“What if it isn’t?” I ask.

“Then you can come and rescue me.” He smiles, and my heart twinges so painfully, I almost die right then.

After he finishes eating, we go look for the middle worlder Eulalie told us about. I am extra careful, but I don’t see any of Baarish’s creatures around.

According to Eulalie’s sources, the middle worlder, Wa’ad, is usually found near well-stocked street libraries at around two in the afternoon. We check a couple before we come across a tall, brown, wooden bookcase with glass windows set beside a red bench. She’s standing in front of the open doors of the tall bookcase, her head buried in a book. What we see of her looks mostly human-shaped, but as we get closer to her, I notice the moving words under her light brown skin. The words, written in ink, come from many different scripts. I can only identify Hindi, Urdu, English, Arabic, and Korean. Unlike tattoos, which are sedentary on the surface of the skin, her words swim like fishes in a woman-shaped aquarium.

She looks up as Taraana and I approach. The blacks of her eyes are also made of words, and yes, they, too, are moving. Is it too much to ask for middle worlders to have eyes that, you know, don’t make me want to scream?

This middle worlder, Wa’ad, looks at me for a long while before she transfers her gaze to Taraana, who is not wearing magic spectacles for once. I watch as her eyes flood with so many words that the whites darken and she turns into a demon. Okay, not really, but I am ready to run.

“Are you the Keeper of the Between?” Wa’ad takes the initiative and moves a step closer. She seems stunned by Taraana. I slip my hand into Taraana’s and grip it tightly.

“Yes,” he says. “Could I ask you some questions?”

“Of course,” she replies with a smile. Yes, her teeth are pointy. Why do librarians need pointy teeth? I have to ask Qasim. “It would be my honor.”

The streets aren’t crowded in this area, but there’s enough foot traffic that I am confident Baarish’s servants won’t attack us here. Still, I remain vigilant. When you’ve invited the vampire into your home, you have to be ready to sacrifice your blood.

Wa’ad leads Taraana to an empty bench while I stand behind him like a bodyguard, much like Assi used to. All of a sudden, I have a lot of empathy for her. I hope she’s doing okay. I hope we get to see her again soon.

“Have you known any other Keepers of the Between?” Taraana is asking Wa’ad when I start listening to them again.