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A shadow creature was dropping silently towards them, its maw opening to gargantuan proportion.Evander scowled when he spotted the writhing mass of monsters hiding near the ceiling behind it.

The shadow creature screeched and recoiled when the power in the amulet reached it, the dark tendrils making up its form beginning to unravel.

It was all the time Evander needed to obliterate it with his fire magic.

The mages behind him cast a barrage of attacks at the remaining shadow creatures where they writhed and flickered in the air, temporarily weakened by the magic contained within the pendant around Evander’s neck.His ice spears ripped the last monster to shreds that vanished with a fading shriek.

Ice chilled his veins when he finally got a look at the chamber the creatures had been guarding.

Row upon row of workbenches stretched before them beyond a shallow landing, each cluttered with arcane instruments, glass containers, and meticulously labelled specimens.The smell that had bothered Evander on the stairs was stronger here, rising even above the lingering dark magic.He now recognised it for what it was—antiseptic mingled with pure evil.

“What in God’s name?”Rufus breathed.

Evander negotiated the short flight of steps and approached the nearest workstation.His stomach churned at what he found.

Anatomical diagrams had been pinned to a board, depicting the nervous system of what appeared to be a common house cat—except the annotations detailed how magical energy had been channelled through its body, with corresponding notes on the resulting physical changes.

“They were experimenting on animals,” Shaw said, horror evident in her voice as she examined a series of glass jars containing preserved specimens sitting on a shelf.

Evander’s nails dug into his palm.“These were probably precursor studies to test their theory.”

Shaw met his gaze and swallowed.“You mean, before moving on to human subjects?”

Evander nodded, too incensed to answer.

The Met’s officers and mages stared aghast at their frightening discovery.Evander could see anger replacing shock on many of their faces.Whatever their personal beliefs and opinions about magic users and thralls, they had all sworn to protect the people of this city.

They moved methodically through the chamber, uncovering the grotesque evidence of experiments spanning what must have been years of secret research.Some of the journals they found dated back more than a decade, suggesting the programme had begun long before Whitley and Chevalier had become involved.

“Evander,” Rufus called urgently from the other side of the room.“You need to see this.”

Evander hurried over to where the inspector stood before a glass-fronted cabinet that contained dozens upon dozens of vials.His eyes widened at the sight of the silvery liquid they contained.

“That’s arcane residue!”

The vials bore markings indicating their contents: fire, water, wind, earth, light, shadow, and even a handful of esoteric magics Evander had only read about in ancient texts.His gaze landed on a shelf.

The sight of the labels made his heart thump violently inside his chest.

The vials were devoted entirely to different kinds of hybrid magic.

“What’s all this, your Grace?”Griffiths asked in a guarded voice as he approached.

Evander briefed the sergeant about Ambrose Mortimer’s autopsy findings.

Griffiths paled.Horror rounded the eyes of the officers and mages who’d followed him.

“You mean,” one of them quavered, “all these vials represent failed experiments?”

Evander could see the sickening truth he’d already reached dawning on their faces.

“Probably.”He studied the cabinet and its contents with a scowl.“And if that is the truth, then each of these vials likely represents a dead animal or person.”

A sound from beyond the laboratory had them all freezing.The low, mechanical hum that had brought them there was growing louder, the buzzing punctuated by the gurgle of liquid flowing through pipes.

“Your Grace, there’s another door!”Shaw hissed from the far end of the laboratory.

Evander and the others joined her swiftly.