The two Theas stepped back—and vanished. Only Katie Rhodes remained. She rolled her shoulders and then her neck, as if working out the kinks. “Come, Shatterblack. Come, Rag-a-bone. Your mistress is back. It’s time to stop hiding.” She lifted her hands, a smile stretching across her beautiful face, and the marble floor split open like overripe fruit, the road rushing through it.

Shatterblack leaped, an arc of black. Rag-a-bone darted, pale fur blending with the white marble floor. Pip had Gloaming out in less than a second, and caught Shatterblack with the flat of it, taking the hound’s weight and then tossing her away. The Editor ducked behind her desk, holding a thick tome over her head for protection.

The hedgewitch tossed a loop of what looked like simple twine at Rag-a-bone. Brambles grew from the floor, tangling the hound. Otto reached a hand into the hedgewitch’s bag and pulled out a slim book. He opened it like he knew exactly what he was looking for, held out a hand, and shouted a single syllable. There was a pop and a flash of light right in front of Shatterblack’s nose, making her shriek and veer away just as she jumped for Pip again.

Katie stood seething, her hair as white as the hounds’ blazing eyes.

“You made me think that I could be different. You made me think that you would protect me,” Katie hissed. Her words were like a whisper right in Eleanor’s ear.

“You don’t have to be her. You can be Thea,” Eleanor said pleadingly.

But Katie shook her head. “I would have broken if I stayed Thea. I had to become something else, to stay whole,” she said.

“What nonsense is this?!” the Librarian roared, striding out from the spiral. “This area is restricted! None of you should be here! And now there are dogs? In the Library?” He crossed the distance in a few steps. Rag-a-bone and Shatterblack snarled and jumped for him. Two hands darted out from under his robes and caught them by the scruff, holding them aloft and giving them a good shake. More hands shot out, catching Otto and Pip and Eleanor by the arms. The hedgewitch tried to dodge away, but he got her, too, holding them all in an uncomfortable cluster to one side, while the hounds growled and twisted on the other.

“Your borrowing privileges are hereby revoked!” the Librarian said sternly.

“I do apologize.” Katie stepped forward, her gray skirt trailing, a faint, polite smile on her lips. “I am afraid this is all my fault,” she said. “I came to take these miscreants home. I didn’t mean to disrupt your incredible library. If you hand them over to me, I will make sure they do not trouble you again.”

“Humph,” the Librarian said, considering.

“Don’t listen to her!” Otto said. The Librarian gave him a little shake.