She emphasized the last word with a hint of impatience that sent the rest of them away to the various floors of the library. Samheed went to the Artiméan history section, and Aaron stayed on the third floor and scoured the construction and blueprints materials. Clementi and Fox descended to the section called “Mr. Today’s Duplicate Library: Wisdom for All,” which was almost the entire second floor full of the same books that were in the Museum of Large. He’d rewritten or magically reproduced the books he’d cherished so that people who couldn’t access the not-so-secret hallway would still have full access to all the books in Artimé. His efforts were much appreciated at this time, perhaps more so than ever before.

Once the others had dispersed, Ms. Octavia pulled her glasses off her nose and rested her snout in two of her octopus arms, shaking her head slightly as overwhelming feelings of inadequacy swarmed her. She hadn’t been prepared to do this. It seemed impossible. And if she didn’t succeed, the humans could die.

New Life

I’d always wonderrred what it would be like to be invisible,” Simber said wistfully, flying swiftly toward Artimé while Thisbe, Fifer, and Sky painted themselves invisible on his back. “I feel so frrree. Forrr so much of my life I’ve been pointed at orrr fearrred. People run away frrrom me scrrreaming. No one everrr says, ‘Oh, I didn’t see you therrre, Simberrr.’ I’m impossible to miss. But now… I’m invisible. It’s like I’m living a new and differrrent life. I’m starrrting overrr.”

Sky leaned forward and hugged the enormous cat around the neck. “Being invisible has definitely changed your demeanor,” she said. “You’re practically—dare I say it? Practically chipper!”

“Yes, it’s wonderful to see you—or not see you—so happy, Sim,” said Fifer. She put the finishing touches on her invisibility as the mansion came into view. Then she steeled herself for the task ahead and prepared to go inside Alex’s apartment.

“You just don’t know what it’s like,” Simber went on, “neverrr being able to hide. Being too big to go places, like on the rrrescue mission in the catacombs. Surrre it’s grrreat to be able to scarrre enemies, but I’m tirrred of frrrightening allies. Like new Unwanteds, or the black-eyed childrrren. Did you see them? They werrre cowerrring—cowerrring behind a drrragon, I might add. Am I morrre frrrightening than Gorrrgrrrun or Quince? I’m offended. That does bad things to my self-esteem, being morrre fearrred than a firrre-brrreathing drrragon.”

Thisbe laughed, then lowered her voice to a whisper. “They just need to get to know you. They’ll warm up in time. But I’m sorry you’ve felt this way. And I’m glad you have this chance to feel like you can sneak around for once. It’s fun, isn’t it?”

“Indeed,” said the beast, lowering his voice now too. “I haven’t had this much fun in quite some time.”

Everyone became silent as they approached the second floor of the mansion. They were on the opposite side of the building from where most people usually gathered. It was known as the quiet side, and there was no one about. But they needed to be very stealthy, for the windows were all blown out in the entire mansion, and they could see dissenters stationed on the floor below, keeping watch. As Simber alighted on the balcony of the head mage’s quarters and his riders carefully slid off, they could hear two dissenters below them talking with a definitive air of disgust in their voices.