“Will of magic, strength in deed, to replace in kind for which you need.” I lowered the scroll to look at Tegan. “Are you making a decoy?”

“Of the missing page.” She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled the big tome out, then sat it on the ground between us and my dogs. “So Valathame wants me and Everest to create the decoy so that you can swap it out with the real one, which you’ll bring home in that bag.”

“But that’s the part I don’t understand. How can you make a decoy of a page you’ve never seen?” I tapped on the cover of the tome. “We have no idea what it looks like. I mean, I only caught a glimpse of the inside before we closed it that night. Unless you’ve reopened⁠—”

“No. I have not.” She pursed her lips and gently took the scroll. Her gaze slid over the words, then she nodded. “See this line here? It says, once thee find the page in question, the Tower makes the last impression. This means you’re going to place the finishing touches on the decoy when you get it.”

“Oh, great, no pressure.”

“If you weren’t capable, you wouldn’t be going alone. Trust me.”

“So how do we make this? Or you and Everest?”

She opened her mouth, then shut it. “I’m not exactly sure⁠—”

The front door flew open. We all jumped and spun toward just as Hunter stormed inside, his golden gaze scanning the room until he spotted both Tegan and Emersyn. Without slowing, he went right over to sit by the fire next to Em. Bentley and Cooper were hot on his heels, except Cooper stopped between Savannah and the hearth. Jackson, Warner, Thiago, and Royce hurried inside and immediately collapsed on the couches. Lennox was scribbling in a notebook while Willow watched, nodding along. Landreia skipped over to Kenneth at the table and slid into his lap.

Mona had purple blood splattered across half her body. We all must’ve panicked a little because she shook her head and held her hands up. “Not mine. Not injured."

Saber and I both watched the door expectantly. My heart pounded in my chest that was far too tight for comfort. The scroll might as well have been a lead weight in my hand.

Tim stomped inside, his gaze swinging straight to Tenn. He nodded. “It’s handled. Don’t think another moment on it, Nephew.”

Tenn nodded. “Thanks.”

Tim scanned the room, then scowled. “What’s wrong?”

Everest slid gracefully through the front door. Relief hit me like a brick wall. I sighed so hard I swayed, which his eyes did not miss. He narrowed his eyes on me, then glanced to Saber for a split second before returning to me. That sharp gaze swept over my entire body, then moved outward. I watched him take the room in.