Spirits and Spells Read Free

her head.”
    â€œEuuuw!” cried Tansy.
    â€œDon’t be so gross!” said Jenny.
    â€œI’m not being gross. I’m just telling you what happened.”
    Jenny frowned. “Well, it’s still gross.”
    A crash downstairs made them all jump. Jenny, her face pale, clutched Tansy’s arm.
    Derek laughed. “Ever graceful, ever silent, McMasters and Wu are here at last. At least, I presume that’s who it is.” He gave his evil chuckle again.
    Matt McMasters’s voice boomed up from below. “Anybody here?”
    â€œUpstairs!” called Travis, stepping into the hall.
    The newcomers bounding up the stairway made an unlikely couple. Matt was short and intense, standing only slightly over five feet. He had dark hair, dark eyes, and a dark streak in his personality that would have made him unbearable had it not been balanced by a healthy sense of humor.
    Denise Wu had dark coloring, too, but she was tall—even taller than Travis. Of the three girls she was far and away the most enthusiastic gamester. Shy and reserved in school (although a straight-A student), she lit up when she was with a group of players. Involvement in gaming was the tie that held her and Matt together.
    Right now, her dark brown eyes were glowing with excitement. “It’s a perfect night for this,” she said in a whisper. “There is one monster of a storm brewing out there.”
    Just like Denise to be rooting for a real gullywasher , thought Tansy.
    â€œLet’s get started,” said Travis.
    They pulled some chairs over to the library table. Outside, the October evening had plunged into total darkness. The wind was whipping around the house, and branches scratched at the windows. It really was a perfect setting for Spirits and Spells.
    Maybe too perfect , thought Tansy nervously.
    â€œYou’re going to have to go over the rules carefully,” said Matt. “You guys have all had a chance to play this, but it’s brand-new to me and Denise.”
    Tansy could tell from Matt’s voice that he was annoyed he and Denise had not been invited to the group’s first attempt at the game. Of course, he had never noticed that Travis was jealous of him. But that was Matt. His emotional obliviousness was one of the reasons Tansy had broken up with him to begin with.
    â€œWe only played for about an hour,” said Derek scornfully. “Then Lydia went berserk and we had to stop.”
    â€œFor heaven’s sake, give her a break,” snapped Tansy. “She has a lot of imagination. That’s what makes her such a great player. She’s just got more of it than she can handle.”
    A moment of awkward silence settled over the table, broken when Travis cleared his throat. The five adventurers looked at him expectantly.
    â€œAll right, here’s the background,” he said, reading from the first manual. “We are powerful magic users, witches and wizards who have been exiled to the world of Quarmix by Mormekull, a mighty wizard who resented our abilities.
    â€œFor the hundreds of years we have been trapped here, we have been planning our escape. During this time we have practiced our magic, honed our skills, increased our power.
    â€œRecently we discovered a new source of magic on this world. Now our strength is greater than ever—nearly great enough to enable us to break the spells that hold us here, so we can return at last to Earth.
    â€œBut our enemy, Mormekull, has learned that our powers are growing. He fears we will break free, so he has prepared this house as a trap for us.”
    â€œWhat kind of a trap?” asked Matt.
    Travis shot him an impatient glance. Tansy squirmed in her seat, fearing a clash between the two boys. But Travis went right on.
    â€œThe house is a gateway between the two worlds. It was through this very place that Mormekull first expelled us from Earth.
    â€œNow he is playing a desperate game. Four