‘In that case, when you get back home the adults will probably smash the mirror. Or else they will forbid you to go through again. And if they do, then it’s over for all of you. None of you will be able to come here again, and the search for the key will be terminated. For my sake, I’m not in favour of you using the portal in front of anyone else. As a security precaution.’

‘You’re saying that when someone else is around, we shouldn’t enter the mirror?’

‘Well put.’ The Wolf Queen nodded emphatically at the handsome boy’s question. Her large wolf ears flapped. ‘As long as you stick to the rules, then you can do whatever you want while you’re here. Talk, study, read books, play video games. And I’ll permit you to bring in lunch and snacks.’

‘Y-you mean there’s nothing to eat here?’

Kokoro was surprised to hear the chubby boy hiding behind the banister speak.

He did look overly fond of food, but she was amazed that he was brave enough to ask about it.

‘No, there isn’t,’ the Wolf Queen said. ‘The truth is, you’re all food for the wolves. So eat up and put a little meat on your bones.’

The Wolf Queen gazed silently for a moment and then jerked her chin up.

‘Introduce yourselves,’ she ordered. ‘Over the next year you’ll be seeing a lot of each other. So go ahead and get to know each other.’

Easy to say, Kokoro thought, and they all exchanged looks. She was anxious that the Wolf Queen might scream at them again not to look to each other for answers! She ducked her head, fearful that the Wolf Queen would let out another howl.

‘Wolf Queen, do you think you might leave us alone for a moment?’ the ponytailed girl said. ‘We’ll get on well, don’t worry. We’ve all been thrown together here, so of course we want to get on. But now we’d like to work things out on our own.’

‘Well … all right.’ The Wolf Queen didn’t seem particularly irritated. She tilted her masked face sideways. ‘Take your time. I’ll be back in a while.’

She raised her arms as if she were going to float away, flapped them gently up and down, and then, in the blink of an eye, she vanished.

The seven were left speechless.

‘Did you see that?’

‘Yep. She disappeared.’

‘What the—?’

‘Whoa.’

Exclamations flew hard and fast between them.

As luck would have it, her absence meant Kokoro could speak up.

‘I’LL START. I’M AKI,’ the ponytailed girl said.

They sat in a circle in the foyer between the double staircase, the grandfather clock looming over them.

The girl’s tone was a little awkward, and Kokoro looked at her more closely.

She gave her first name. No last name.