"What do I say?" Yoshi said. He absently ran a hand through his hair.

Jacob just shrugged. "Just ask for her help finding a book or something. I'll wait for you to do it. Let's go."

Jacob disappeared into the stacks.

Yoshi clenched his fists. Useless answer! Argh, why was he even asking Jacob something like that? Why was he letting them tell him what to do? He should be the boss of the three. He was the strongest, and while Jacob and Camilla had that encounter with that rogue mage, he was the one who had the most experience with this type of stuff.

Yoshi turned and went to the edge of the aisle and peered out at the front desk. Ms MacDonald lounged with her feet up, leafing through a book. C'mon, this should be easy. She's just a little old librarian.

He'd fought a Ranger, had robbed dozens of people, why was this making him nervous? Damn it, talking with adults had never been his strong suit, but if Jacob found out he was scared of talking to an old lady after all that stuff he'd been spewing in their training session earlier, the kid would never take him seriously again.

Yoshi straightened, scoffed at himself, and strolled out of the stacks, both hands stuffed in his pockets. Stupid. Stupid. Why was he the one having to ask for information? He didn't need this old bag's help. He was stronger than her, and more skilled.

Just do it.

"Hi," Yoshi said.

Ms MacDonald's spectacles were on the end of her nose. She looked up at him over them. "Yes?"

Yoshi clenched his fists in his pockets. "I was uhh... Wondering if you could recommend me a book on portal magic."

"Specific material in mind, or just general portal magics?" Ms MacDonald asked.

"Uhh... General."

She dropped her feet off the desk and rolled her chair over to the computer. She clicked around a bit, then sat back. "There's a couple here. Their numbers are TK421 and TK420."

Ms MacDonald rolled back over to her nook, picked up her book, and plopped her feet back on the table.

Yoshi clenched his teeth. He thought he was going to explode. He needed to come up with something fast, not just stand here rooted to the spot like an idiot.

"Um... Could you help me find them?" He said. Stupid!

Ms Macdonald glanced at him over her spectacles, clearly unimpressed.

Yoshi gave his voice a caricature of an Asian accent. "I'm not so good at finding the books. I think it is a thing because English is my second language."

At that Ms MacDonald shot up out of her chair. "Ah, of course. I'm sorry. Follow me. I'll find them for you quick as lightning."

Yoshi followed her into the stacks, clenching his fists. Jacob needed to be quick. He could ask her some questions in the stacks to delay her, but couldn't think of anything to ask. There wasn't really anything he didn't already know.

——————

Jacob tilted a couple books to the side and watched Yoshi talk to Ms MacDonald through a shelf. He was giddy with the desire to just do this and get it over with and be done. He almost just wanted to run out there right now.

Ms MacDonald got up and Yoshi followed her into the stacks.

Jacob broke out of his cover like a panther launching after its prey. He crossed the distance to the desk and swung around it and into Ms Macdonald's chair in a moment. A big, goofy grin covered his face and his fingers were so twitchy he almost couldn't type. He scanned the monitor desktop.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Nothing there.

He quelled his excited panic and dragged the mouse over to the group of minimized tabs. The first one was some article on magic. The second one was a To Do List in a notes page.

Shit!

The third tab was a browser window with a banner that said: Checkout Database. The most recent check out had been of a first-year textbook by Keighleigh Smith.

Jacob almost let loose a squeal of delight. He went over to the search bar.

The door to the library opened. A tired looking girl hunched beneath a heavy backpack hurried in. She frowned at Jacob, but made her way over to the front desk anyway.

Jacob nearly screamed. Every muscle in his body went rigid. It wasn't too late to bolt. He could be out of the chair, around the girl, and out the door in a second.

"Um... Hi," the girl said tentatively. She had thick, curly hair and wore a long sleeved red shirt and jeans. "Could you help me find a book?"

"I'm just the IT guy!" Jacob blurted.

"Oh," the girl blinked. "I didn't know the library had IT."

"Yep!" Jacob said. "That's me! Just fixing up a glitch with the computer here!" He clicked the keyboard randomly a couple times.

"Is Ms MacDonald here?" The girl asked.

"Yes! She's in the stacks right now helping someone. I'm sure if you go look you'll find her," Jacob said.

The girl nodded, then leaned on the desk with one hand and slid her backpack off her shoulders. "Okay. I think I'll just wait for her here."

Jacob nearly screamed, but instead he just smiled. He went back to looking at the database page. The girl was right there. What if she knew?

No! Don't be paranoid. Just hurry up!

He typed in Magical Absorption and hit enter.

The book was the first one to pop up. The library had one copy. He clicked on it and his eyes widened.

It had been taken out by Professor Muesli.

Jacob froze, processing that for a moment. There was a good chance the book was in Muesli's office.

He checked his phone. Christ! Intro would be over in less than ten minutes. If he ran now he could meet Camilla there and they could search the office for it before Muesli got back from class, but he'd have to be lightning quick.

Jacob closed the tab and shot up out of his seat. The girl blinked at him.

"All done!" He said, giving her a thumbs up. "Yep! Computer's working fine!"

"That's good," the girl said.

Jacob hurried out from around the desk, glanced into the stacks, then bolted from the library.

——————

Jacob blew past two surprised girls and out of the library. He started to run down the path towards the Vanderbilt Building, which loomed in the distance.

He hadn't even thought to use his magic. Could he use it in a situation like this?

Why not?

He engaged it, cast resilience and perception, and took off down the path like a rocket, whipping past other students. Slowed drawls of "Hey!" and "Watch it!" caught up with him.

He reached the Vanderbilt Building in record time, and disengaged his magic as he threw open the door. The golem at the reception desk frowned up at him.

"Where are the professor's offices?" Jacob asked, breathing heavily.

The golem pointed. "Second floor, main hallway. You'll find a directory up-"

"Thanks!" Jacob jogged over to the stairwell and took the steps two at a time. The second floor was surprisingly cramped, the hallway a narrow, carpeted strip, made narrower by file cabinets and cubby holes for assignments stacked next to doorways.

Jacob marched quickly down the hall, checking the silver name plaque on each office door. Some were open, with professors at their desks, typing away at computers. He nodded nervously if they looked up at him, trying to pretend he was here for something legit.

C'mon.

The last office on the left was Muesli's. Jacob poked his head in. It was empty. Thank Christ. He must have just missed Camilla. She couldn't have been that far ahead of him.

The office was two conjoined rooms The one he'd entered was dominated by a large plastic desk covered with paper. The walls were lined with shelves that were cluttered with exotic, antique trinkets and little figurines from around the world. A framed picture of Professor Muesli kneeling down beside a happy looking husky was on the back wall, next to two framed degrees.

Jacob didn't see a book that jumped out at him so he went quickly to the doorway to the second room. It was a walk-in closet, cluttered with shelves of books, tomes, manuscripts, almost like a miniature library that hadn't seen an organizing touch in centuries. Oh, no, it couldn't have been a professor that kept their place clean. They'd gotten the worst guy on campus!

"What are you doing here?" A female voice hissed.

Jacob whirled around, unconsciously clenching his fists and engaging his magic.

There was no one there.

"What the-" He started.

"Here, moron!" A small hand emerged from thin air in the corner of the office and waved at him.

Jacob sagged. "Christ, Camilla, you nearly gave me a heart attack!"

The hand disappeared back into the folds of the veil. "Did you get the book? What are you doing here? Muesli's gonna be back any moment."

"He has the book!" Jacob hissed. "He's the one that took it out!"

"Crap, where is it?"

"I don't know!" Jacob said.

Something brushed past him and into the closet. "God, what a pig sty. You go watch the hall. I'll search."

Camilla started rummaging around.

Jacob looked back at the open door to the hallway. He crossed the small office space to the door.

And ran right into Professor Muesli.