We’ll get to the damned wolf-man eventually, I swear.
The ruins of the high school were before them; the fact that there was anything left at all was, as usual, a testament to the materials science of the Old Americans. Even to the point of: “Hold on,” said Maddie. “Is that a working light bulb?”
It in fact was — specifically, an outside light originally meant to illuminate the front doors, and the five of them gathered around it with some bemusement. It was old and fading, but there was definitely still electrical power running through it. Inside the school there were flickers, presumably from more lights inside.
“Well, that complicates things,” Maddie went on. “Nobody touch any wires. Or pools of water. Or anything sparking.”
Anton looked at her. “No kidding,” he said. “You usually have to explain that to surface humans?”
“Sweet Jesus, yes,” said Maddie. “You have no idea.” She extended her short staff, and peered intently at the black-purple tendrils it gave off. “Good on my end to enter; there aren’t any magical traps waiting for us.”
Jack raised one forepaw. “I’m smelling a regular one.” He sniffed. “Metal and rust, and it’s got our quarry’s smell on it… here.” He crouched down, and looked at a patch of wet leaves. “Yeah, there’s a tripwire here, and it leads up to here, and hey, there’s a deadfall of metal and glass garbage, ready to rain crap down on us. Jill, I need another set of paws for this.”