The three main tubes in the mansion weren’t too far inside the entryway. They were positioned to the right of the staircase, on the wall between the hospital ward and the dining room. There was no telling what or who would be blocking Fifer and Sky’s path to them, though. “Let’s go for it,” said Sky, swinging a leg over the edge of the boat and dangling it above the shallow water. “Right now, before the doorway gets blocked.”

Fifer nodded. “I’ll lead in case we get attacked.” She checked her vest pockets for components, then climbed out of the skiff. Sky hopped out right behind her. Fifer used a magical anchor on the boat, and the two sloshed the short distance to land, hoping the dissenters were too busy being horrible to notice them. Keeping their heads down, they snaked between skirmishes and made it to the main entrance of the mansion. Fifer pushed open the door and peered inside, with Sky looking over her shoulder. They both gasped at the ruinous mess.

The black-and-white marble floors were covered with debris. Chandeliers had crashed to the floor, and the tiki statue was pinned beneath one of them. The bannisters leading up the elegant staircase were broken in places and hanging precariously. The two heavy marble pedestals, which Florence and Simber sometimes stood upon to keep an eye on everything on both floors, were toppled over and cracked. In the dining room, tables were upended, and there was broken glass everywhere. The hospital ward was teeming with walking wounded, but no one was there to help them.

“Oh dear,” whispered Fifer, moving inside. “Quick—let’s free the tiki.” She and Sky ran for the poor statue, whose top head had a nasty gash in the wood. Together they lifted the fixture off him and shoved it aside, then helped him up to his base.

“Thank you,” said the tiki. He shuddered, and tiny bits of glass from the chandelier fell off his head.

“Florence should be able to fix your injury once things settle down,” Fifer told him.

“Is it very bad?” the statue asked, turning all six of his eyes toward the gash but not quite able to see it.

“Oh yes,” Fifer assured him, for she knew the tiki statue was quite dramatic. “You’ll have a big story to tell the others.”

Rattled, yet pleased, the statue nodded his appreciation. He moved away and into Ms. Octavia’s classroom to hide.

Through the broken windows, Fifer could hear Frieda Stubbs on the lawn bellowing to anyone who would listen. “The Revinir is an enormous, evil, dragon-monster, as big as a real dragon!” she shouted, even though she’d never seen the Revinir and had no idea of her size. “She killed our beloved Alex Stowe, and now she’s after the rest of the Stowe siblings. I drove her away once before, but I’m warning you—she’ll return and come after all of us if you don’t listen to me!”

Fifer and Sky exchanged sickened glances. Frieda had clearly taken her fearmongering up a notch in the days since they’d last been here. And despite Frieda’s dubious claims, people were listening. Fifer scanned the area quickly, then started toward the tubes. “We’ll deal with her after we have weapons. Come on. These tubes seem unharmed.”