That same afternoon, Melissa and Maria finally cornered Amina.  They had books Mindy picked out and Amina was just going to have to sit and look at the pictures in the hope of identifying whatever was blocking her, and maybe blocking Zoe.  Melissa flipped the pictures.  Amina tried not to look too close.  Maria talked.

“It’s no good running away.  We are running out of semester.  We have to get to the bottom of this.”

“Here,” Melissa said.

“No please,” Amina turned her head.

“But this is a good picture,” Maria said.  “Apollo and Artemis.  Greeks.  Hey.”  She took the book for a moment.  “I didn’t know they were brother and sister.”  She moved the book back in front of Melissa when someone screamed.  Heads went up.  More screams followed.

The orc in the main room had a sword and he looked like he wanted to take out as many students as possible.

Maria and Amina rushed out from behind the library table while Melissa stood and pulled the wand given to her on Avalon.  Blue magic snaked out and encircled the orc.  She was attempting to immobilize the creature, but even as the orc’s movements began to slow, it shrugged like throwing off a fly.  Melissa was lifted off her feet and flung back to slam into the nearest bookrack.

That brief slow down allowed Maria to kick the sword from the orc’s hand.  It clattered to the floor and slid under the table even as the orc returned Maria’s kick with the back of his oversized hand and sent her spiraling into the lounge chairs.  Amina went straight for the sword, but the orc went straight for her, and would have gotten her if she wasn’t prepared.  As the orc reached for Amina, Amina spun around and sprayed his eyes with perfume.  The orc howled and stood and scratched at his eyes.

Maria bumped a young woman who was sitting in the lounge area, unmoving, with her eyes and mouth wide open.  Maria said, “Run.”  That was all that was needed.  The woman stood, knocked over her chair, threw her hands up to her hair, screamed and waddled off in her heels because actually running seemed too difficult.  She got totally in Maria’s way and Maria added a second thought.  “Never.”

As Amina grabbed the sword, the orc pulled out a knife.  He looked angry for revenge until a young man hit the orc on the back of the head with an encyclopedia.  Melissa ran up, holding her banged up shoulder as the orc staggered and then turned on the young man.

“Robert!”  Melissa yelled, but she did not have to tell Robert to back up.  When the orc turned fully, he lifted his arms and roared.  Three arrows went straight into the orc’s chest.  His eyes gazed over and he collapsed.

“Linnea,” Maria recognized the elf healer and her elf friends.

“Lord Roland and Lady Boston said we needed to watch you, not just the Queen.”

“Good thing,” Amina said.

“Yes,” Linnea agreed when she got down with Maria to examine the orc and be sure it was dead.  “Boston said the law of luck would bypass the ordinary students and bring the trouble straight to your door,”

They all looked up at the sound by the door.  It was Courtney Chase, and she was loud.

“Shit!  Joe!”  She ran back out the door shouting, “Joe!”

‘Quick,” Maria said.  “You have to get this body back to Avalon.”

“Down here,” Amina said and pointed with the sword that was still in her hand.  “The hallway is less conspicuous.”  Two elf women grabbed the orc’s hand and dragged the body after Amina.  Linnea followed.  Maria looked at Melissa, but she was kissing Robert so that was no help.  She picked up the fallen lounge chair and sat in it as there was a flash of light down the hall and Courtney Chase came back in, Cameraman Joe in tow.

Everything was quiet in the main room.

Courtney glanced down the empty hall suggesting she saw the light.  She turned to Melissa and Robert.  “Where the hell did they go?”  Melissa and Robert were busy, so she harrumphed and stepped over to confront Maria.  “Where the hell did they go?” she shouted.

Maria wrinkled her brow and scolded the reporter.  “Please.  Library,” she whispered.

Courtney made an angry and very unflattering face and returned the whisper with an edge in her voice.  “Where the hell did they go?”

Maria answered in her normal tone and voice.  “Where did who go?”