The Book of Doors
by Gareth Brown
Contents
Death in the Ballroom
Overview
Cassie reunites with Izzy at the auction, but their brief relief is shattered when a mist-born woman arrives and proves unstoppable. The woman uses the Book of Light to kill Mr. Okoro and takes his Book of Matter, escalating the threat against everyone in the ballroom.
As a gunman fires wildly, Lund is wounded and Izzy is killed by a stray bullet, destroying Cassie’s hard-won hope of getting her friend back. Broken by grief and guilt, Cassie flees the ballroom while the new enemy consolidates power.
Summary
As Lottie resumes the Macintosh Hotel auction, Cassie clings to Izzy in a flood of relief and grief, realizing how much she has changed after years of separation. Izzy explains that Lund helped her survive an encounter with Hugo. The reunion is cut short when Drummond Fox rushes in, terrified, demanding Cassie hand over the Book of Doors so he can hide it.
A gray mist thickens and the mysterious woman Cassie recognizes from Drummond’s memories emerges. Mr. Okoro confronts her, brandishing the Book of Matter and threatening to kill her, but the woman answers by flooding the ballroom with mist that turns to crashing water. As people retreat, Lottie opens the mirror passageway, but Izzy pulls Cassie toward the Bookseller’s secret escape route instead.
Okoro escalates, and the woman unleashes a blinding burst—Drummond identifies it as the Book of Light. When the glare fades, Okoro has been reduced to a bloody heap. The woman calmly reaches into what remains of him and pulls out the Book of Matter, satisfied to have claimed it.
Gunfire erupts when a Spanish man grabs Hugo Barbary’s dropped gun and demands all the books. The woman advances on him as his shots pass through her, shattering mirrors. While Cassie urges Drummond to flee and signals Izzy and Lund toward the door, the Spanish man’s wild shots strike Lund in the shoulder.
A second stray bullet hits Izzy in the head, killing her instantly. Cassie collapses, screaming in shock and devastation, overwhelmed by guilt and loss. With the woman’s deadly light surging again and the gunman futilely clicking an empty trigger, Cassie finally breaks and runs out through the doorway, desperate to disappear.
Who Appears
- CassieReunites with Izzy, refuses to surrender the Book of Doors, witnesses Izzy’s death, and flees in grief.
- IzzyCassie’s friend; briefly reunited, then killed by a stray bullet during the ballroom gunfight.
- Drummond FoxPanicked ally; urges Cassie to hand over the Book of Doors, identifies the Book of Light.
- Mysterious woman in the mistArrives via gray mist; uses the Book of Light, kills Okoro, and takes the Book of Matter.
- Mr. OkoroBookseller client with the Book of Matter; challenges the woman and is brutally killed.
- LundTall man protecting Izzy; helps her retreat, then is shot in the shoulder by stray gunfire.
- LottieRuns the auction; opens the mirror passageway as an escape route during the attack.
- The BooksellerWarns Okoro and provides a secret exit; his mirror passage slams shut during the chaos.
- Spanish gunmanGrabs Hugo Barbary’s dropped gun, demands the books, and fires wildly, causing casualties.