To: The Little Lady of Mystery

/What do you want to know about books, dove?/

I was exploring the back room of the library with a friend and there was a room filled with books. Most of them were in archaic languages. I would love to know what they are...

/Any chance they were just foreign language books for some old class? I couldn't tell you the language or the intent of them without getting a chance to peek at them./

I think I can manage that. I have a key to the school that opens every single door. And hopefully you can handle whatever's down there. There were whispers.

/Aren't you the little rebel. Adorable, really. And whispers? As in full word whispers or just mutters? Also, your friend. Did she hear them too?/

Yes, he did. And we didn't stick around long enough to find out.

/He? Very nice. Sneaking around in back rooms with boys. And if you meet me with the key, I'll be more than happy to go in and poke around. I ain't afraid of no ghosts./

See you there Mr. Ghost Buster. Give me about 30-40 minutes. I need to make sure Grandma and Nate are asleep.

/Sneaky sneaky. See you there./

Haley put the key in her pocket and slipped out of her bedroom window. She prayed it wouldn't take long. She had a big test in the morning and she wanted to do well.

He stood in front of the library doors and wondered if he could pick the lock. It was a public place so he didn't have to be invited in. Someone walked past and gave him the stink eye. He waved at them and flashed a bit of fang for fun as he wondered if Haley had been able to get out.

"Now, what's a guy like you doing in a place like this?" Haley asked innocently with a wink as she twirled the key around her finger.

He gave the little girl a wink as he rocked back on his heels. "Like most men, I'm just waiting for a pretty little woman," he said with a grin. "Glad to see you could make it out."

Haley glared at him playfully, "You know what they say about flattery."

He spread his arms wide with a devilish smile. "It'll get you everywhere. Now, what can you tell me about these books of yours before we head in?"

"The only thing I can tell you is that they've been here since the school opened in 1842. They were donated anonymously and most of them are in archaic languages." Haley said as she hugged her jacket closer to her and walked towards the entrance of the school. Her heart was racing a mile a minute.

"Well it's good for you that I know a bunch of those," he laughed. He followed quietly behind her for a moment before putting a hand on her shoulder, leaning down to speak into her ear, low and slow. "Calm down, Haley. There's no need for your heart to be going that fast." He wouldn't Thrall her. He didn't do that to anyone he wasn't feeding from. He just wanted her to calm down a bit.

Haley nodded, "I know." She unlocked the main door of the school. "You know, I never could figure out why they gave a skeleton key to the SGA President."

"Because the position is supposed to be held by a trustworthy person," he suggested with a grin.

Haley rolled her eyes and stepped into the building. "Yeah, but I mean it's weird to give it to a student. It could fall into the wrong hands..." She shook her head and trailed off. "Nevermind. Come on. Let's get into the library."

He nodded and followed in after her. "So these books. They're on display in the library?"

"Nope. In a secret room in the library. It's pretty much off limits. There are all sorts of rumors about the room."

"Of course there are," he laughed. "What are they?" Idly, he went through in his head what books would be bad enough to be locked off. The Book of the Dead; but that wouldn't be in a high school in New York. Neither would the any of the various Grimoire tomes he could think of. The books of Crowley's library, maybe. Maybe the rumors could help.

"Just typical stuff that you hear." Haley shrugged, "Some people say that someone was killed there. Others say that's where they stash the bodies of the sacrificed virgins."

"Sacrificed virgins," he gasped, pretending to be horrified. "Now why would anyone want to waste a perfectly good virgin?" A ghost would explain whispering; the books wouldn't matter. "I'm assuming you've researched the place. Possible stashed bodies aside, were there any deaths?"