He stood, holding the trip wire in both hands, his arms straining with the effort. If he let the wire slacken even a little, the roof—and its deadly spikes—would come crashing down upon him. Not giving the wire even an inch of release, he stood on his tiptoes and studied the left wall, searching until he found what he was looking for.

A barely visible second hook jutted out about two feet up the wall above the eye hook. Evin looped the wire over the top hook, then down through the eye hook, and back up again. He grinned as he realized this was exactly the way the gnolls must have done it. Then he attached the end of the wire to the top hook.

For a moment, Evin stood there holding the wire, afraid to let go. He held his breath and looked up. The spikes trembled, just barely, and for a moment Evin feared they’d come tumbling down upon him.

Still not breathing, Evin slowly pulled first one hand and then another away. The trip wire stayed as taut as it had been when stretched across the entryway, and the ceiling stayed in place.

Evin finally breathed.

Turning to his friend and Bet, he smiled. “All that practice with Marten paid off.”

Jorick returned Evin’s grin and slapped his back. “Good job,” he whispered.

“See?” Evin said to Bet. “Magic is definitely handy, but it’s not always necessary.”

Bet raised both eyebrows. “I suppose so. Shall we continue on?”

Evin nodded and once more led the way. Quietly, gingerly, the trio stepped through the opening at the base of the stairs into the diamond-shaped room beyond.

Evin, Jorick, and Bet all looked around in silence. Tall wooden doors lined the angled walls and at the opposite end, the room narrowed into a hallway.

“There’s no one here,” Jorick said.

“We can see that,” Bet whispered.

Ignoring her snide tone, Jorick looked up at the high, stony ceiling. “Maybe the ormyrr was lying after all. Maybe this is just some long abandoned storehouse and there’s nothing here.”

“No, there’s something here—or at least there was.” Evin pointed to the floor. It was covered with muddy tracks made by hundreds of pawlike feet, creating a strange mottled pattern. “The copestone was moved recently, remember? And I know that trap was new. Also, the torches are lit.”

“Then maybe you two can keep it down before we attract attention,” Bet hissed. She adjusted the strap of her satchel and strode forward, her footsteps barely making any sound.

The room seemed so open and exposed that Evin’s chest felt tighter than the trip wire. There were no shadows here in which to skulk. Nothing to hide behind should something round the corner. He quickened his step.

They were almost to the hallway when Evin heard a door creak.