Royce came out of his resting state an hour or so after the sun had set. Sometime during the day, he had turned onto his left side, facing Joey whom he held tightly to him. He was stunned to notice he knee was resting on his right hip.

He went to slide away from her, but she yawned and inched closer to him. Her eyes flew open as if she just realized what she was doing. Twisting her head up to look at him, she said sheepishly, "I'm sorry."

Royce grabbed her knee before she could move it. Joey looked down at his hand. He slid it up her thigh, letting his fingers slip under her skin once and a while. She shuddered a bit, then buried her face in his shoulder, trying to hide her embarassed laughter.

"You like that, do ya," he chuckled. He brought his other hand up to her hair and played with the strands thinking of how soft they must be. Then, taking on a serious tone, Royce said "You know, if you bring me back tonight I won't be able to do that."

Joey stopped laughing and looked up at his face. They both thought of how much that statement actually meant. If she brought Royce back he would be a living breathing human being. He'd have no ghostly abilities and no spectral immortality. He'd be susceptable to all human pains. But he could also have all the pleasures.

Thinking that, Joey smiled and said "No, but you'll be able to do other things."

She started moving away from him, but didn't get far before Royce rolled with her, landing awkwardly between her legs. He held his weight above her with one elbow, not wanting to crush her. Looking down into her eyes, he knew that at that moment she would do anything for him and vice versa. He leaned in, ready to kiss her.

An urgent knocking sounded at the door, halting Royce's lips just inches above Joey's. With a dramatic sigh, he looked out into the hall, already knowing it was Dennis who disturbed their interlude. For the second time that week Royce had been in the position to kiss the greatest girl he'd ever know and for the second time Dennis had ruined the moment. He looked back to find Joey propped up on her elbows beneath him.

"He can't see us. Some kind of cloaking spell on the walls," she said peering around Royce's shoulder.

When Joey looked back up at him a soft, rosy blush spread across her cheeks. Her mouth went dry. Royce smirked, probably at the blushing. Another burst of knocking erupted.

"You should answer that," Royce said, before fading away.

Joey sat for a second, then slowly got up and went to the door. She hit the button, causing the glass to slide away. Dennis stepped inside the room and looked curiously at the door jamb.

"Looks like hand-copied spells work," he said glancing at Royce, who had materialized in the corner mearest the door.

"That might come in handy later." Joey picked up her black marker to take it to her pack. The moment her fingers glided over the labeled surface, her breath caught in her lungs. A vision flashed through her mind, freezing her mid-movement.

She saw her body lying still and lifeless on a table. People were talking; two of them. She recognized the voices of Royce and Denny. Joey was still looking at her body when a spectral hand grabbed the hem of her body and exposed her stomach. The hand left her view for a second, then returned with the black marker and began writing on her skin. It was a Latin spell she couldn't read.

Denny's hand on her shoulder brought Joey out of her trance-like state.

"What did you see," he asked as Royce appeared beside her.

"I'm going to need this marker later," she said, then asked the ghosts to leave so she could get dressed.

---

Joey decided to make the library the center of the night's activities. What had once been the house's pristine and beautiful safe-spot was now a disastrous pile of debris. Books lay strewn about, ripped and punctured by shards of glass fallen from the collapsed ceiling.

The crunch beneath her feet sounded small and insignificant even in the dead silence. There were no animal noises; no chirping insects or birds or baying wolves. It was as if all the creatures had been frightened away. All except the senseless human girl walking through a lidless glass box.

She brushed the shattered Ectobar off the table, careful not to cut herself. Plopping her pack on the table, she pulled out a few essential items. Joey placed them in order of importance, then rearranged them. She was stalling for time, nervous about her next move.

It was unavoidable. Joey would have to go into the basement and retrieve the Arcanum. The Latin book was needed to protect her while she brought Royce and Denny back. But she was afraid of running into Ben Moss again. None of her visions told her exactly what dangers he held for her. That was never a good sign.

"Royce," Joey said into the stillness surrounding her. She was hoping he had followed her into the destroyed library. She was right.

He materialized next to her. "Yes?"

She hadn't seen him in a few hours, since he had left her room, but she still felt a little embarassed. Putting away such thoughts, she asked "Do you know where Denny is?"

"Outside," Royce answered. "At his grave."

Joey had figured as much. Her brother was always one to take deep self-contemplation very seriously. Being at his own burial site would make the matter more grave. She knew the irony would not be lost on him.

"Royce, I need the Arcanum from the basement." She looked over at him. "I don't want to go alone."

He stared at her for a second, apprehensively. Then, he nodded, saying softly "Okay...okay."

They left the room and walked through the halls until they found the stairs. Stopping at the top, they stared down into the darkness. Joey took the opportunity to weave her fingers into Royce's. He looked down at her and nodded. They stpped down together.

In the basement, the containment cubes were still glowing. The fact that they were open and empty made it look like a zoo after all the animals had escaped. They walked among the cages, looking into them as if they contained some unfortunate stragglers. They came upon Royce's former cell. Joey squeazed his hand a little tighter.

Unbeknownst to Royce and Joey, Ben Moss was following behind them. He was silent and undetectable, ready to make his move.

Joey saw the book caught between two glass panels along with a crushed corpse. She let go of Royce's hand, leaving him behind her as she searched for the button that worked those particular pieces of Ectobar. She finally found it. The left panel moved back a number of feet, inadvertantly creating another dead-end hall.

She stepped over the crunched body and grabbed the bbok. As her fingers brushed the leather, a chilling tingle went up her spine. It was a reaction her body usually saved for the greatest immenent physical danger. She knew the danger was not from the book.

"Royce," she questioned, her voice already a plea. She still crouched as she turned. "Royce?"

But she knew instantly that it was not Royce who loomed above her. The thing that looked down upon her with its evil sneer was not the familiar ghost that had protected her the nigth before or had accompanied her into that dreadful basement. She looked now into the cold, cruel eyes of the Torn Prince and her heart was stricken with grief. Joey didn't even register the danger when he shouldered his bat, preparing to strike.