Book Four: Chapter 3

Now, the former carriage house was home to Tink and Dana’s workshop, and Mike crossed the garden toward it at an unhurried pace. Dew still clung to the grass, darkening the cuffs of his pants as he walked, and the morning air carried a mix of earthy dampness and faint smoke from somewhere deeper on the grounds. The building itself sat a little apart from the main house, its old stone walls repurposed and reinforced with modern wiring, arcane sigils etched carefully into the corners of the doors and windows.

He pushed the door open and immediately wrinkled his nose.

The smell hit him all at once—sharp and metallic, tinged with something burnt and acrid that clung stubbornly to the back of his throat. It was the unmistakable scent of fried electronics, layered with solder smoke and ozone.

“What is that?” he asked, squinting into the dim interior as his eyes adj