I waited until I could hear him playing Bach to head to the library. It was about time I cleansed the Librarian, although I could tell she was going to give me a hard time. She was an extremely interactive Manifestation, which was normally a sign that she wasn’t going to give up her position easily. But from what Magnus had told me, it seemed she could only interact through the books. So, at least I wouldn’t have to worry about this evil spirit murdering me with the fireplace poker.

I peeked in the room first to make sure it was vacant. Just entering the library with my basket I felt the atmosphere move, as if the Librarian could see what I was about to do. I ignored it and sat in the chair by the fire. The sooner I started, the sooner I’d be done, and this one would probably take about two hours and two amulets—one to lock it to erase the threat of interaction, one to cleanse it completely. The less time I wasted in here the more likely—

I heard a thump, and from the corner of my eye saw when the book fell to the floor.

Time to work.

I worked quickly but carefully. I didn’t want to have to start over. Ten minutes in, a book plopped onto the ground and skidded to a stop at my feet. I ignored it. A few minutes later another one landed on top of the first. I folded my legs beneath me and kept working. That kept happening for the next twenty minutes, until my amulet was pounding and I could identify the page of the top book without leaning over.

Something bright red, something that wasn’t on the other books, caught my eye. I paused, venturing a quick look at it.

I glanced at the top of the page, where the title sat beside the page number in the header. Jane Eyre. I’d never read that one, but from what I heard it was a romance. A significant one, apparently, because a paragraph was circled in red, wide and uneven as if by a finger.

When we are struck at without a reason, we should strike back again very hard; I am sure we should—so hard as to teach the person who struck us never to do it again.

The room was cold to begin with, but I suddenly felt frozen.

I heard a drop of water drip from somewhere onto the sphere of protection my amulet created. It sounded muted and distant, but somehow close all at once. I watched the drop of liquid slide down the outside of the invisible shield, leaving a red trail behind it.

I swallowed to keep my throat clear and strong. “You can’t threaten me. We both know you don’t belong here.”