I take a few steps back and ball my fists at my side, ready for a fight. But Anais strides into the dark gallery room as casual as you please, her gown swishing behind her.

“Your spells won’t work.”

“Why are you here?” I demand. I look between the six of us and Anais. We could take her on our own, but if she’s brought the duke or other Brothers of Morte d’Arthur with her, we might be in trouble.

Anais’s glance flits to Maxine. “I wanted to keep talking to her, and then she snuck off, so I followed. Above all things I am… curious.”

“You’re not here to stop us?” It feels stupid to ask out loud.

“No.” Anais smiles and strides closer.

“So what do we do?” Maxine asks Anais, gesturing to the display case.

Anais shrugs. “J’ne sais pas.”

Just then—the sound of male voices and rapid footsteps come echoing through the halls.

I look frantically between my friends. “We don’t have much time.”

“What do we do?” Oliver asks.

Maxine looks to Anais, then back to us. Then she levitates the entire glass display case and whispers, “Run.”

Maxine’s steps are jerky—levitating the entire case must be taking immense effort—but we go as fast as we’re able, down the hall, away from the approaching voices.

We studied the maps of this floor of the museum for days. We take one turn, then another, then one more, leading us to a hallway mostly used for service.

It’s dark and still and in the middle, there is a door. Lena flings the door open and we scurry inside.

The room is so dark it takes a moment for my eyes to adjust. Six figures file in behind me, all breathing heavily. Maxine drops the display case in the center of the small room, and we shut the door.

I prop a bucket and a mop under the handle as a makeshift lock, but it won’t hold much at bay.

We’re in a glorified supply closet. It was the biggest workroom we were able to locate on the blueprints Oliver found at the Sorbonne’s library last week.

I attempt to make my way across the small space, but bang my knee terribly against the corner of the display case.

There are no windows in this room. The only light available is what is filtering in through the bottom of the door.

Lena sparks a small golden globe of light between her palms.

I jump, finding Anais to my left. The hall was dark. I didn’t realize she’d followed us in. “What are you doing here?”

She laughs, “You really don’t like me much, do you?”

“I don’t know you. I don’t trust you,” I answer honestly.