshelves. 

"This is the real, Arcanist's Tales," Eugene said, smiling as he looked around the room. "Downstairs is all for show. Though we do good business nowadays," He added

Where downstairs was new, shiny and modern looking, up here was exactly as Cyrus had imagined the shop to be. The bookshelves were old, dark coloured mahogany. The books were big, leather bound tomes. It smelled of dust and paper, with a faint hint of beeswax. 

The lighting was muted and soft, making the room feel secret and safe, despite how large and open it was. Around the edges were individual reading desks, each with a lamp, where people who desired privacy could sit.

In the middle of the room sat a large, polished oak table and a number of chairs. It was here that Eugene lead Cyrus, pulling a chair out for him then taking one opposite. Cyrus sat down.

"So what is this about Thalia?" Eugene asked, sitting back in the chair.

Cyrus considered where to start. "Do you know two men called Burns and Mizer?" 

Eugene's face went pale, he sat forward, slack-jawed. "Not personally," he said, his voice stilted. "But I know of them. What do they have to do with you?"

The way he said it left Cyrus in no doubt that Eugene despised the two men. He felt better about going to him, more certain in his choice. 

"They've taken her," he said, his voice cracking.

Even now he found it hard to believe. They'd taken her and he'd done nothing. Deep down inside rage and shame battled with each other. 

Eugene's eyes widened, he shook his head. "No!" he whispered. "Tell me everything!"