Aisling vanished, dropping the basket to the floor. Glass cracked. Packages spilled out in every direction, rolling away over the marble. Oz jumped to, grabbing up a nearby pile of books seconds before milk seeped into them, then looked up. “Aisling, it’s Linnea!”

BAM!

His words vanished into the blast as the two met, clashing with a speed his eyes struggled to follow. Heat-haze shimmered around Aisling as she leaped up and crashed down on Linnea. On the back foot, Linnea skittered backward over the ceiling, fending off Aisling’s blows with a pair of chain-blades she’d summoned from somewhere. Aisling dropped onto a nearby bookshelf, perching on the bare inch of shelf outside of the books’ spines to launch herself at Linnea once more.

The wood cracked behind her. Oz flinched. Yikes. “Aisling! It’s Linnea, can’t you see? Lay off!”

Underneath the two of them, the kids screamed and ran, ducking, their hands over their heads. Oz gestured them toward him, glancing left and right. “This way, over here! Go back to the pill classroom, the pill classroom!”

The kids ran, fleeing into the rear of the library. Oz watched, counting them, then turned away, satisfied. Okay. All six. They should be safe now.

Aisling landed beside Oz and skidded backward. Her heels left singe streaks on the marble, the thin leather soles of her slippers faintly smoking. “Get out of here!”

Oz grabbed onto Aisling’s arm. “Aisling. Look! Use your eyes, dammit! It’s Linnea!”

“Demons can change their faces to appear like friends,” Aisling replied flatly.

“Yeah, but—that’s not what happened here, okay? That’s Linnea! And how common is that, anyways? Shapeshifting demons? It’s pretty much just changelings, right?”

Aisling frowned, but she lowered her hand, just a hair. Her brows furrowed. “Linnea… was a demon? All this time…?”

On the ceiling, Linnea paused. She lowered her blades a little, uncertain.

Oz nodded. “Yes! That’s what I’ve been saying. She’s been a demon since the start, and she hasn’t—”

“She’s deceiving you.” Unhesitatingly, Aisling leaped back into battle. Linnea whipped her blades back up, preparing to meet her.

“You two…” Oz glared. Is there anything I can do? A library control, maybe? I should ask Fenrir—

Again, a thump rang out from the front door.

“Dammit, does anyone ever come at a convenient time?” Oz grumbled, rushing to the door even as he pressed the button to pull up the console.

Fenrir, is there anything I can do to separate the girls? Expel one, maybe?

>Sure, that’ll work. How long do you want them expelled for?

Just Aisling, and expel her for

In the middle of typing the command, he pulled the door open. Automatically, the fake customer-service smile appeared on his face. “How can I help you?”

Professor Keane smiled back at him. “I’ve come to pick up the students.”

In the background, Aisling landed a heavy blow on Linnea, and the two of them crashed to the ground. Making no effort to hide the fight behind him, Oz smiled. “I’m a little busy right now, can you wait a moment?”

Professor Keane’s eyes traveled slowly to the back of the room, taking in the battle. He smiled. “Oh, I see. So the rumor about the demon in the library is true.”

That’s all? No concern for the kids? Yeah, as I thought. He isn’t a good person.

“Aren’t demons just fey with bad reputations?” Oz pointed out, crossing his arms.

“How odd that you would think so. I suppose there’s some broad-minded people who share your opinion,” Professor Keane said vaguely.

“Like yourself?” Oz asked.’

“Oh no, oh no. Demons are bloodthirsty monsters. I wouldn’t enter the library to save my life right now,” Professor Keane said, waving his arms.

Oz raised his brows. Oh, really? That’s actually kind of convenient, though? I can’t say I mind it. If demons are a deterrent against entering the library, maybe I should find some more friendly demons, or publicize Fenrir’s presence…

Hmm, no, something tells me talking about Fenrir is exclusively a bad idea. He’s the basis of the barrier. If people know how the barrier that keeps me safe is formed, I’ll be in incredible danger.

“You’re not worried about your students?” Oz asked, gesturing at the spider.

“I trust that if you’re so calm, you’ve kept them safe,” Professor Keane replied.

A reasonable answer, but not an emotional one.

“Oh! Your hand. What happened?” Professor Keane asked suddenly.

Oz looked at his hand, then held it up, showing him the stab wound and the black veins. “Just a small cut, but I got poisoned. Strangely, an assassin slipped in with your students. Dressed perfectly like them, too. I didn’t even notice until it was too late.”

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

“How horrid. Those Black Blades, they’re really willing to go to any length, even pressing children into assassinations,” Professor Keane said, shaking his head.

That cinches it. Guessing the assassin is a Black Blade isn’t completely incriminating; they’re the town’s famous assassin troupe, after all. Who wouldn’t guess Black Blade once they knew an assassin came for me? But knowing the Black Blades sent a child assassin… that’s a little too much detail.

“That poison… Would you mind?” Professor Keane gestured at Oz’s hand.

“No, of course.” Oz offered the Professor his hand. Go on. Let’s let this game of charades play out to the end.

Professor Keane pored over Oz’s hand, tilting it this way and that, then jolted. “Ah! I recognize it. Black Blood. I happen to have an antidote right here… it’s a common poison among assassins, so I always keep some on hand. Would you like a dose? Since you got injured protecting my students, it’s the least I could do.”

“Oh, thank you,” Oz said. Black Blood? But Linnea said it was Creeping Darkness. Is it an alternate name, or did he deliberately tell me the wrong poison?

Professor Keane rifled in his pack, then came up with a small vial with a single dull red pill inside it. He handed it over to Oz. “Take it soon, or the efficacy will drop.”

“Yes, of course,” Oz agreed. He slipped the vial into his pocket. Let’s examine it first. If he’s going to inflict me with a secondary poison of some sort, I’ll want to know what it is.

Shaking his head, Professor Keane sighed. “I feel guilty about you getting poisoned due to my students. This poison… it doesn’t have a cure, but it can be staved off. I’ll continue bringing the temporary antidote, as long as you don’t have the resources to purchase it yourself.”

“Greatly appreciated,” Oz said. Actually, that’s a good point. No way was Madame Saoirse broke. Did she ascend with all her money? Or is there a pile of gold I haven’t located yet?

I should ask Fenrir.

“Then… the children?” Professor Keane asked.

“Right, right.” Oz turned back to the console and finished typing his command. Silver flashed in the tattoo, and Aisling appeared outside, instantly delivering a devastating spin kick to the nearest shrubbery.

“Linnea, chill out!” he shouted over his shoulder.

Behind him, Linnea retreated backward into the ceiling of an aisle, vanishing into the darkness.

Aisling rushed for the door, panic burning in her gaze. “Oz! What are you doing?”

“Calming you down! Aisling, until you promise to not attack Linnea, I’m not letting you back inside,” Oz declared.

Aisling hesitated at the steps. “That’s a demon, Oz. It can’t be trusted. It might not even be Linnea.”

“Yeah, it might not. I’m pretty sure it is, though. Aisling, seriously. Calm down and talk to her,” Oz said firmly.

“It isn’t just changelings. She might have illusion magic. Mind-control spells. Influence enchantments. We can’t—”

“Aisling. You know how strong she is, right? Can she fake that?”

“Yes.”

“Oh.” Oz paused a moment. “Well, look. I’m pretty sure it’s Linnea, okay? If you really don’t feel safe, then stay outside and talk to her from outside the door. It’s the same Linnea as always. Professor Keane, stay right there. I’ll be right back with the kids.”

Ultimately, Professor Keane isn’t going to be the best guardian for the kids, but I don’t think he’s going to outright kill them, either. I’ll keep an eye on him and the kids, but for now, he’s only put them in danger once. I want to see how he plays out this poison thing. If I immediately kidnap the kids, I’ve totally played my hand, and there’s no more seeing where he’s going with poisoning me.

I can’t even guarantee the kids’ safety by keeping them in the library. I can’t guarantee I’ve removed all the traps and hidden mages from the stacks. If there’s another trap, one a little more deadly than Linnea’s bug-based harassment, I could be putting the kids in more danger by stealing them.

Plus, if I move to protect them, I’ve shown that I care for their livelihood even a tiny bit, and thus made them a target. Unlike Linnea, Aisling, or Roan, they don’t have a powerful backing to protect them. Better to pretend like they’re nothing to me, so no one will target them.

No… to move now would be to upset everything prematurely. Better to let it play out, so it all falls into my hand, rather than play the villain too early and give the entire town a reason to burn me down.

Professor Keane wants to acquire the library, I can almost guarantee that he’ll ask to return with the kids. I’ll be able to keep an eye on them. And, big bonus, I don’t actually have the resources to feed the kids, but he does. They’re better off with Professor Keane, all around. At least for now.

Aisling edged up beside Professor Keane and peered inside. “Linnea?”

Linnea appeared out from behind a nearer aisle, leaning her human half around the corner. “Aisling. Hello.”

“You were a demon?”

Linnea glanced at Professor Keane. “I’d rather have this conversation in private.”

Aisling ran a hand over her braid. “I don’t want to risk being in the same room as a demon.”

“Then it seems we’re at an impasse.”

Oz clapped. “Well! Good talk. I’ll go get the kids, and you two figure things out.” He turned, hurrying off into the library.

He reached the pill room in no time and found the kids hunkering inside. Grinning reassuringly, he gestured them out. “Come on. It’s safe now.”

“Is it? The older sisters aren’t fighting?” Sine asked meekly.

“No. They’re talking now. Come on out. Professor Keane is here. He’ll take you home.”

The kids looked among one another, hesitant.

Riona stood first. “Let’s go. We need to return to Sielver Academy.”

The other kids stood. Oz led them through the library, over a few stray lumps of spider thread, and back to the front door, where Linnea stepped away from the door to allow them to pass. They hurried by, edging away from Aisling on the far side.

Professor Keane nodded. “Then, I’ll see you again soon, Ossian.”

“Oz, please.” Oz hesitated a moment, then shook his head. I need to move carefully here. I can’t follow my heart. Everyone wants what I have, and one wrong move can mean the end of all that.

Honestly, saving Linnea might already be the end, but that’s one mistake I refuse to not make.

“Oh, and Professor Keane?” he called.

The man stopped. He turned back, his black robes fluttering on the wind.

“Next time? No assassins, thanks," Oz said, leaning casually against the doorframe. He gave Keane a beaming smile and a wink. Just a joke between friends.

Except it's not, and we aren't friends.

As long as I make it 'a joke,' he won't know I know, but he'll wonder. It'll keep him on edge. The last thing I want is for him to attempt something even more blatant next time, and force me to openly call him out, thereby revealing my hand. Better that he move 'subtly,' wondering if I know or not, so I can quietly counter his moves without having to act clearly.

The Professor pressed his lips together in something that might have been mistaken for a smile. He ducked his head. “Indeed. I hope we are both so fortunate as to not be targeted by the Black Blades.”

Turning, he marched off. The kids followed him, Maggie looking over her shoulder and giving Oz a final wave goodbye as she went.

Good riddance. With the Professor banished, Oz turned to Aisling and Linnea. He gave Aisling a look. “Do you promise not to attack if I let you back inside?”

Aisling hesitated, then nodded. “I promise.”

Oz lifted his arm. Silver characters lit up, and the console appeared again.

Fenrir, let Aisling back in.

>Your wish is my command. Although he couldn’t hear Fenrir’s tone, somehow, he still felt the sarcasm dripping out of every word.

He looked up, beaming. “Come on in. Let’s get you two sorted.”

--