"This is the book we came here for Mullein. That's what you said, right?"

Mullein arched one delicate ebony eyebrow. "Yes..."

"Then lets blow this pop stand!" Tsuba darted forward, scooping the oversized tome into his arms. Dirty-gray sneakers hit the floor with a squeak that echoed off the library walls, and he ran to the end of the aisle, turning around to present a fox-ish grin to Mullein.

She stared at him from her seat at the table, dumbfounded. "What are you doing?"

"Mullein." He put one hand up to his mouth as if he were whispering a secret instead of shooting commentary halfway across a room. "This is a library. You BORROW the books from here."

Mullein leaned back in her chair crossing her arms over her chest implacably. "Not from the reference section."