Cora Frost: The Fasting Spider by Matthew Smith

  Chapter 2

  Living in a world of monsters, demons, and angels was a dim and dark wood to travel in. The decadent and protective embrace of blissful ignorance usually strayed most from its troubled shores. Navigating through them could be difficult waters to tread. It was a good thing Cora had a compass. The Bibliotheca Aliqou was said to hold some of the ashes of the library of Alexandria melted into its silver casing. It never truly pointed north, pointing instead only to sources of knowledge. Unfortunately, it only worked if the source was within the same area as the user. Another trick to the Bibliotheca Aliqou was the person also had to ask it the right question.

  “What attacked Nichole Kelly?” Cora asked as she held the silver device up to her lips.

  The needle spun radically in a circle. The Aliqou at times could be so scatter brained. It meant one of two things if the needle continued to spin and never stopped. It could mean that the answer was not in this room, or that the Aliqou was just feeling playful. It did finally stop but not in the direction of the dust ridden bookcase as she hoped. It would be too easy for her to find a simple answer in her abundant collection of occult books; her ancient memoirs, or her demon encyclopedias.

  Turning around, the direction of the needle still remained in the opposite direction of the bookcase. She avoided several obstacles in her path as she journeyed in the needle's direction. She discovered a statue of Athena hidden under a traveling cloak she had thought had been lost for a month. Suddenly, as she crossed an overturned wastebasket, the needle jeered backwards. Crossing back the needle returned to its former direction. With an inquisitive brow she lifted the small metal basket.

  A small bottle of milk that had been delivered earlier yesterday morning. As she lifted the bottle, the Aliqou's needle stiffened like a bloodhound finding its prey.

  “Oh how lovely. A cow apparently attacked Nichole,” Cora said. She turned it over revealing a label. Pruitt Farms. “If luck runs out it looks like I'll be interrogating a chicken by the end of the day.”