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Giving him an annoyed look she shakes her head and says, “I don’t think so.”

Rolling his eyes, Jiron pulls a knife before moving to the door and passing into the hallway. Moving silently, he makes his way to the stairs and begins climbing up. James, Miko, and Brother Willim follow close behind. Turning back to James he indicates the orb and says, “Get rid of the light.”

With a thought James cancels the orb and they are once again plunged into darkness. A floorboard creaks revealing Jiron is already moving up the stairs. Following, James keeps a hand in contact with the wall to guide himself until he reaches the stairwell. The blackness is gradually making way for indistinct shadows as his night vision returns. Moving quickly, he takes the steps up to the third level. When he makes the top, he sees the shadow that is Jiron standing outside the closed door of the room that lies directly above theirs. Stepping quietly, he comes to Jiron’s side.

“Someone’s in there moving around,” he says. Then they hear another floorboard creak inside the room. He glances to James and nods to the door. When he receives a nod in reply, he steps backward and kicks the door hard with his foot.

Waaaaaaaaaa!

A baby’s cry rips through the night as the slamming of the door against the wall frightens it. Its mother turns in fear toward the door and clutches her baby tight to her bosom. The person they had been hearing moving around was a woman trying to get her child back to sleep. She screams as a man bolts up out of the bed that’s sitting against the far wall. He looks in alarm at Jiron standing framed in the doorway, the light of the candle on the table glinting off the knife in his hand. Drawing a sword, the man moves to stand between his wife and child, and the intruders.

“Not this one,” Jiron says. Then to the couple he says, “Sorry.”

“Reilin get up here now!” cries out James.

Backing out of the room, Jiron moves to the next door and hits it hard with his shoulder, bursting it open. The smell that hits him tells him he’s got the right room this time. “This is it!” he cries out as he enters.

Then Reilin appears at the top of the stairs. James turns to him and says, “We barged in and frightened these people.” Indicating the man ready to defend his family, he says. “Give them our apologies and explain the situation to them.”

“Alright,” he says, then moves to the doorway and begins explaining things to the couple.

Doors along the hallway crack open as the other guests look out to see what’s going on. When they see them in the hallway, they quickly shut their doors and throw the bolt.

“Miko,” says Jiron from the other room, “you better get in here.”

Leaving Reilin to deal with the family, they hurry over to the open doorway. Within they see Jiron moving over toward the open window, beneath which lies a woman bleeding to death. On the bed against the far wall is the murdered man whose passing Miko must have sensed. Bound and gagged, he lies face down on the bed with a knife still sticking out his back. On the floor next to the bed is an open chest. Whatever had been contained within is gone.

The light from the Star fills the room as Miko enters and rushes toward the woman. Soon, the glow surrounds him and then moves to envelope the woman. Aleya comes to his side to help in whatever way she can.

Snaking out the window is a rope that’s anchored to the bed. Sticking his head out the window he looks down to see Shorty staring back up at him. “Did you see whoever it was that came down here?” he shouts.

“No!” he hollers back up.

“Look around, he can’t have gone far,” he says. “Take Scar and Potbelly and search the area.”

Nodding, Shorty races away to get the other two.

A commotion is developing in the hallway. The raised voice of a man grows louder as he approaches. Jiron casts one look around outside and then returns his head back into the room. Just then, Reilin appears at the doorway with a rather irate innkeeper.

“He demands to know what is going on here,” Reilin explains.

“Tell