“You’re the team lead,” April said. “You should be the one to speak to them.”
“We don’t have team leads,” I said.
“We’re named Team Blood, aren’t we?” April asked.
Yes, but that’s because whatever team I’m on is called Team Blood for reasons I’ve never been told!
“I’m wearing a mask,” I said. “I’ll scare them.”
April shook her head. “Sarge told you to investigate it. We’re following your lead.”
Okay, there’s just one problem: I amnota people person.
Somehow, I didn’t think that excuse would fly with April, who was staring at me with a stubbornness I hadn’t seen her previously display.
I turned to look at Binx, whose scowly face was darker than usual—she hated getting rained on—as she flicked water off her task force uniform. (She’d given in and changed to the long-sleeved winter uniform despite being a shifter and running hot.)
I’m a bad choice, but even I’m more of a people person than Binx unless she’s in her cat form. So, I guess there’s only one choice…
“Okay,” I finally said. “But if they refuse to give me information due to fear, I want you to take over. We need to talk to them.”
April shrugged. “Sure.”
I turned to face the librarians again and started sweating like crazy.
Both of them looked like perfectly nice people. The older woman in the mumu smiled and waved to every patron who passed by the desk and while her companion looked small and pale in her layers of sweaters, she laughed kindly at a joke a teenager told her.
I can handle this. They’re librarians. They’re not tricky fae or dangerously charismatic like Ruin. I just have to ask if there was anyone present last night who is currently working. I can do this.
I took a deep breath, then strode up to the desk.
The older librarian stared at my mask, then took in my uniform and April and Binx flanking me. “Can we help you?” she asked.
I stared at her, my mind freezing up as my anxiety got the better of me.
Nope. I can’t do this.
I would have turned around, but my body refused to move.
The younger librarian—the one wearing all the sweaters—joined her coworker. “Oh—you’re supernaturals?”
“Yes,” I managed to croak out. “We’re with the Curia Cloisters. We were here yesterday—during the fire.” Encouraged that I’d managed to say two whole sentences, I took a deep breath.
It’s okay—this is for work. I can do a lot if it’s for work.
“I was wondering if we could speak to someone from the library staff about the f-fire?” I had to consciously push my shoulders down so I didn’t hunch up like a turtle.
“Oh, of course. I’ll get Gail—she’s the head of the circ staff. You just hold on one moment, sweetie.” The older librarian smiled at me and sashayed off, her mumu swinging with each step until she disappeared down a corridor that took her into a walled off office area.
The sweater clad junior librarian smiled at us. “Gail told us about the fire at a circ staff meeting this afternoon—it sounded terrifying.” She shivered. “My heart would have stopped seeing the flames so close to our building!”
Her inviting smile told me it was my turn to say something, and this was a good opportunity to start digging.
“I’m aware the fire was put out before it spread to the building, but I hope it didn’t cause any structural damage?” I gripped my belt with my hands—I figured that was better than wringing them like I wanted to.
“Nope.” The librarian shook her head. “The city already had a contractor come out and check on the wall—no damage. You can go look out—well, maybe wait until the day, I don’t know that you’ll be able to see anything now that it’s dark outside. But there’s a clear line—the fire stopped a foot or two short of the building.”
“How lucky,” I said.
