They didn't reach the door. They didn't have to.
Just as Caspian, Primrose, and Freya rounded the corner to the stairs leading down to the Root Cellar, the world exploded.
CRASH.
The heavy, iron-reinforced oak door at the bottom of the stairs didn't just open. It shattered. Splinters of ancient wood flew outward like shrapnel, embedding themselves in the stone walls.
From the cloud of dust and darkness emerged a small, furious shape.
Vali was carrying Orion on his back. But this wasn't the playful puppy who had thrown snowballs earlier.
Vali's silver hair was bristling like a mane. His lips were pulled back in a snarl that exposed fangs far too sharp for a five-year-old. But it was his eyes that stopped everyone in their tracks.
They weren't pink anymore. They were glowing, blood-red crimson.
Lady Astrid stood at the top of the stairs, her mouth falling open. "Vali? How did you—"
