Page 79

The lion grumbled and roared a second time. Paige spread her legs into a wide stance, holding the whip at the ready.

“Paige! Paige, where are you?”

Paige’s heart leapt at the sound, and she frantically called to him. “Dewey! I’m over here. Help!”

The whip cracked again of its own accord, shaking her entire arm. Paige pulled her lips back in a grimace as the crack elicited another roar from the lion.

A second roar sounded, this time coming from behind her. Paige glanced over her shoulder. A second lion stalked toward her from the other direction.

“Oh, no,” Paige groaned, turning to the side so she could flick her gaze between the two lions. “Dewey! Hurry it up, huh?”

“Where are you?” Dewey called.

“O-over here! By where the Soppy Sap is or whatever. And you were wrong. Fiddly isn’t the word for this. This is downright dangerous.”

“Dangerous?” Dewey hollered, his voice closing in on her location.

Paige gasped as she swung her head back and forth. The lions stalked ever closer, their tails swishing.

Dewey zipped around the corner. He eyed the situation and scoffed, shaking his head. “What are you doing?”

“What does it look like? I’m trying to stay alive!”

“You’re supposed to be finding the Seepy Sap, not playing with the Lion Tamer.”

“Does it look like I’m playing?”

Dewey eyed her sequin-lined jacket, top hat, and bowtie. “Yes. It does.”

Paige shot him an annoyed glare as the top hat wobbled on her head.

“Listen, I found something that may help with your beast marking. I just want to take another look at it, so when you’re done playing with those lions, come back to the nest.”

The little dragon twisted and jetted down the aisle.

“Dewey!” Paige shouted after him. “Help me! I don’t know how these lions got here or how to get rid of them.”

Dewey twisted as he reached the end of the shelving unit. “Just put the whip back in the box.”

Paige stared down at the whip clutched in her hand, wondering if it would be that easy. Dewey darted away, leaving Paige to deal with the disposal of the item on her own.

The whip cracked again. Paige followed its direction, her eyes bulging again. Another lion appeared, stalking above her on the shelving unit.

“Oh no,” she murmured.

The lions closed in around her as she dropped to her knees. She pushed her hand toward the box, but the whip fought against her, tugging her hand upward again.

She gritted her teeth and grabbed her wrist with her other hand, fighting against the magical item. “No!”

The second lion licked its chops, snarling at her. The first loped toward her. The newest arrival dangled its front paws over the edge of the shelf, balancing on its large back feet.

Paige wrangled the whip closer to the box. “Get in there!”

The thing threatened to tug her upward again, but she used all the strength in both her arms to push the leather piece down toward the box.

She shoved it inside until her fingers scraped the bottom. The whip went limp, curling into a spiral.

Paige grabbed the lid and shoved it on as the first lion leapt toward her. She cringed, holding her hands in front of her and squeezing her eyes closed while she prepared for the impact.