Page 84 of Spooks & Specters

“Oh, wow, do they all have a place to hid something?” Kit asked.

“I bet they do.”

“Cool. So, first clue conquered,” Kit announced with a grin as he took out the box, which was engraved with symbols that glowed faintly in the dim light.

“It was the runes we scented,” Connie said. “The magic of them.”

“But what’s inside?” Hudson asked as Kit opened it.

Inside was a silver key and a new note stating:To find where this key fits, you must seek out the place where fire warms cold hearts.

“Fireplace!” Hudson exclaimed immediately. They moved quickly to an elaborate fireplace at one end of the room.

It wasn’t real, of course. The flame that danced inside was made of magic, but it was still beautiful to look at.

“Okay, now what?” Kit asked, running his hands around the edges.

“The boxes,” Connie said. “There are several small decorative lockboxes arranged along the mantelpiece.”

Kit tried the key in each until one clicked open to reveal their next clue—a miniature statue of a bat with ruby eyes and another note, which read:With eyes that see all paths, look where you refresh your spirit.

“What?” Bemused, Kit read the note again.

“Another name for alcohol is spirits,” Hudson said.

“And how many times have I read in a book about how suddenly a path opened up and suddenly there’s your dream man, standing at a bar,” Kit said. “A lot. I’m bookworm, after all.”

“By Gaura, you’re right! To the bar!” Connie excitedly gestured.

Rushing to the bar amid thumping music, they spotted an array of ornamental bottles behind the bartender. Each had unique labels depicting different mythic creatures.

“How in the hell did we missthose?” Kit demanded.

After explaining their quest to the accommodating bartender, who was very obviously playing along, they were allowed to examine each bottle carefully until Kit noticed one labeled “Bat’s Breath” with eyes exactly like those on their bat statue.

Inside this bottle was their final item—a crystal sphere emitting soft pulses of multicolored light, casting eerie, dancing shadows around them.

Kit reached for it, but Hudson grabbed his hand.

“Is it safe for my mostly human mate to touch?” Hudson demanded.

“Of course, Your Majesty. Raven would never endanger a human, a mostly human, or a paranormal. It’s safe.”

“Okay.”

Reassured, Kit carefully picked up the sphere. The bartender winked and handed over the final clue, which read:The heart of the club beats where music blooms and fades—find the core.

Well, that was the easiest clue yet. Exchanging a glance with his mates, Kit hurried toward the DJ booth, the undeniable center where all sounds converged.

The DJ, spotting their approach, must have recognized the bottle in Kit’s hand. Grinning, he handed over a small, sealed envelope marked with their final directive.

“Congratulations are nearly yours,” Hudson read aloud over the roar of music. “But one last riddle to test your might:When light and sound converge in my middle, my secret is yours to unearth.”

“Oh man, another one?” Kit whined.

“Raven does like his games,” Hudson mused as he stared at the clue.

Connie gasped, practically bouncing in place as he shouted over the noise, “The dance floor! The lights and music meet there!”

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