“Who taught you how to do this?” Henry said, his voice full of menace.

“What’s to teach?” Shawn said. “It’s a little game I made up.”

Henry turned to Gus. “Who?”

Somehow the icing on Gus’ face seemed to get even whiter. “It was Count Orloff!”

“Count who?” Henry said. “Is that some comic book character? Do I have to start previewing your reading material?”

Shawn shot Gus a disgusted look. “You should remember. You’re the one who dragged me to the Fortress of Magic. He was some guy in a cape with a deck of cards.”

“What did I tell you about talking to strangers?”

“He was talking to me,” Shawn said. “And you were right there. Even though you did seem to be preoccupied with the lady magician with the big… feathers.”

Henry fumed. Then he grabbed Shawn’s arm and pulled him to the door.

“Where are we going?” Shawn said.

“First, we’re going to find everyone you swindled and give them their money back,” Henry said. “And then we’re going back to the Fortress of Magic. I’ve got a trick or two to teach Count Orloff.”

Chapter One

Shawn and Gus were halfway up the hill when the growling started.

Gus froze. “What was that?”

“It was nothing.”

“It definitely was not nothing. It was something. Something with teeth.”

The growling came again, closer this time. Gus wheeled around, searching for its source. The switch-back path was illuminated by dozens of ankle-high lights; the landscaped hillside on either side was lost in the black of night. Anything could be out there.

“Let’s go home,” Gus said.

“We just got here,” Shawn said. “In fact, technically we’re not even here yet. We’re not going to be here until we get to the top of this hill.”

There was another growl, and this time Gus could tell it was getting closer. Somewhere beyond the reach of the path lights, bushes rustled.