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She huffed for a second. “I’ll exit first. You go immediately after. Concentrate on only the money, and leave their clothes. Focus on what you were wearing and I’ll focus on mine. I want my cardigan back.”

I flinched as she scooped up a single stack and left me with three hand-selected ones before disappearing in a blink.

Despite the guards watching us and all the people milling about outside, nobody even blinked or noticed. Not even when I balanced the bills, panicking before I drew my mind back to the real world, focused on words, like they were tiny ants crawling over the surface of everything crafting the world around me, and I stumbled, arriving back at the circulation desk before I lost my balance and dropped the stacks.

“Nice!” She packed up two of the four stacks—hers and one of mine and flicked through them before shoving the bundle of banded stacks into her pockets that seemed far too small to fit them. “The rest is yours.”

I stared at the stacks on the floor where the two lay; the edges dented from the fall. I had no idea what to do with that much cash…

“Unbundle them, spritz with a little water and run them through the dryer with a pair of old dirty shoes before spending them. They soften up and look used.” She gave me a wink as I stared at the crisp new bills from the early two-thousands.

As if she knew the library by heart, she opened a few drawers, pulling out those stupid forms as she documented our dive. “Sit next to me.”

I obeyed and sat quietly, watching as she filled things out. “Okay, so you were able to draw three stacks out, no problem. You can draw anatomy of yourself out, so watch for that. Focus on your current body and state. I didn’t see you change yourself this time, but Zeke said you have before.”

I frowned. “In the book… But I’m the same.”

She nodded her head from side to side as she stared at the ceiling and clicked her tongue. “We’ll have to play with that skill a bit. I have to try hard, but if I need to drop a few pounds, I know a requisitor who can take me into this diet book—” She waved her hand as if the rest of it I could fill in.

“So, like, I’m so new to this. Zeke is trying his best, but he said something about diseases… And would I ever have to dive into a horror novel? I really don’t like—” I halted as she snorted.

“You can control it. Things you bring back are small and random if you don’t know what you’re doing. Now that you know, we can study up on microbiology a bit and some virology… I have some equipment in my car just in case.” She hand waved me off. “We’re pretty isolated here, though. We’d just have to jump into another book to reset ourselves and sanitize the library based off the first book’s rules.”

That gave me some hope.

As we moved through the paperwork, she kept talking, lecturing me about how I was supposed to think, to focus, to use my key. Apparently, I could do an observational dive, and not assimilate into the book if I’m careful. I wanted that skill.

“About the horror novels?” I brought that up as she frowned. I didn’t think I was going to like the response.

“We all have our duties to the association. Likely they’ll just use you to bring artifacts, money, and things out. As for the horror novels… I hope they never ask you that.” She twisted her lips and rested a hand on my arm. “And avoid diving in romance novels with someone you aren’t totally okay with boning.”

My face seared with heat.

“Already?” She snorted. “Dish. Who?”

“I—” I cleared my throat as Zeke wound his way from around a stack and grinned like he’d won the lottery; that smile made my stomach flip and flutter.

She glanced between us.

“I want spicy details. Which book?” She rubbed her hands together. “Momma likes herself some boy love.”

My face burned even more as I shrank with a squeak.

“The Bakers, the Faker and the Bun series… Uh… The Yeast I Could do for You, by Warwitha Calvin.” Zeke apparently had no issue with kissing and telling.

“Oh. My. Gosh…” Jess tapped her feet on the floor. “That’s on my TBR. Don’t spoil things. I’m going to read it and get back to you.”

I coughed anxiously.

“Oh, don’t be such a prude. There’s an entire aisle over there behind glass because if the books get out, they start humping everything in sight.” She huffed. “Archivists do it in the stacks! Hell, I have a list of dudes I’ve taken in a novel or two.”

I glanced over, intrigued as my gaze slid toward Zeke, who was staring at me like I hung the moon.

She glanced at Zeke. “Oh, no. Ew.”

“Ew?” Zeke huffed in offense.

“Ew! You heard me. You’re like…a bajillion years old!” She waved her hand dismissively.