Camilla couldn't believe she'd agreed to this.

A few hours after their meeting in Jacob's dorm room, she and Tanaka sat on a bench outside the looming Vanderbilt Building. Jacob, meanwhile was tucked safely away back in his dorm room, away from harm or embarrassment or the chance of getting caught. How in the world had she let him talk her into doing this, with Tanaka of all people?

You offered.

Grr...

After agreeing they needed to break into the restricted section of the Dynas Library they'd all ambled along to the library itself and had pretended to look for books while scouting out the place.

The restricted section was accessed by a steel door at the back of the first floor that looked like it belonged in a prison, with Authorized Personnel Only written in big block letters on its reflective surface. There was a little card reader at the side. There was, unsurprisingly, a layer of magic on the door. Neither she nor Tanaka had been able to tell if it was just a protective ward or an alarm system of some sort, and they hadn't risked setting it off to find out.

Either way, they wouldn't be able to magic their way through the door.

They'd rendezvoused outside the library. Camilla had been a little distraught, because it seemed as though they had been stopped in their tracks, when Jacob said:

"It's easy. We just steal one of the prof's access cards."

Camilla had blinked and looked over at Jacob. How was he so ready to do these crazy, illegal things? This was not the same timid nerd who'd been in biology class last year, that was for sure.

But still, that didn't explain this willingness to break the law, and she wouldn't believe that all nerds were secretly like this. Maybe it was the pact with Father Emil hanging over his head. That might drive him to do crazy things.

She'd have to keep an eye on him.

After Tanaka and Jacob had argued about how best to infiltrate a professor's office for what seemed like ages, she'd said:

"I can cast an invisibility veil," she wanted to show Tanaka up. He could use Necromancy, sure, but that wasn't going to be useful anymore. They would need her magic to get that book.

Boy was she regretting that now.

She could only make the ward big enough for two people, so it was decided—much to her protest—that Tanaka would accompany her into Professor Muesli's office in case they needed to Decomp the professor's office door. All while Jacob sat on his problematic ass.

Camilla checked her phone. Intro to Magical History had just started. Professor Muesli would be addressing their class and his office would be empty. Just as they had planned.

She couldn't believe she was doing this. Breaking into a professor's office, stealing their ID card, and then breaking into the restricted section of the Dynas Library? What if they got caught? She'd chastised Tanaka and Jacob for endangering her and her father's reputation yet here she was, doing it herself, voluntarily! Her heart fluttered. The fallout would be so horrible she couldn't even fathom it.

But if she didn't do this Jacob would lose his magic.

So? A little voice in her head whispered. Who is he? You're Camilla D'Angelo. Your father is Antonio D'Angelo. You're way stronger than him. You're way more important than him. Who is he to you?

She could be jeopardizing her entire career as a Ranger, her potential chances to get on the North American Council, and later the World Council. If she lost her chance at them because of this, she didn't know what else she'd do with her life. Sure, she fantasized about vanishing sometimes, but to where, and to do what?

She was jeopardizing her dreams for a boy she'd met two months ago.

Hello?

Had she caught feelings? Grace would think so. But that wasn't the case, was it? She just couldn't leave Jacob to suffer by himself. It just didn't seem right.

She didn't know what to do. The only thing she knew for certain was that Jacob Caibo was a problem. A major problem. He owed her one after this. No, he owed her like a hundred after this.

"It's time," Tanaka's dull voice snapped her out of her reverie.

She panicked, then quelled it. She was not a scared little girl. Especially not in front of Tanaka. When had she agreed to do something with him, anyway?

"Okay, let's go."

——————

Jacob paced the dorm room. Camilla and Tanaka were the most capable mages he knew. If anyone could pull this off it was them. But that didn't stop him worrying.

He was a little surprised Camilla had offered to do it. They were putting her and her father at a huge risk. He didn't want that weight on his shoulders. They'd spent several hours planning out their infiltrations of Muesli's office and the restricted section of the library down to the details, but even still, now that the time had come, he was nervous. They were just students, amateurs, who had no idea what they were doing.

Maybe he should go to President Russell with what they'd found so far, or Professor Alhammadi? That could make everything easier.

Only if all three of them agreed to do it.

The door swung open. Jacob whirled, expecting to see a Professor or campus security barging through.

Camilla and Tanaka burst through the door. Tanaka slammed it shut behind them.

"Thank Christ," Jacob sighed. "Are you guys alright?"

"Yes." A thin sheen of sweat glistened on Camilla's face. She dug in her pocket and pulled out a little ID card. "Piece of cake."

Jacob ran a hand through his hair. "Good. Hey, I was wondering, maybe it might be best if we went to President Russell, confessed everything, and-"

The slap came before he could blink. Camilla struck him across the cheek. Jacob staggered to the side and put his hand to his face, shocked.

"You have the nerve to say that after we just risked our necks while you just... Just sat on your ass?!" She biffed the ID card at him.

Behind her Tanaka stood with his arms crossed. He also didn't look too pleased.

"I don't want to risk getting you and your father in any more trouble," Jacob said. He snatched the ID card off the ground. "I'll take responsibility for everything. You two were never with me."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"That will stand up until they ask you how you cast Necromancy on Father Emil's shade," Tanaka growled. "Once they realize you're full of shit and can't cast Necromancy, there's only one person they're going to look at."

"And how do you know we can trust them, moron?" Camilla hissed. "The killer might not be a vampire, but that just makes it more likely it's a student or faculty."

Jacob raised his hands in defeat. "Okay! Sorry, I figured I'd ask since we're just digging ourselves a bigger hole."

"Well, next time have some common sense," Camilla said. She pointed a finger at his chest. "You owe me one after this."

"I know. I know," Jacob said. He was eager to change the subject. "We've got the card, let's just get this over with."

"You're coming with me this time," Camilla said.

"I know. We're in this because of me," Jacob said. "Tanaka, you mill about the library like we planned. Watch our backs."

Tanaka nodded.

Jacob pocketed Professor Muesli's ID card. "Let's go."

----------------------------------------

The library loomed above them. The afternoon sky was steely with an impending storm. Why the faculty programmed storms into the pocket dimension, Jacob would never understand.

"Ready?" Jacob asked.

Camilla and Tanaka nodded.

"Alright. Tanaka, just like we talked about."

"Yeah, I got it."

Jacob and Camilla went behind one of the trees lining the walkway up to the library while Tanaka loitered by the entrance.

"Stand in front of me," Camilla said.

Jacob did.

He felt a whisper of Production magic and a bubble grew out from Camilla and encased the both of them. The world shimmered through it as if he were looking out of a fishbowl.

"Cool."

"Save it," Camilla said, her voice strained. "Let's go. Walk slowly."

Jacob put one foot in front of the other, gradually making his way over to the entrance. He was very aware of Camilla's presence very close behind him.

"Not that slowly," she said.

Her voice was right next to his ear, and when she spoke it sent tingles down his spine.

"And remember, it doesn't dampen sound."

"I know. You told me."

They approached Tanaka, who looked a little wider than usual. Jacob cleared his throat. The transfer student jumped, then turned and opened the library door and went inside. Jacob and Camilla shuffled in quickly after him. The invisibility bubble pushed up against the door, warping, distorting the reflections seen through it.

"Avoid walls," Camilla hissed. "If it pushes up against too much at once, it'll pop."

"Okay," Jacob whispered.

Tanaka strolled in front of them, hands in pockets, with the casual air of someone who had done this before. A dark haired girl in jeans strode out of Fireball Roast. The welcoming scent of coffee grind and buttery baked goods wafted out. She walked right past Tanaka, then brushed within an inch of the bubble. Jacob instinctively cringed back from her. She kept walking, straight out the library doors.

"Holy shit!" Jacob said. "It's working."

"Duh, moron!" Camilla whispered. "Now shh!"

They caught up with Tanaka right as he was opening the door to the Dynas Library.

They shuffled in behind him. Camilla stepped on the back of Jacob's shoe, eliciting a hiss from both of them.

The door to the library slammed shut behind them.

Tanaka broke off. He strode past the front desk and nodded to Ms Macdonald, who was reading a book, her legs kicked up on the desk. Tanaka disappeared into the stacks.

Jacob took a deep breath, then shuffled forward past Ms Macdonald in the other direction. They entered the stacks without incident and marched along in silence. Camilla stepped on his heels several more times, but he ground his teeth and kept his quiet.

A few students moved around, looking for books. Jacob avoided them, taking other rows and aisles. He was nervous, more nervous than he'd been before the fight with Wilkins. But he didn't dare let it show in front of Camilla. He kept repeating to himself that they had to do this, not just to save his magic, but to stop the killings.

Eventually they reached the door to the restricted area. Jacob got as close as he dared, then reached in his pocket and pulled out the ID card.

"Ready?" He whispered to Camilla.

"Yes."

He reached out. His hand slipped through the bubble, tingling briefly. He imagined that if someone were watching they would see a dismembered hand holding an ID card, and smiled. He passed the ID card over the reader, then drew his hand back within the bubble lightning quick.

Beep!

The reader flashed green and the door clicked.

Jacob reached his hand out again, clasped the cool silver door handle, and turned it. His heart pounded, and a sweat had broken out on his forehead. No going back now. If they got caught they were ultra screwed.

The door opened, revealing a pitch black space on the other side. He stepped forward and heard Camilla shuffle along behind him.

They slipped through into the restricted section. Jacob handed the door off to Camilla, who slipped it shut behind them. Darkness enveloped them.

For a long, tense minute they stood there in the pitch black, the only sound their own out of sync breathing.

"Turn on the lights," Camilla whispered.

Jacob felt along the wall, found the switch, and flicked it.

Nothing happened.

He felt along the wall and found a second switch, and flicked it.

Long rows of overhead lights flickered on, buzzing faintly. Jacob blinked in surprise. He had expected the restricted area to be a small closet with a single shelf of books on it. But no, it was an area the size of one of his high-school classrooms, filled with several rows of shelves, filled with books, tomes and leather-bound volumes.

"There's this much banned magic?" He whispered.

"There's a lot of dangerous stuff the Order doesn't like," Camilla said. "What's the book called again?"

"Magical Absorption and Transferral by Antonio D'Angelo," Jacob said.

He got over his initial shock at the amount of literature staring at him and quickly moved in amongst the shelves, staying within the veil.

It didn't take them long to find the section of books, theses, treatises, and collections of essays written by Camilla's father.

"From the Depths of the Magical Realm, with Love by Antonio D'Angelo," Jacob read one title. "What is that about?"

"That's from when he was exploring the farthest reaches of the magical realm from Earth," Camilla trailed her finger along the spines, searching for the right one.

"Oh, like the areas furthest from natural crossover points?" Jacob paused, frowning.

"Yes."

"I remember Malachi mentioning that in MW Club. Why would a book like that be banned?"

"Probably because the Order doesn't want people trying to get to the lower reaches of the magical realm."

"Why?"

"The further you get away from natural crossover points, and even places like VanDusen where the barrier is weak, the stronger the barrier is. The creatures likewise get stronger because the barrier is harder to break through, meaning they can reach higher levels of power without crossing over. The environment gets weirder, less like Earth, and my father once told me the magical pressure increases. It's like gravity on your magic. You get worn down more easily."

"Christ."

"Yeah, it's scary."

They searched in silence.

"Jacob?"

"Yes?"

"It's not here."

Jacob leafed through the plethora of D'Angelo books again, holding in his panic.

"It should be right here," Camilla said, pointing to a gap where one book leaned against another.

He scanned the titles. Alphabetically they were before and after the Mag that started the title of Magical Absorption and Transferral. It was gone. "We're fucked."

"Maybe someone checked it out?" Camilla said.

Jacob smacked his head. "You're right. Shit, what do we do?"

"Let's get out of here and find Tanaka."

They made their way back to the entrance to the restricted section. Jacob flicked the lights off, then opened the door a crack. He peered through.

There was no one on the other side. Thank Christ. Camilla and him slipped through, the invisibility bubble warping against the door. Once they were into the stacks Jacob let out a tense breath.

They found Tanaka milling about the Decomp section.

"Tanaka!" Jacob hissed.

The transfer student jumped. He dropped the book he was holding then turned and searched the air where they stood. "Damn it, you almost gave me a heart attack!"

"The book's not there."

"So, we're done."

"Camilla thinks someone might have checked it out."

"Possible. What do you want to do?"

Jacob thought for a moment. "You could distract Ms Macdonald, and then Camilla and I could check the loan logs on her computer."

"Whoa whoa whoa," Camilla said. "The veil won't work if we're sitting in front of a computer in that enclosed space. Too many surfaces."

"What do we do, then?"

"Tanaka distracts her, then you just go on her computer without the veil."

"In plain sight?" Jacob cried. "Are you crazy?"

"If Tanaka distracts her, she won't be able to see you, veil or no."

Jacob ground his teeth. He'd probably only need a minute or two. "What if she comes back while I'm sitting there?"

"Make something up."

"What about you? Why don't you do it?"

"Nuh-uh. I'm not risking my neck any more than I have to, and besides, I should return Muesli's ID card to his office."

That actually wasn't a bad point. Intro to Magical History would be over in about fifteen minutes. They needed to return the card before then.

"Okay," Jacob nodded. "Drop the veil."

The bubble disappeared. Tanaka blinked and looked at them directly. He'd been staring a bit off to the left the entire conversation.

"Camilla, go, quickly," Jacob said.

She hurried off through the stacks, ponytail swinging. Jacob watched her go, cringing at the thought of what he was going to have to do next.

"Just you and me," Jacob said to Tanaka.