This time the enormous double doors pressed out from the wall, nearly a foot thick. The handles and hinges pushed out even farther. Thisbe stepped back and lost her balance, trying to get out of the way. Florence steadied her and helped her jump to safety. Then the two took another step back together. It was a stunning sight to see a drawing come to life—especially one so large.

The people from Grimere applauded. They’d never seen anything like it.

“Nice work, Thisbe,” Florence said.

“Thanks,” she said. “I didn’t think I’d be able to do that.” She caught Fifer’s glance and they both looked away, but not before Thisbe saw that Fifer’s expression had softened slightly. “Open the doors,” Thisbe said coolly. “Let’s get Simber out of there. Everybody stand back! And don’t be scared,” she added to her newest friends. “He looks frightening, but he won’t hurt you.”

Fifer grabbed the handles, turned them until they gave a loud click, then swung them open, revealing the backs of the theater seats in the dimly lit auditorium and a long, wide center aisle running toward the stage at the far end.

Halfway up the aisle, facing them, was Simber. The snarl on his face melted at the sight of Florence and two of his favorite humans, Fifer and Thisbe, and behind them two enormous ghost dragons, curling their necks and peering, fascinated, into the space. But then Simber’s expression became pained, because he knew there was no way that he could help them.

Persuading the Cheetah

Simber came toward them and stopped at the theater doorway. Florence, Thisbe, Fifer, and Lukas and Ava gathered around to greet him. The black-eyed friends of Grimere stayed back near the dragons, cautious of the stone cheetah. They didn’t remember the time they’d seen him before, because they’d been under the Revinir’s mind control. And even though Thisbe had told them not to be afraid, it was hard to convince themselves of that once they saw the winged beast.

Florence ushered Simber out, closed the doors with a heavy thud, then loosened one corner of the paper border. The 3-D door flattened immediately. Florence pulled down the rest of it, rolled it up, secured it, and slipped it into her quiver on top of the mage robe that Sky had brought back from the secret hallway.

The group of Artiméans began to explain to Simber everything that had happened. But before they could tell him much, Simber put a paw in the air to stop them. “Rrrememberrr, I worrrk forrr Frrrieda Stubbs now. You shouldn’t be telling me all of this.”

“Please,” said Florence with disgust. “She locked you in the theater on purpose, Sim.”

“She’s destroying the mansion,” Fifer said. “She trapped our friends in the remote rooms. Simber, she started a war against our own people!”

Sky’s eyes flashed. “How can you stay loyal to her? I can’t believe you’re saying this, Simber. I’m… Alex would be so disappointed in you.”