Abby leapt on hers and gave it the gas, shooting through the trees.

Evelina pressed her throttle.

The Air Jet sped forward, jerking her back so quickly, she nearly lost her seat.

She caught up with Abby in seconds, but not without eating a few palm fronds. "I don't see Tally. We'd better wait for her."

Abby nodded.

They hovered low amidst the starry path until Tally sputtered up.

She pulled up beside them with a loud volcanic backfire.

"Here!" Abby leapt from off hers. "Take mine. I'll blow the carbon out of it." She cranked the throttle until blue smoke rolled out, then sped off again.

Her speed demon tendencies proved infectious. Evelina felt a bubble of laughter well up in her throat as she raced up behind her. They zoomed past sparkling lagoons, over glacier-sized boulders, and around towering palms, reaching the scoring station with seconds to spare.

More messengers arrived close on their tail.

The scoring station turned out to be a conical shaped beach hut on stilts on the beach at the north end of the island.

Councilor Acheron Wolfe appeared as sour as usual, black eyes flashing beneath his dark unibrow.

He wasted little time informing them of their task.

"Time is of the essence." He slapped a clam into each of their hands. "They open in precisely four minutes after you push their homing device."

Evelina couldn't help but ask, "What happens if we're late?"

"They clam up, of course." He appeared annoyed at the question. "You cannot get a thing out of them." He levelled a stern look on each of them before biting out distinctly, "Lake of the Isles forfeits the challenge and you are disgraced. Do not be late."

Evelina turned the clam over and around in her hand, but couldn't find any homing device.

Acheron s.n.a.t.c.hed it out of her hand. He pushed two b.u.t.tons on either side of the hinge, then handed it back. He rolled his eyes heavenward. "Novices!"

Evelina quickly showed Abby and Tally what to do.

And then, they were off-on another wild goose chase.

As usual there was little instruction, which drove Evelina crazy. She liked to know what she was getting into. She liked to be prepared. Being thrown into one situation after another without knowing a thing drove her around the bend.

But it soon became clear as they followed the clams what was up.

The challenge appeared to be some sort of snakes and ladders obstacle course in the trees.

Novice warlocks went shimmying up palm trees, then leaping to other trees to swing high in the air from ropes to the next tree. Sometimes, there was no rope and they hit a waterslide. They received messages at certain check points, which told them which direction to take.

It didn't look very dangerous. There were nets everywhere. In fact, it looked like a lot of fun.

The clam putted through the air at a leisurely pace, blowing bubbles behind it like a boat motor as it guided her through the trees.

Evelina gritted her teeth.

She consulted her watch.

Thirty seconds left.

Oh man!

Was this the slowest clam on earth or what! You'd think it had all the time in the world. If only she could do something to hurry it up, but she didn't speak clam.

She heaved a great sigh of relief when she finally arrived at the check point just in time.

"Thanks!" A warlock in emerald surf shorts grabbed the clam from her hand.

The clam burped.

A bubble floated up.

It grew and grew.

Then POP!.

It burst, revealing a bow and arrow that shot a glittering trail to another palm tree.

The warlock raced off.

Evelina brushed her hands together and smiled.

Mission accomplished.

She cranked the throttle on the Air Jet and headed back to the scoring station.

She was almost there when she spotted something in the distance through the trees.

Or someone.

As she putted closer she realized it was a person, lying face down on the path.

She hopped off the Air Jet just as Abby and Tally zoomed up.

"He looks dead." Abby peered down from her perch on the jet.

Evelina knelt down, then placed two fingers against his neck to feel for a pulse.

Nothing.

Her heart gave a thud. "He is." She shook her head. "He's from Oceana. Now White Water and Oceana are both down one warlock."

Abby scowled down at the victim. "This gives the Swamp Hogs a huge advantage."

Evelina rolled him over in the sand.

He looked familiar... that mop of curly black hair.

And yet... she didn't know him.

"How could this have happened?" Tally wore a look of horror. "There was supposed to be nets everywhere on the course. It's an enchantment. It's not supposed to fail."

Evelina came to her feet. "Maybe he veered off course."

"Maybe something led him off course." Abby shifted her gaze to the wild jungle around them. "And that's how he fell."

A vision of falling into Psycho Sally's table at the pier flashed through Evelina's brain. "That's where I saw him!"

"Who?" Abby and Tally chanted in unison.

Evelina pointed at the body. "Him."

Finding one dead body was difficult enough to explain.

But two?

That was going to be a lot harder.

Chapter Nine.

"Evelina Crimm?"

Evelina rose up on her elbows in the sand where she'd been sketching on the beach. She squinted against the brilliance of the morning sun, but all she could make out was a man's dark silhouette. "Yes?"

"Member of Lake of the Isles?"

"Yes," she replied, then cursed silently for doing so. "Why?" It was difficult to keep the annoyance from her voice. This was the first chance she'd had to enjoy a little solitude since she arrived. Not that she minded surf lessons at the crack of dawn, but right now she needed a break. Was that too much to ask? "What's this all about?" She came to her knees to get a better look.

His head blocked the sun, making a halo while bringing his face into focus. He didn't appear as tall as she first imagined.

"It is my duty to inform you that you are under investigation by the Witches' Council." His tone turned dark. "I'm afraid you'll have to come with me."

Tiny p.r.i.c.kles danced over her skin. "Come with you?" That didn't sound good. "Come with you where?"

"For questioning." He swept both hands in the air.

And...

Poof!

Gold bars appeared, encircling her like a cage.

Panic welled up in her throat.

She turned around and around-one way and then another, not quite believing her eyes.

Nothing but blue-excepting one fluffy cloud below. She appeared to be suspended in a giant bird cage in the sky. "Where am I?" she demanded, shaking the curved bars. "Let me out of here!!!"

No one answered.

There was no one and nothing in sight-only a vast, endless blue.

There wasn't a sound.

Not even an echo.

Fear clutched her like an icy fist.

She was all alone.

No one could hear her pleas.

A sob rose in her throat. None of this should be happening! She was an artist, not a witch! That was her calling. She hadn't asked for any of this!

If she ever found her ring again, she'd tell Granny Crimm so. Evelina's eyes welled up with tears. If she ever saw her again!

Poof!

A man appeared, floating cross-legged in the air. His keen gaze flicked over her from head to toe, while his mane of chestnut hair blew behind him in the breeze. But his eyes were the most fascinating.

"You're a Soul Sifter."

He flashed a smile. "Am I?"

"You have one green eye and one blue eye, and you're here to ask questions." She shrugged. "Who else would you be?"

"Who else, indeed." He flashed a brief smile. "I'm here to help you."

"Great!" Relief washed over her. "You can start by getting me out of here." She rattled the cage. "Do you have a key to this thing?"

"Only you can release it."

"Me?" Her gaze scoured every inch of the thing. "How?"

"By telling the truth." He pulled a pen and a pad of paper from the pocket of his blue shorts. "Did you or did you not murder Melvin Ruggles?"