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He set the bar down on the wood and flicked open the top of one box, the glow growing brighter as he did so. His eyes widened, and he spun to face Paige.

“Paige! This is a supply of magic mercury!”

“What?” Paige exclaimed, hurrying toward him. “This is the stuff to use with the mirror?”

“Yeah. We need to confiscate it. Hurry, put it in my carrier.”

Paige swung the carrier onto the tabletop and unzipped it. They loaded the boxed vials of mercury into it and zipped its bulging form shut. Paige swung the strap over her head as Dewey settled back on her shoulder.

“Okay, now time to get out of here.”

“Do you think the hall visitors are gone?”

“Let’s hope so,” Dewey said as they approached the fireplace again. They stood in silence for a moment, listening. “I don’t hear anything in the outer room.”

“Me either,” Paige said. “Here goes.”

She swung the poker in the opposite direction, and the platform spun and then stopped when they reached the other room.

“Clear,” Dewey announced. “Let’s hope the hall is, too.”

Paige crept to the door and pressed her ear against it. After a moment, she eased the lock back and inched the door open a crack. The hall appeared to be empty.

She swung the door open farther, peering into the hallway. Empty.

“Let’s go!” Dewey said.

Paige slipped out the door and continued down the hall toward the junction. She reached it and glanced up and down the new hall.

“There’s the foyer,” she whispered, pointing to her left.

“Go!” Dewey encouraged her with a pat on her head again.

She ignored the annoying gesture and ran toward the open entryway.

“Almost there,” Dewey breathed when a door opened.

A man stepped into their pathway.

Paige skidded to a stop, staring wide-eyed at him.

He cocked his head, narrowing his eyes.

“Give me the bar,” she whispered to Dewey.

“Yeah, about that. I left it in the secret room.”

“What?” Paige exclaimed, her heart skipping a beat and her legs going weak.

She heaved a breath as the man closed the gap between them. Paige backed up toward the former hallway. She glanced down it, noting two men talking at the end.

Her eyes widened. They were trapped. There would be no escape.

In front of her, the man approaching morphed from a human to a bipedal wolf.

He snarled as he closed the last few feet between them, charging toward her with glistening fangs and razor-sharp claws raised.

CHAPTER 26