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“Yes, yes! Stop rushing me. I’m preparing myself mentally for getting sliced in half by a massive swinging axe.”

Paige rolled her eyes, cocking a hip and placing her hand on it. “That’s only in the movies. There is not going to be a giant axe swinging back and forth like a video game.”

“You’re right. That’s silly. Okay, here I go!” Dewey reared back before he buzzed forward.

He zipped down the hall, making it a quarter of the way down before a large axe swung from a slim slit in the wall, nearly slicing off the tip of his spiked tail.

He flapped his wings hard as he came to a stop, spinning around to stare back at the axe as it returned to its original position.

He shot Paige an irked glance, shining the flashlight beam in her face.

“Stop that,” she said, raising a hand to shield her narrowed eyes.

“Oh, would you like me to stop shining this light in your face? Well, guess what, Paige. I would have liked not to have a giant axe nearly cut off my tail after you said it wouldn’t.”

Paige pursed her lips as she shrugged.

“That’s only in video games,” Dewey mimicked.

“We better be careful going forward.”

“No sh–“

“Okay, all right. There’s no need for that,” Paige said, holding up a hand. “Give me a second to get down there.”

“Leave me here,” the pixie called from inside the carrier.

“So you can get loose and try to maim me again? Not going to happen,” Paige said as she inched down the hall toward Dewey. “Besides, maybe we can use you to test for traps.”

“You’re a monster!” the tiny creature shouted.

“Spare me your self-righteous nonsense. I’m not the one trying to get a crystal and a wand to destroy the world.”

“Take over, not destroy.”

“Whatever. Just be quiet,” Paige said as she met Dewey. Her nose wrinkled, and she stared at the slit in the wall. “What triggers it?”

Dewey shrugged and trained the flashlight’s beam on the wall. “Whatever it is, it’s at my height.”

“Or all along the wall,” Paige said, running a finger up and down the stone column.

She bit her lower lip and thrust her hand forward before snapping it back. The axe swung free from the wall, making its circuit back and forth.

“Motion activated,” Paige said, pressing a finger to her lips as she considered it. “Maybe if I…”

She squatted on the floor and waved her hand out. The axe swung out again.

She rose to her feet. “Well, that’s not going to work.”

“You’re going to have to jump it,” Dewey told her.

“Jump it?”

“Like run real fast across.”

“I can’t run real fast,” Paige said, her voice incredulous. “You flew past it and nearly got clipped.”

“Yeah, well, you don’t have a long tail trailing behind you. You should make it. You’re compact.”