Alora traced another sigil by the door with her finger. She scanned the dusty tome in her hand then began the chant that would activate the ancient magic. Gingerly returning the book to a pile, she chose another, turned to the marked entry and began again.

She repeated the process for hours, covering the rooms in wards, until she reached the end. Then she lovingly gathered the books to replace in the library and went back to work… unearthing more.

She would be finished only when the basement hummed with every conceivable protection. Her brother needed a place to live.