I take a deep breath in, and raising my voice, I pull their attention to me.

“Everyone needs to stay calm. We, as the Librarians and Guards, will look into this problem.”

The elderly woman looks at me, a scornful look in her eyes.

“Leave everything to you? And how are you supposed to handle this?” She looks me up and down, her eyes dripping with disregard. Just as I open my mouth, I hear a slight shuffling from behind me, Jace’s growl getting louder.

“Wait a minute!” Aileen shouts, walking toward us. “The traitor couldn’t possibly be a staff member or someone who is a regular in the Library Sectors, right? Someone devoted to the Libraries and Records wouldn't do something like this.” She turns, looking around the room, people nodding and voicing their affirmation.

“It’s true. We get thoroughly vetted before being accepted as staff.” Callyn nods.

“We can shorten the list of suspects this way, right?” Aileen smiles. “And we can confirm with each other whether stories line up.”

She walks to the left side of the room. “We should form into groups of staff and which sector we belong to,” states Aileen.

The crowd begins to shuffle slightly and shift into small groups. Organizing and chattering with their comrades as they reach each other. Three small groups are quickly formed of people, making up the majority, leaving only a handful of people behind. Sector Two, Three, and Four’s staff.

Aileen stands to one side with her Sector staff, along with the blue bob-cut woman and Adam. Callyn, the elderly pixie, an unconscious Mateo, and a few others make up another group not far from them. Also, what I believe to be Ilyric's Library staff stand on the opposite side of the room. He nods to them as they look at him.

A few people are left in the center of the room and begin to get frustrated by the attention.

“I’m a regular!” shouts a balding man. “I’ve been going to the Third Sector's Library since I was fifteen years old.”

Aileen nods her head, standing forward. “I can attest to that. Harry's been a patron even before I began working as a Library assistant.” She smiles at the disgruntled old man. The man slightly calms with her assurance.

The group in the center quickly dwindles to only a couple of people unaccounted for, regular patrons being checked off by each Sector group.

Two people stand isolated from the crowd, a small petite blonde girl, no older than fifteen, and a brisk biker-looking man.

A large, lightly tanned man with a tight blonde cut, probably Fae, steps forward from the Second Sector Library staff group, taking the arm of the petite girl.

“She’s my cousin,” he says while looking toward Ilyric.

“Derric.” Ilyric nods. “Yes, I remember you mentioning it before. Work experience for a fortnight.” He nods in the small teen’s direction. “Mallia, if I recall.” The young girl blushes at the call of her name from Ilyric's lips.