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the least colorful candy shop the twins had ever seen. Each item was black, gray, or some other version of that color. “Wait here,” said Jae, racing inside.
    A group of ghost children had gathered outside of the shop, arguing. Jae exited the store handing the twins a black piece of soft candy. “Watch,” he said, nodding toward the arguing ghost children.
    A few of the ghosts were daring another ghost to try a certain kind of candy, which he did not want to do. Eventually, he caved. Seconds later, he was no longer a ghost, but a living boy! He ran crazily, not believing he was alive again. Seeing the living Colin, Meghan and Jae, he rushed over, rubbing his hands over their faces.
    “I can feel things again.” As instantaneously as he had transformed into the living boy, he changed back into the ghostly boy. His smile faded and he went back into the candy store, exiting with a pocketful of the candy.
    “Was that supposed to be funny?” asked Meghan, equally troubled and stunned by what she had witnessed.
    “No, that wasn’t. He’s probably new here. The older ones are teasing him.”
    “What are we holding?” asked Colin cautiously.
    Jae popped a piece into his mouth, grinning smugly. The twins watched as his body dissolved into a ghostly image.
    “It only lasts about thirty seconds,” he yelled down to the twins, floating higher and higher into the air. “But it’s like nothing else you’ve ever tried!” Meghan didn’t wait. She popped hers in and closed her eyes, hard, as if expecting something to explode. She transformed and floated past Jae, on his way down.
    “This is so cool,” she shouted. “Colin, try it! It doesn’t hurt or anything.” Not wanting to be outdone by Meghan he popped his in. Colin changed and passed his sister as she descended to the ground. He drifted to the rooftop. Feeling unstable, he grabbed the building.
    23
    A cloaked figure stood atop the roof. The figure held a leaf in its hand, speaking to it. A distressed female voice replied back, seemingly out of the leaf.
    “We’re not ready yet. I hope it’s not too soon for them to be there.”
    “I think we can use the situation to our advantage,” argued the cloaked figure; it was a man’s voice. He was cut off by the female voice.
    “Behind you!”
    The cloaked man turned, eyeing Colin, who let go of the roof and pointed himself downward.
    Halfway down he began to change back, and plunged toward the ground. Meghan closed her eyes, having no desire to watch her brother fall. Jae, thinking smartly, used magic to slow him.
    He landed with a soft thud. Meghan and Jae scurried to his side.
    “Are you all right?”
    Colin rubbed his neck.
    “I think so.”
    “That was too close,” said Jae, relieved. “If you’d gotten injured, mom’d never let us have ghost candy again.”
    Colin’s thoughts strayed to the man on the roof.
    “Jae, is there a safe place to talk around here?” he blurted out.
    “There’s a pub not many Svoda visit. Why?”
    “Let’s just go there,” replied Colin.
    Meghan and Jae eyed Colin questioningly. As they entered the pub, the twins and Jae caught an adult aged ghost peeking around a corner. Was he spying on them? The ghost, noticing he’d been caught, floated away.
    Jae scoped out a table near the back. One lone member of the Svoda was working behind the counter, alongside a pretty ghost waitress. Jae bought three tonics and returned to the twins.
    “They like it when we come here. They need living people to do work for them sometimes, for when other living people happen to travel through.”
    “Other living people travel through the doorways, too?” questioned Meghan.
    “On occasion,” he answered.
    Colin, impatient, interrupted.
    “Is it for sure safe to talk?” he asked Jae.
    “What’s up?” inquired Meghan, extremely curious. Colin waited for Jae to answer.
    “As long as we’re quiet, yeah, it’s fine.”
    “I saw something strange on the roof of the candy