Spirits and Spells Read Online Free

Derek’s shoulder.
    But no one got up to leave.
    â€œAll right, here are your assignments,” said Travis. “First Theoni. Theoni? Hey, Theoni—are you there?”
    With a start, Tansy remembered that Theoni was her name for the evening.
    â€œYou will be seeking the ring,” said Travis. “Here is your clue:
    â€œ Closest to heaven, farthest from help ,
    The wizard’s ring lies hidden.
    You’ll need its power to escape ,
    So to find it now you’re bidden
    Face what life has left behind;
    Fear not what seems forbidden .”
    Tansy copied the clue carefully into her notepad.
    â€œDenise, you’ll be looking for the rod,” continued Travis.
    â€œCall me Niana. And what do you mean by a rod?”
    â€œIt’s kind of like a magic wand, only bigger,” said Travis.
    He gave the others their assignments, all of which were in rhyme. A moment of silence followed as the players concentrated on working out the meaning of their clues.
    Tansy read her clue over several times. The first line had struck her when Travis was reading it aloud. “Closest to heaven” could mean the ring was somehow near goodness. Perhaps it was hidden in a family Bible. But then why would it be “farthest from help?” That didn’t make any sense.
    â€œClosest to heaven” could also mean “high in the sky.” Well, in the Gulbrandsen place, the spot closest to heaven was the attic.
    Of course! That would take her farthest from help, and it fit perfectly with the line about “Face what life has left behind.” The attic would undoubtedly be filled with the leavings of a lifetime, all the things the Gulbrandsens had collected but never used.
    It would probably be very spooky, too.
    Tansy frowned. She heard a chair scrape and saw Derek and Jenny get up and head into the hallway. Together. She felt a slight pang. She wished she didn’t have to do this on her own.
    She glanced at Denise. The dark-haired girl was examining the paper where she had written her own clue. Her brow was wrinkled in concentration, but she didn’t show the slightest sign of fear.
    Tansy set her jaw. If Denise could do it, so could she. But that dippy Derek had better not try anything funny. She was feeling skittish enough as it was.
    Picking up her flashlight, she said, “Well, I’ll see you in a little while, Travis. I hope.”
    â€œCall me Karno,” said Travis. Then he smiled and added, “Good luck, Theoni. Holler if you need me.”
    She stopped. Narrowing her eyes, she asked, “Are you expecting me to holler?”
    Travis looked so genuinely innocent she was almost sorry to have been so suspicious.
    â€œNo! I was just trying to be nice. See what it gets me?”
    â€œI’m sorry, Travis. Karno! I guess I’m kind of nervous.”
    â€œWell, that’s part of the fun.”
    â€œYeah,” said Tansy. “Fun.”
    She walked out of the library.
    The hall was long and dark. She shone the light first to her left, then to her right, where she spotted a stairway. She started toward it.
    Another crack of thunder made her jump, and for a moment she considered turning back.
    â€œCome on, Theoni—get a grip,” she whispered to herself. She grimaced. If she didn’t watch it, she’d end up standing here all night, arguing with herself.
    She headed up the stairs.
    The third floor of the Gulbrandsen house was quiet and still. The hall was uncarpeted, and dust lay thick over everything. She wondered how to get to the attic. Shining her flashlight down the hall, she caught her breath. Footprints! Then she realized they had to be Travis’s, and relaxed.
    Well, this would make things easy. All she had to do was follow them. She wondered if he had been careless enough to leave tracks all the way to the ring. Maybe he had swept up after himself farther along to obliterate them. Or maybe not. Tidiness had never been his