Chapter 65: Chapter 65: Menagerie

I wasn't expecting the icy chill or the grinding of stone or the splash of something that felt like acid over my skin as I tumbled out of the path I made and landed in Tulip's arms. But I was beginning to make sense of the ways of travel without doors and, teeth chattering, mumbled as much to the startled centaur.

"They have their own feeling," I said. Because that made total sense to my best friend.

She hugged me tight, spun without a word and galloped with me in her arms deeper into the Repository. I barely had time to recognize the Ancient Greek section of the massive archive before she swept me, three strides away, into the buzzing, humming, chattering welcome of the Menagerie.

It brought me great comfort to be there, better when she tucked me into the wide, sheltering fronds of a massive plant and scooted herself deep inside, too, tucking her tail and her hooves well out of sight before she rocked me against her, weeping.