While Coralis and Brianna bantered aimlessly, Henry paced the floor like a monkey in a cage. This wasn’t right—at all! They should be doing something. Coralis should be using his skills to locate the books so they could get them back. But even if Henry was the only one concerned with the urgency of their situation, something else wasn’t right. Finally he blurted it out. “Why is this the only room in the house that wasn’t trashed?”

Coralis did not answer immediately. Instead, he cocked his head like a dog that doesn’t understand a “go fetch” command. “Didn’t you feel it as you walked in?”

“It?” Henry glanced back at the doorway. Unsure of what “it” was, he scanned for evidence of something hanging from the ceiling or protruding from the floor.

“Hmmm.” Coralis scowled. “There is still much you need to learn. Come over here,” he said as he stepped closer to the door. “Now hold your wand out at arm’s length and trace the outline of the door.”

“Oh!” Henry jumped as the wand tugged at his hand as if it were magnetized. “What is it? What’s making it do that?”

“That, dear boy, is a protection spell.” Coralis smiled, enjoying the moment as teacher.

“Protection for what?” Brianna asked. “There’s nothing here but paint.”

“Not from what … from whom. Put your wand away, Henry.” Coralis took a seat, rubbing his knees. “Do either of you happen to know your mother’s maiden name?”

The question was answered by a blank look.

“Your mother’s name before she married your father,” he clarified.

“We never met anyone from Mom’s side of the family,” said Henry.

“And she never talked about them either,” Brianna said. “Even though we’d always ask why we didn’t have a grandma or grandpa like a lot of our friends.”

“But there was that one time,” Henry continued. “Remember when that old delivery van pulled up one day and how Mom flew into a panic?” he asked Brianna. “We asked what was wrong but she told us to stay put as she ran out the door. I could have sworn she said ‘Mom’ as the van pulled in, but the way she yelled at the old woman I thought I must have heard her wrong.”

“But if that was her own mother, why would she yell at her?” Brianna angrily nudged Henry’s foot. “She wouldn’t do that! You must have messed that up, too.” She nipped at his shoe.

“Hey, cut that out! I didn’t mess anything up. I know what I heard. And I also know she told the woman to never come back.”

Coralis growled softly, just enough to get their attention. “What kind of van was it? Can you recall the color? Any markings? What was she delivering?”

“White!” “Green!” They responded simultaneously.

“It was white with green letters,” Henry stated emphatically.