"Matt, the guy I told you about? He's been controlling the kanima. He's the kanima master."

"Oh. Have - what's happened to him, is he contained...?"

"Not yet."

"How did it go with the book, do you think you'll be able to help?"

"I, um. Can summon it. And read it, actually. Except it's not in any language I should know how to read, so, I stopped reading after 'this is the introduction, this book is yours.' And, I don't know. Maybe?"

"Oh. You're worried because it's affecting your mind? Okay, I can't ask you to use something that could hurt you. Do you think...I don't know what the Argents plan to do next, do you think you could help mediate between us? I know that's asking a lot."

"I'm fine with attempting to mediate, if I'd be - uh, safe, but I'm not sure how I'd do as a candidate. Mrs. Argent likely doesn't remember me fondly. And - I - should check to see if you can see the book, or read it. If it's just affecting me, that's one thing, if it's affecting everyone else too, that's another."

"Well, we might not have much time for anything. Things are coming to a head fast. I'll look at the book now, and call the Argents afterwards."

"In case it does affect my mind, I should probably write that down."

He does.

"... If, it's that much of an emergency, my book can wait, what do you need me to do?"

"I don't want to put this off if it's important, I just...Matt knows we know, he's going to do something now. And the Argents are preparing for war. I can spend a night on this if I have tomorrow."

Augh she is going to spend longer arguing with him than it would take to just summon the book and see if he can see it and read the first page -

So she sighs, and closes her eyes, and waits for it to show up.

Then she reaches out and retrieves it.

As her hand stretches out, it darkens, as if being thrust into the most oppressive of shadows. Her hand closes over nothing, and then the shadow covering her hand swirls, moves up her hand and coalesces at the nothing she's holding. From there, it bubbles out into an impossibly black book shape. Then, little faint sparks ignite in the darkness, and brighten - burning brighter and brighter and brighter until a blinding golden-white light fills the room for an instant.

And then it fades. In Yvette's hand, there is nothing but a blue book, with shining tiny stars on the cover and gold gilding on the edges of its pages. But the blue swirls, and the stars almost twinkle.

She opens her eyes and sets it down on the table as if nothing impressive had happened at all.

She opens her eyes to a furry, fangy, golden-eyed face.

"What was that? You didn't tell me it would do that!"

"... Do what?" she asks, blinking. "Did. That look weird in some way?"

"There were...there were shadow tentacles and bright, golden light and it looked very, very magic and I was worried enough when you said it was in your head, you're telling me it can keep you from noticing that?"

"My eyes were closed? That was part of the summoning. But - it's strange I didn't see any light through my eyelids, that's. Well. Yes, apparently it can keep me from noticing that."

"I don't like the book, Yvette. Stiles might be wrong about you, but I don't think we can trust what brought you here."

"I don't trust it either. After I summoned it I freaked out and tried to get away from it, but it disappeared and went back to following me. It is highly disturbing, we are definitely in agreement on that front."

He sighs.

"I guess I'm not telling you anything you don't know. Sorry. I was hoping even if it was a little dangerous, maybe we could still use it. But it's too unpredictable for something so short notice."

"I'll call the hunters. This time, talk all you want."

"All right," she agrees. She looks at her book, and makes a face. Looking at it out of the corner of her eye sounds like the opposite of a good idea. She scoots it away from her on the table, then moves plates so that they are between her and it. So she doesn't have to look at it.

Bye creepy book! Nobody misses you!

Scott dials the Argents.

The phone rings. No one picks up.

He dials again.

"... If they don't pick up, what happens?"