“Excuse me,” Samantha said to an older librarian with horn-rimmed glasses. “I was hoping you could help me.”
The librarian smiled at her. “I’m always happy to help an eager young mind hungry to learn.”
“I’m looking to get a library card for this branch. How do I go about that?”
“Certainly. Well, first I would need to know the college or university you belong to, and then it’s a simple reference check to make sure that you can check materials out of the library.”
“We’re not in college,” I replied. “We’re juniors in high school.”
“I see. Well, that’s okay,” the woman said. “I can give you a day pass in order to explore the library, but you cannot check anything out without a proper card.”
I leaned in. “What if we’re not looking for that kind of library card?”
She batted her eyes at me. “I’m afraid I don’t understand what you mean. We only issue one type of library card here.”
“Are you sure about that?” Katie asked.
“Yes.” The librarian bit her lip. “Shoot.”
A slow smile spread across Samantha’s face. “You can see her, then?”
The librarian sighed. “Yes, I can, and before you follow it up, yes, I also know that only witches and those attuned to the magical arts can see ghosts.”
I leaned forward. “Then you know what kind of library card we’re after, then.”
She nodded. “I do, and I’ll just need to see your seal from the Council to grant you one.”
“Seal?” Samantha asked.
The librarian tittered. “Of course, we can’t just grant access to any witch or warlock who comes in trying to learn spells. That would be chaos. We have the most advanced spells in the world—in many worlds, truth be told—locked behind our walls. Allowing just anybody to access them would be a catastrophe. We learned our lesson after the sinking of the Titanic. We can’t let any old witch access information.”
“Could we get a day pass then?” Katie asked. “We really only need one hour or so.”
“I suppose I could grant you one for a few hours, as long as you leave everything as you found it.”
“Of course,” I said, nodding my head. “We’ll leave everything in perfect order.”
“Very well,” the librarian said, waving her index finger in three concentric, clockwise circles. “You may enter.” The ground shook and a wooden staircase descended from the ceiling. “Don’t worry. Nobody else can see this stairwell. Only those with magical aptitude can see anything.” The stairwell descended to the ground and latched into place. “Up you go. Welcome to the Central Branch of the Witch’s Library.”
Samantha and I climbed up the staircase while Katie floated next to us. When we reached the top of the stairs, I opened the hatch and pulled myself into the library. It was a great bit of illusion magic. The witch’s library seemed to extend forever, rising a hundred feet into the air. Books lined every inch of the walls, which towered further than I could see, and witches zipped across the air carrying hardbound volumes in their arms.
In front of us was another information desk like the one in the research library below, except this one was exquisitely carved wood, inlaid with silver monsters from minotaurs and hydras to dryads and pixies. The same librarian from the main library smiled at us from behind the counter.
“How may I help you?” she said.
“Didn’t we just see you downstairs?”
The librarian laughed. “Another bit of illusion magic. I project a mirror version of myself to guard the entrance of the library from any who wish to do it harm.”
“But that version of yourself downstairs used magic,” Samantha said. “I didn’t know an illusion could use magic.”
“Yeah,” Katie said. “Samantha’s golem couldn’t even see me. How could a mirror see me?”
“Because I see through my illusions’ eyes and control it like a puppet. Usually, it stays silent since the research library is not well trafficked, but my mirror-self allows me to be in two places at once and use magic in both.”
“Sounds complicated,” Katie said, floating toward the front desk.
“Nothing simple is worth doing, familiar. Without some complications, well, life would get quite dull, wouldn’t it?”
“Why does everybody call me a familiar?” she asked.
“Well, you are bound to this witch, are you not? Generally, ghosts are not allowed autonomy by their captors, and certainly do not ask questions.”
“I believe in freedom,” I said, joining Katie at the desk.
“That will change with age, I’m sure. You young witches do not understand the pitfalls of free will. You will, though, with time. Now, how may I help you?”
“We’re looking for a book,” Samantha said.
“Well, you are in the right place. We have the most books on witches and witchcraft anywhere in the world. If there is a book, then we certainly have a copy, if not the original.”
“Great,” I replied. “We’re looking for one spell in particular.”
The librarian turned to her computer and started to type. “And what kind of spell is this. Illusion? Defense? Offense? Healing?”
“Healing, I guess,” Katie said.
“Would you mind very much telling your familiar to behave and stop addressing her betters?”
I looked over at her. “Cool it.”
“Seriously?” Katie said.
I nodded. “Please.”
“Very odd, for a familiar. You really say ‘please’ to it?”
I nodded. “Of course. Manners are everything, are they not?”
“Hrm,” the librarian sniffed. “I suppose I can’t argue there. Now, what kind of healing spell are you after?”
“One that can mend a hole between our world and the Dark Place.”
“That is very advanced magic, children, and dark as the name suggests. You aren’t practicing the dark arts, are you?”
Samantha shook her head. “Of course not. It was an assignment, from our teacher, Mrs…Mrs. Mogon.”
“Well, your teacher has very bad luck then. I’m afraid we only have one book with the complete spell in it, and it’s been checked out for quite some time.”
“Only one book? But it must be a more popular spell than that,” Samantha said.
“Well, I can’t speak to its popularity, only to
