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He lost himself to his work until Eric’s voice made him stand and return to the table to watch.

“Don’t you need gloves?”

Colum looked up at Eric.“No.Gloves make it harder to feel the paper.They used to think the oil from people’s hands was dangerous, but actually people did more damage to the pages while wearing gloves because you can’t feel the paper.Can’t be as delicate.”

Colum sat, popping the top off the small white bucket Annie had grabbed.

“Ugh,” Xavier muttered.“It smells.”

“It’s mostly vulcanized rubber,” Colum said, as he scooped out a bit of the stinky putty and began to knead it into a small, soft ball.“Sulfur is part of the vulcanization process, which is why it smells.”

“What are you doing?”Eric asked, hip propped on the table as he watched.

Colum adjusted his glasses and then bent over the paper.“With any luck, this is a surface stain, and the putty will pick it up.We start with this before introducing any liquid cleaner, as liquid is risky with old paper.”

Colum began to clean the paper, first simply tapping the stained area with the putty, then wiping in small motions.

Xavier frowned as the smell increased.

Colum brushed away the small eraser-like bits that had rubbed off the clean ball with his fingers.

“Is it working?”Annie asked.

“Give me a minute, we might have to switch to something stronger.”

Xavier continued to frown as he watched, an odd itchy feeling between his shoulder blades.

Colum paused, one hand on the paper, the other holding the cleaning ball.He stayed like that so long Annie took a step toward him.

“I… Uh…” Colum coughed.“This isn’t working.Better try rubbing alcohol.”

Annie undid the cap of the small bottle, passing Colum a long-handled cotton swab.He dipped it into the alcohol, then carefully swiped the very corner of the page.The new smell of alcohol was overshadowed briefly by an increase in the sulfur smell.Setting the cotton swab aside, Colum lifted the page to his face and turned it to the light.He gently brushed at the corner he’d just cleaned.

Once more, he seemed to freeze.

The paper fluttered to the table as Colum released it, his eyes half closed behind his glasses.

“Colum!”Xavier and Annie lunged as one when Colum tipped sideways, but it was Eric who caught him.

“Colum?Colum?”Eric’s low voice boomed as he carefully lowered him to the floor.

Regina lunged for the table, folding the plastic sheeting over the page with quick motions and then racing from the room with the entire bundle.

But Xavier only had eyes for Colum, who was completely limp on the floor.Annie had two fingers on his neck, while Eric held a finger under his nose.Both Annie and Eric had gone stone-faced.

“He has a pulse.Barely.”Annie’s voice cracked on the last word, her expression crumpling for a moment.

“He’s not breathing.”Eric was deadly calm.“Beginning rescue breathing.”

Eric bent his big body over his brother’s, pinching his nose, tipping his chin up, and then sealing his mouth over Colum’s.

Xavier’s own heart stopped as he shook his head.No.No.This wasn’t happening.They were getting married.They’d planned their entire future together.

“No,” he muttered, though no one heard him, all of them focused on saving Colum’s life.He needed to do the same.Focus.

“AED.They must have one.Ask… We need…” Annie’s stony expression broke completely.

Xavier hit his knees beside her, feeling useless as Eric breathed for Colum.Distantly, he was aware of an alarm blaring, the heavy clank of metal shutters snapping into place as the castle locked down.