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Dewey flitted over to the monitor, hovered next to it, and clapped his paw against it. “You may find it helpful to use one or two while locating another.”

“Oh, we’re allowed to use the artifacts?”

“The short answer is yes,” Ronnie answered. “Just be careful. They can sometimes have unanticipated side effects, and of course, we do not want to lose any of them. Make sure you log them out as used and check them back in when you’re done.”

“All of that can be done with this machine,” Dewey explained as he floated in the air.

Ronnie led Paige through more of the warehouse, showing her the archiving system and how to locate an item, especially with the magically expanding shelving system.

“Well,” Ronnie said, clasping her hands in front of her as they arrived at a circular staircase wrapping around a tower, “I’ll leave you to explore on your own and get to know Dewey a little better.”

Paige flicked a stray lock behind her ear and pressed her glasses closer to her face. “Oh, okay. Is there anything in particular I should begin with?”

“There’s nothing pressing, so if you’d like to do a little reading from the reference section, that would be a good start. Also, practice a little with the BookTron and Locartifact. Dewey can help get you oriented.”

Paige clutched her hands behind her back as she offered a nervous grin. “Sounds easy enough.”

“If you need anything, just call upstairs. There’s a phone by the BookTron. My extension is 8364. Oh, and we always order out on Fridays, so don’t bring a lunch.”

Dewey’s paws stretched, and he smacked them together in what could be described as a clap. “Which place is on the docket for this week?”

Ronnie puckered her lips and flicked her gaze to the air above them. “Feelin’ Saucy. Over on Wolfspell Avenue.”

Dewey’s eyes lit up, and a grin formed on his scaly face. His sharp white teeth gleamed under the lights. “Oh, yes!”

He shot upward, spinning in a circle before he floated back down to their level. “I love that place. Ohhh, I’ve got to check the menu and figure out what I want.”

Paige eyed the excited dragon gushing over the Italian eatery. Not only had she never met a dragon before, but their taste in food seemed surprising. She assumed they’d prefer eating raw meat. She imagined his tiny claws ripping something limb from limb and his sharp teeth tearing at flesh. Instead, he extolled the virtues of Feelin’ Saucy’s chicken parmesan versus their homemade gnocchi.

What an interesting new world she’d dived into with her new position. Ronnie and Dewey debated the best order before Ronnie offered another goodbye and stalked away. Her heels clicked off the metal stairs as she climbed to the exit door. It slammed shut moments later, its boom reverberating in the massive space.

Paige swung her arms forward and clasped them in front of her. She swallowed hard and let her gaze float around the space.

The hovering form of Dewey filled her field of vision after a few moments. “So, what do you want to do first?”

She cleared her throat, resisting the urge to back away from the flying creature. Suddenly, the space began to feel overwhelming. As large as it was, the shelves seemed to close in on her.

Her chest tightened, and she licked her lips while searching for something to take her attention from her panic.

A tower rose in the distance on her right, poking up from behind the shelves and dominating the landscape of the archive. Stairs circled around the exterior, leading up to a glowing space at the top.

Paige crinkled her nose as she studied it, wondering what strange magic may lay inside for it to be placed so prominently in the space. Visions of a powerful magic object to rule all other objects radiating with an orange glow danced in her mind.

She narrowed her eyes at the large structure and waved a finger toward it. “What’s up there?”

CHAPTER 9

Dewey’s gaze followed hers before he eyed her again. “Oh, that’s my nest.”

Paige screwed up her face. “Your nest?”

Dewey nodded, his ears wiggling as his head bobbed. “Where I live.”

“You live here?” Paige winced and tapped a finger toward the concrete floor.

“Where else would I live? I can’t exactly rent an apartment. Though my credit score is excellent.” He buzzed to a small cart and pushed it along.

Paige followed behind him as he wound through the shelving units. “You have a credit score?”