The recorder music permeated the night. It was everywhere. Whoever was playing the instrument was much stronger than Ink. Tonight the piper seemed to know how to use the currents of paranormal energy in the fog to enhance the power of the artifact.

Olivia went down the stairs. With each step it became harder to suppress the disturbing summons of the recorder.

She reached the librarian’s desk and grabbed the phone. It was dead. That did not come as a huge surprise. Call me psychic, she thought.

Agnes was silhouetted in the doorway at the bottom of the stairs. She made another impatient sound.

Olivia crossed to the entrance, camera gripped in both hands. She could barely make out the cloaked figure near the fountain in the center of the square. Harmony had come to a stop, but there was something wrong with her aura. It was strong, but certain wavelengths appeared to be frozen.

Agnes trotted out into the fog. Olivia did another check for auras, concluded that there was no one except Harmony in the immediate vicinity and hurried after the cat.

She reached Harmony and stopped, uncertain how to proceed.

“Harmony, can you hear me?” she said. “You must listen to me. You’re in terrible danger. I’m going to take you back to the library.”

Harmony shuddered and raised her head with a sudden, wild move. The hood of her cloak fell back. Her mane of silver hair spilled around her shoulders. She stared at Olivia with dream-struck eyes and fell into her oracle voice.

“You are the key. Only you can stop the lightning in the mirrors.”

The words shuddered with power.

Olivia shivered. “You must come with me, Harmony.”

Harmony collapsed in on herself and crumpled to the ground.

“No,” Olivia whispered. “Harmony, wake up. Please.”

The cat made another annoyed sound.

“You’re not a lot of help, Agnes.”

Olivia crouched at Harmony’s head, got a grip on the hood of the cloak and tried to use it as a sled. Harmony was built on statuesque lines. She was no lightweight. Olivia managed to drag the unconscious woman a couple of feet before she was forced to stop to get a better grip.

With the next attempt she succeeded in hauling Harmony to within a few yards of the door.

“Almost there,” Olivia said to Agnes.

Agnes lashed her tail again.

The recorder music grew louder, more intense.

Utterly focused on the struggle to drag Harmony back into the comparative safety of the library, Olivia was unaware of the figures moving up fast behind her until Agnes hissed a warning. By then it was too late.