Evin narrowed his eyes and looked between the wizard and the woman beneath the table. Outside, he could still hear the commotion of wizards casting spells and the chimera roaring. Behind him, the giant mysterious orb hummed while Jorick still muttered to himself.

Sefron turned back to Evin, smirking. He looked between Evin and Bet. Evin didn’t know what to say. He could sense that even Bet was confused. Maybe she was telling the truth after all.

And then, a great shadow darkened the room. Behind Sefron, the chimera whooshed through the balcony. He landed against the great table, sending plates of food splattering to the ground and papers fluttering into the air.

As he did, Klem and Colton stumbled out of the stairwell. “We’re under attack!” Klem shouted. “One of the beasts found its way here and—by the gods!”

The wizard skidded to a stop behind Evin, Jorick, and Bet, keeping his eyes on the chimera. The great beast surveyed the scene with his eyes, panting for breath.

Sefron stood in front of Evin, watching him with those condescending yellow eyes. Beneath the table, the Swamp Witch giggled.

The chimera leaped from the table and bounded toward the humming metal ball embedded in the clear wall. Evin spun around. He grabbed Jorick by the shoulders and pulled him back just as the chimera slammed against the ball.

Green sparks exploded through the room. Bellowing, the chimera fell backward against the white stone floor. Beside him, the two wizards gasped.

“What is that thing?” Evin hissed at Bet.

“I … I don’t know,” she said. She held her head in her hands. “I know I did know, but now I can’t remember, I …”

Flames arced across the room and lanced against the giant ball. As the blinding flash cleared from Evin’s eyes, he saw that the ball was unharmed.

“The artifact!” the chimera screeched from across the room. “It is what is holding the wall in place! We must destroy it or we will be held trapped here by these wizards until our deaths!”

“No! You must stop!” Colton cried. The chimera roared and Colton raised his staff as though about to cast a spell. The creature prowled toward the short wizard. Yelping, Colton dived under the table.

That humming ball was all that held the wall together? Evin thought to himself. With this wall in place, with these wizards overseeing their real-life game board, more and more children would have their minds violated by magic, be forced to fight for their lives for the wizards’ amusement.