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“Bet he hates me,” Dewey said from inside the carrier as Paige descended the stairs that circled around his tower.
“Mmm, probably. I’m pretty sure he hates me, too. So, you’ll be in good company.”
“Ohh, shoot,” Dewey said as they reached the bottom of the stairs.
“What?”
“I should have brought my Energy Dragon. If we’re doing a marathon, I may need it.”
Paige continued toward the metal stairs leading to the library above them. “I’ll buy you another one at the SmartMart.”
“Really?”
“Yeah,” she said as her feet pounded up the metal steps. “It’s a movie marathon. You’ll need it along with popcorn, Raisinets, and Sour Patch Kids.”
“Twizzlers. Can we get Twizzlers?”
“Anything you want, Dewey,” she said with a chuckle, pushing through the metal door at the top and starting up the next set of stairs.
She flicked a lock of her long, red hair over her shoulder as she passed the portraits of the Shadow Harbor librarians who had come before her, her footsteps slowing when she reached the portrait of her mother.
“Is that your mom?” Dewey asked.
“Yep,” Paige said, grinding to a stop and lifting the carrier so he could get a better view.
His horned nose pressed against the mesh as he studied the portrait. “You look alike.”
Paige cocked her head as she stared at the portrait. “Yeah, I guess there is a resemblance.”
“I haven’t forgotten my promise to look into your family tree. You know, as soon as I save your life first.”
“And right after we watch Blade,” Paige said. “Now hush up before someone catches you talking. The library’s still open.”
Dewey fell silent as Paige pushed through the door into the library. At the late afternoon hour, a few people milled around in the large space, perusing the book collection or taking notes at one of the carrel desks.
Paige strolled past the floor-to-ceiling wooden shelves with a smile, proud to have landed the librarian position. She glanced up at the second-floor railing, spotting the two patrons browsing the mystery section before she ducked into a back hall marked EMPLOYEES ONLY.
She strolled down the less decorative space, passing the HR office. Ronnie stood inside, speaking with one of the Human Resources employees.
Paige offered her a wave as she passed by on her way to the back door. As she reached it, Ronnie popped her head from within the office. “Heading out?”
“Yep,” Paige said, pushing on the crash bar.
Ronnie lifted her chin. “Taking Dewey? Did you catch a lead on something?”
“No, we’re holing up for a movie night.”
Ronnie’s eyebrows shot up. “Oh, that’s nice. Well, enjoy. What movie?”
“Blade,” Paige said with a grin as Ronnie furrowed her dark eyebrows.
Paige pushed out into the cool autumn afternoon and ambled down the alley to the front of the library. Tall trees, their leaves a mix of orange, red, and yellow, waved in the breeze blowing off the ocean.
The sun hung low in the sky, already starting its slide toward the horizon and glittering off the harbor waters.
“Wow,” Dewey whispered, “look at that water.”
“Pretty, huh?” Paige asked as she shuffled through a pile of leaves that swirled in an eddy.
