With the harpy so close, you figure that taking her down now is the safest bet.

You crouch down and begin sneaking further down the aisle, towards the distracted harpy. Even with her back turned, it's difficult to resist the urge to duck behind a pile of books, almost anticipating that she'll turn at any moment. All too soon you reach the edge of the aisle - there's no going back now. You step out into the open and quietly pick up your pace, aiming to stay exposed for as short a time as possible. In just a few more steps you'll be within reach of her...

At this point you're right up against the desk, close enough to grab onto her wing. You hold your breath, making absolutely sure you aren't heard. Strokmier begins warming up with arcane power, and it gets slightly tighter as your focus activates it. But as you reach across the desk to make contact, the vials of ink on the desk begin rattling erratically. The realization hits you - the magic ink is reacting to proximity with your gauntlet's arcane power!

The harpy perks up as the glass rattles - just as you lunge for her in a **** attempt to salvage the situation. With a single flap of her wings, she rockets upwards in a burst of feathers! You swing at empty, down-filled air and nearly fall over the desk to the floor, just barely grabbing the wooden desktop to brace yourself. There goes the element of surprise - but at least you can try to go for a counter-attack.