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Carefully, Iwith the angle of the floor, I ed to reach the first bookcase

I pulled on a book, and its cover broke iible Unreadable…

Damn

Not discouraged, I looked up and saw that the top row of the ancient tomes seemed slimmer and e

I grabbed one and opened it I could see everything, every word Every sketch and diagraled on parchh the darkest ink…

And there were hundreds of these books Maybe thousands Most would be illegible, but a good chunk of theed Recovered

Centuries’ worth of knowledge — once thought lost — regained and re-transcribed All because of me, and Damien, and Broderick…

“HOLY SHIT!”

It was a the Order had hoped it would—

“Holy shit indeed”

The voice was feminine, but way too sickly sweet The tone was sardonic and biting It belonged to someone with… malice

“Too bad you won’t get to read any of it”

On the other side of the chamber, a woman stepped into view She had red hair and white skin, herline drawn from cheek to cheek Even half-shrouded in shadow, I kneho it was

“Hello Karessa”

I was bidingher up If what Broderick and Da else