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And then Lund ran at the woman, his sudden movement surprising everyone. Cassie flinched in shock, but the woman was too quick. She pivoted and fired and Lund was knocked backward as if punched, landing hard on the floor.

Immediately Cassie saw three things.

She saw Izzy shout Lund’s name and dash toward him.

She saw Azaki flicker and disappear again.

And she saw Drummond run toward the woman, just as Lund had, his face set in a grimace of determination.

The woman pointed and fired at Drummond, just as she had fired on Lund moments earlier.

Cassie hesitated, unsure of what to do, and when she decided to move, to run at the woman from the opposite side of Drummond, it was too late. The mist was already gathering around her.

Drummond didn’t stop, and no bullet seemed to hit him, and Cassie saw the woman’s eyes narrow in surprise, even as the mists thickened.

She tried to move, but it was like pushing against sheets, and then pillows, as the mist grew denser.

“Drummond!” she called.

Then the mist was gone, the air suddenly clear and clean, and in front of her Azaki was gripping the woman’s wrist, appearing from nowhere to steal the book from her grasp. And while she looked that way Drummond had reached her and grasped her gun with both hands.

“Hard to shoot someone carrying the Book of Luck,” he said to her. “Much to my delight.”

The woman screamed in fury, spittle flying from her mouth, as Azaki and Drummond wrestled her weapons from her hands, two men easily overpowering one slight woman.

“What are you without your books?” Drummond asked, as he and Azaki took a few steps away from her.

“What are you like without all of your powers?”

The woman didn’t answer.

From the back of the room, Izzy called, “Cassie, he’s hurt. He’s been shot!”

“I’m fine,” Lund grunted, his voice weak.

“You’re nothing special after all,” Drummond said, continuing to stare at the woman.

“You’re smaller than I thought,” Azaki observed. “Can’t believe I’ve been scared of you all these years.” He looked down at the Book of Mists in his hand.

“You killed my friends,” Drummond continued, his expression serious. “I’ve been running from you for a decade. My library...”

The woman tilted her head, interested.

“I’ve been away from my library for so long, just to protect it from you.”

Drummond lifted the gun and pointed it at the woman’s forehead.

“Why don’t I just shoot you now and make the world a better place.”

“No,” Cassie said softly.

She walked over and put a hand on Drummond’s arm, forcing him to lower the weapon, forcing him to look at her.

“She was the one who brought the gun,” Drummond protested.

“I know,” Cassie said. “But you’re not a killer. That’s not the way to do this.”

The three of them looked at the woman in silence, and the woman stared back defiantly. Cassie could hear Izzy speaking to Lund, reassuring him. They didn’t have long, she knew. She didn’t know how badly Lund was injured but they had to get him help.