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I ducked my head, smiling, and went inside.

I needed to save the world.

17

There was shouting when I walked into the library, coming from the back.

I gasped and took off running, darting past the librarian and the four students at the computers. A few more were at the tables, but I veered around them.

One lifted up his head. “Hey! Coco! Hey.”

I glanced over my shoulder, saw it was Ethan, and shook my head. “I don’t have time.”

“Oh.” His eyebrows furrowed together and his hand went back to the table. “Okay, but uh⁠—”

I disappeared into the book shelves, weaving through until I found the source of the shouting and a different form of horror washed over me.

There’d been shouting.

No one was reacting in the front.

It was probably quiet as a normal library would be because…the shouting was from the ghosts.

My heart began to race.

Had someone followed me?

Glancing over my shoulder, I waited a second. No one followed. I was safe for now. I thought. I hoped.

“You can’t do that!” Shelton was shrieking, his hands in the air and waving. He was jumping around.

Sabine was annoyed, standing beside a girl who was putting a book back on the shelves. Sabine crossed her arms over her chest, glaring daggers at Shelton. “Why not?”

“Because.” Shelton’s hands were in fists again and he raised both in the air. “It’s wrong.”

Noah was leaning against one of the shelves. He’d adopted a whole ‘cool’ stance, one of his feet crossed over his other at the ankle. He motioned to Sabine. “I’m with her.”

Shelton pivoted to him and screamed.

Noah smirked, cockily. “Just kidding. I’m with you.”

Sabine rolled her eyes.

Beatrice was also there. She was ignoring their conversation, scowling fiercely at the girl who was putting the books away. She’d put one on the shelf and Beatrice would try and pick it up. She was only rattling the book, but after the third one, the girl noticed. Her eyes got so big and she froze in place.

Oh. This girl was a human. She was alive.

Gulping, she slowly put another book on the shelf and waited, edging away when Beatrice made a loud harrumphing sound and swiped at the book all over again. This time, she was able to push it a whole inch to the side. The girl dropped the rest of the books in her arms and screamed before hurrying past me.

That's when Sabine noticed me.

She visibly paled. “Colette.”

I narrowed my eyes. I couldn’t remember if we had the name conversation. “I prefer Cole.”

She swallowed before her head rose. Her shoulders went back. Her chin raised. She stepped toward me. “Cole. Thank goodness you're here. Beatrice is completely out of control. You saw what she did. She terrified that poor girl.”

Shelton made a choking sound, his mouth hanging open. “Beatrice is out of contro⁠—”