The Librarian and the Assassin, a Sapphic Romance at the End of the World - 35. Chapter 35 - Donations

It was a morning like any other morning. The city of Stonespire was still quiet, but the sun was beginning to awaken the inhabitants of the island.

A girl named Orial, who lived at the edge of the Oceanside neighborhood and made her living by selling articles of clothes she knitted by hand, was startled when she woke up on this particular morning. She had risen from her bed and was approaching the water closet in her tiny apartment, when her eyes were drawn to and locked on something by her front door.

“What in the world?” she breathed in disbelief.

Clear across the city, at a certain building that would not be visited by anyone until much later in the day, the exact same thing that startled Orial was waiting to be discovered by whoever was the first to arrive… but at the moment, all was still and silent.

Over in the Alphabet District, as Chef Zed opened the front door to his restaurant, he saw and did a double-take as he realized a twenty-dollar bill was lying on the floor between his feet.

“Where did you come from?” he asked weakly.

He picked up the very valuable piece of paper and turned around, looking out into the street, as if hoping an explanation for the money’s origin would be revealed.

Back in the region by the shallows, Tawni was finally returning to her home. It had been a long night. She had delivered secret donations to multiple people and places that had made an impact on her recently, and she hoped to make their lives just a little better with her anonymous gifts.

Tawni slipped into the alleyway and pulled the chain, releasing the retractable ladder that granted her access into her home. She was surprised that Bix was not up above on the platform waiting for her. Tawni suspected Bix was upset, but she had expected to see her. It was early in the morning, and Tawni wondered if Bix was in bed. She climbed up, drew the ladder back into its raised position, and entered her home.

The hall that led to her main room was dark, and the door to it was closed. She approached and gingerly turned the handle, slowly pushing open the door.

Bix was not in bed.

Tawni turned and looked back down the hallway. She did not think Bix would be in her library with the books, so she headed up to the roof. Tawni stepped out onto it and smiled.

The sun was starting to rise over the eastern ocean, but much of the rooftop was still dark.

Bix was curled up in a chair with a blanket around her, and she was fast asleep.

Tawni walked over and delicately kissed her cheek.

Bix’s eyes fluttered open. “Tawni?” she murmured.

“I’m home.”

“Tawni, are you okay?”

“Yes, Bix, I’m okay.”

Bix blinked her eyes hard to try and wake herself up, and she saw Tawni’s bruised cheek. “Your face!” she squawked.

“I’m fine,” Tawni reiterated with a smile.

Bix was distraught. “What happened to you?!”

Tawni rolled her eyes at herself. “I thought the Doylithia job was going to be easy. It wasn’t, but it’s done.”

Bix was frowning. “What happened?”

“She had a bunch of guards around her,” Tawni explained. “I should have waited and gone back at another time, but I thought I could get it done, and I did, but it wasn’t clean. Two guards saw me and chased me. One of them hit me, but I managed to take them both out before I got away.”

Bix’s eyes went wide. “You killed three people tonight?”

Tawni cringed at what she was about to say. “Sorry, it was four, but one of them was Doylithia.”

Bix shook her head in disbelief and quietly stated, “You’re really just okay with all this death, aren’t you, Tawni?”

Tawni took a breath. “Pan told us Doylithia was a really bad person.”

“But what about the others who weren’t the duke’s targets?”

“Anyone guarding and protecting a monster is a monster themself,” Tawni replied flatly. “Don’t think for a second that any of these rich families’ hired goons aren’t villains too. There are no heroes among them.”

Bix took Tawni’s hand. “But aren’t you now one of their hired goons?!”

Tawni smiled. “No, I’m not. I’m the one who’s in charge. I’m not under Duke Kentonworth’s thumb; he is completely reliant on your decision about every job, and because of you, Bix, he has no power over me.”

“How are you really all that different though? Aren’t you becoming one of these money-hoarding people Chef Zed told us about?”

“I gave away a bunch of the money,” Tawni stated.

Bix blinked. “You what?”

“I gave away a bunch of it,” Tawni repeated. “Tonight, I went around and gave twenty-dollar bills to several people and businesses before coming home.”

Bix did not understand. “What are you talking about?”

Tawni pulled Bix’s hands to her lips and kissed her knuckles. “I secretly gave money to the cobbler man who has helped me with my shoes over the years. I slipped a bill under the door at the pleasure dungeon where Pan and all the dommes work. I left one for the girl who knits. I brought one to The Phallus Phactory and gave it to the doorman who told us about Mermaid’s Throne. I gave one to that bartender from the drag king night. I left one for Chef Zed at his eatery. I put three twenties under the door to the outreach center for Celest. And then I came home.”

“You did all that?” Bix asked at a whisper.

Tawni bit her lower lip and nodded.

“Why did you give away so much of the money you’d earned?”

“There’s no way I could spend it all,” Tawni replied, “and if I can make other people’s lives better, why shouldn’t I do that?”

Bix scrutinized Tawni. “I was honestly worried that all this money would change you. I thought it might make you less conscious of the world around you, or less concerned about others, but you’re still the same person, aren’t you, Tawni?”

“If I’m able to help people, I want to do that however I can.” Tawni turned and faced east. “The sun’s rising,” she said, and she looked back at Bix, “but can I take you to bed?”

Bix smiled. “I’d like that.”

The pair descended and entered their bedroom together.

“Will you read me something before we go to sleep?” Bix asked.

“I’d love to,” Tawni replied. “Should I read you a little poetry, or a short story, or a chapter of something?”

Bix gently kissed Tawni’s cheek and crawled into bed. “Whatever you feel like reading would be wonderful, babe.”

Tawni had a few notebooks in her room, and she picked up one and then another. “Maybe I’ll just read you the first chapter of something I worked on a while ago but haven’t figured out what to do with it yet.”

“Maybe I can help you figure out what happens next in the story,” Bix replied as she snuggled down and got comfortable.

“I’d love to hear your suggestions, Bix.”

Tawni also sat on the bed, and she opened to the first page of the notebook.