Chapter 1
The Black Ribbon
Aria’s first night shift. The library is all mahogany, dust, and that old-paper smell. Sera is behind the desk, cataloging. She never looks up.
"Don’t go past the iron gate," Sera says, voice flat. "And don’t touch anything with a black ribbon."
At 1:47 AM, Aria hears scratching. Behind the iron gate. A black cat sits on a pedestal, a leather book in front of it. Black ribbon around the book.
The cat stares at her.
Aria, stupid and curious, opens the book. Inside, a folded note: Dear Kitten,
You keep coming back. Stop.
She reads it aloud.
The lights go out. When they come back, the cat is gone. The note is blank. Sera is standing right behind her.
"You just signed your name," Sera says.
