Page 121 of Black and White, Twice the Might

“It doesn’t match the house,” I say. “This place is large, why have such a small kitchen?”

“Because it’s obviously hiding something,” Enoch replies, walking along it. “But where?”

I start tapping walls, trying to find a hidden door, Sly’s doing the same, while Xander and Enoch are looking in cupboards.

“Found it,” Sly calls, pulling open a door that, if you weren’t looking for it, you would totally miss it.

I look inside, steps are going down, but it’s dark, and apart from the first few steps, I can’t make anything else out. I step forward and feel around for a light switch, but can’t find one.

“Xander, Enoch, stay up here while Ebby and I go down there.”

“What?” Enoch practically shouts.

“Hell no, are we waiting up here,” Xander gripes, scowling.

“You’ll both stay up here while Sly and I look down there. If we don’t come back up in a reasonable time, get help,” I tell them sternly.

“But ...,” Xander starts to protest.

I glare at him.

“Fine,” he snaps out.

“Thank you,” I say in relief.

Sly flicks his hand out, and a soft light is now illuminating the stairs.

I would send my magic out to have a look, but I don’t want to lose any more of it.

Sly starts walking down the stairs, and I follow, ignoring my brothers’ angry mutterings.

CHAPTER 49

As we walk down, I look around but don’t see anything weird. We reach the bottom, and this basement is tiny, like the kitchen

“So, this is weird,” I comment.

“There has to be another secret door,” Sly replies, moving to the far wall. “Ebb, check this out,” he says, sounding excited.

I walk to his side, facing the wall. “What did you find?”

He grins at me. “This.”

I watch as he goes to touch the wall, but his hand goes through it.

“Okay, that’s cool. Think we can walk through it?” I ask.

Sly holds his hand out, and I take it. “Let’s find out.”

We both step closer to the wall and then walk through it. I fully expected to get stuck halfway, so I’m pleasantly surprised when we don’t. What does surprise me, however, is some of Sly’s family standing in the room, talking to someone in a mirror.

“Behind you,” a deep male voice warns, from inside the mirror.

I manage to catch a glimpse of something large before the mirror turns black.

Sly’s family turn around and look at us, with varying degrees of shock on their faces.

“So, people, who were you talking to?” Sly asks them, not the least fazed at seeing them again.