Fifer finally managed to release all the sledgehammers attacking Thisbe, and she knelt next to her sister. “Are you all right?”

Thisbe groaned and opened her eyes, and the sisters locked eyes for a moment.

“Are you okay?” Fifer asked again, and she couldn’t mask her concern.

“Hey,” said Thisbe softly. “I’m all right. Go help the others. I’ll be right behind you. Is Kitten okay?”

“Mewmewmew,” whispered Kitten from her hiding place.

“Stay there, Kitten!” Fifer whispered back. She left Thisbe and ran out to the balcony, finding no one remaining there but hearing shouts from all directions and seeing a few bodies sprawled out on the main floor. She spied Ishibashi at the bottom of the stairs, fighting a sledgehammer with his fists, and went down to help him.

Another round of sledgehammers came sailing from somewhere above them. Fifer dodged and grabbed at them and tried to see what direction they were coming from. “Frieda Stubbs!” Fifer called out. “I know you’re up there, you coward!”

“You’re the coward!” shouted Frieda.

“I most certainly am not!” Fifer turned toward the voice and kept talking, hoping Simber, who was flying around above the mansion, would be able to pinpoint where she was. Fifer grabbed a sledgehammer handle. “Release!” she muttered under her breath, and continued with Frieda. “You destroyed this mansion, and you’ve left Artiméans to die in the remote rooms!”

“You’re the one who did that!” shouted Frieda.

“What?!” cried Fifer. “How can you even say that?”

“How can you stand there and pretend like you aren’t the cause of all of this, Fifer Stowe?” cried Frieda. “You started all of this when you and your vagrant sister came to Artimé and terrorized us all with your dark magic.”

For a split second, Fifer questioned herself. Was this mess truly Fifer’s fault? Were she and Thisbe to blame? Before Fifer could retort, three heart attack spells came soaring down from the top of the wall, high above the classrooms. Ishibashi saw them and nimbly deflected two of them with his hands while Fifer dodged the third. But they did their damage. Ishibashi clutched his chest and crashed to the floor.

“Ishibashi!” Fifer rushed over to him to release the spells, but she knew he would continue to suffer for several minutes because of their severity. She dragged him under the staircase in hopes it would shield him from Frieda’s view and aim. There was no way Fifer was losing Ishibashi.

Thisbe appeared on the balcony and limped down the steps, looking frazzled. The memory of Alex and the fear of Fifer dying had returned after the hammer incident, and she knew she had to make sure that didn’t happen. She reached the main floor and discovered her friends from Grimere in various places, curled up and being beaten by magical sledgehammers or lying motionless. She scooted past Fifer under the stairs to get them to safety inside a classroom, but then stopped and turned back. She hesitated, then leaned in and whispered, “Frieda is a classic monster, Fife. I heard what she said to you. Remember, none of this is our fault. Rule number one of monsters like her? Always accuse your enemies of the crimes you’ve committed. That’s what she’s doing. I know her words probably hurt you, but don’t let Frieda get to you. Just keep going.” She hesitated as Fifer stared at her with an unreadable expression, but then she went on. “I’m going to get our friends to safety. Simber’s up there, zeroing in on her location. And you… you need to take her out.”