Chapter 24
Summary
- The protagonist, Livira, finds herself stuck in a dark place after her foot gets caught. After several moments of panic, she finds and closes her book which brings back the light.
- She finds herself back in the company of the gray assistant and an injured raven which hasn’t moved. She is frustrated because she was pulled from a place called the Exchange which she was exploring and believes she could have navigated back on her own.
- Livira discovers the Exchange is forbidden for her to enter. She wants to return, both to retrieve a book, Reflections on Solitude, and to give aid to a man named Evar who she met there. She feels unexpectedly energetic and prepared to return.
- She is unable to get back through the circle of light leading to the Exchange and the gray assistant does not assist her in this effort despite her pleading.
- Livira decides to take the injured raven with her, despite its seemingly lifeless state, refusing to abandon her only companion in the vast library.
- She feels a new resolve and appreciation for the library and its chaotic collection of worlds. Determined to get back the book and preserve her place in the library, she swiftly navigates her surroundings until she reaches the chamber door.
- Livira manages to get back through the door by using the raven to trigger its opening. She proceeds to navigate through the library holding the heavy raven which begins to take a toll on her.
- She tries to conceive of ways to make navigation through the library easier, such as introducing horses or installing walkways and ropes.
- She spots another white assistant through her peripheral vision, and pursues it despite being on the brink of exhaustion.
- Livira, starving and emotionally worn out, tries to catch the assistant’s attention to ask for help, but instead drops her apple, and in her dizziness, falls off the shelf.