While a gnarled man with wild white hair walked in front of his bookshelf, his finger traced the spine of each book on the fifth shelf from the floor. When he felt the one constructed with dragon scales, he stopped and grinned. He pulled the volume from its fellows and clutched it to his chest, marching for the table in the middle of the room. “Semil, where are you?”

“I’m doing what you instructed me to do,” the young man said, rushing into the library...

Pausing backstage, Ryan pulled the bagged letter out of his coat. Forensics had examined the thing already, but he never wanted to contaminate the evidence. He quickly reread the mismatched letters, yearning for some new insight. Unfortunately, it revealed nothing new. Ryan considered the morning’s private courier delivery to the station. However, a fellow detective had identified it as another dead end.

Despite coming up empty, a bomb threat kept his investigation alive...

A blue incandescent light wrapped around the fleeing mage’s hand, forming a crackling sphere of energy. With a grunt, he threw the magical ball at his pursuer. However, the second man in flight plucked it from its path and tossed it into the sky. As it rushed toward the stars, it exploded, resulting in an explosion of concentric azure rings filling the night sky...

As Amelia’s feet carried her forward, she tugged at her hood to keep the chilly air from overpowering her. But when she stepped onto a slick patch of earth, her foot slid, causing her to stumble. After she hit the ground, she propped herself up and ran a finger through the muddy surface. She rubbed the mud between her fingers before standing up and staring into the sky. Her eyes widened as she raced up the small hill...

With a sigh, Lucious withdrew something from his pocket before re-reading it.

Come to the local museum. Tonight, by six, locate the trio of paintings featuring a mother and child, then settle onto the nearby couch.

Lucious glanced at his watch as he ran his fingers through his hair, ignoring the bald spot. “Fifteen minutes early.” He crushed the note, pocketed it, and sat down in the middle of the little nook...

One day a father and his daughter were out eating at their favorite restaurant, The Noodle Shop. The father enjoyed that he got the night off from cooking, while his daughter enjoyed her macaroni and cheese. As always they got their meal and went to their regular booth to enjoy their dinner together. Unfortunately, this night was about to change.

A small man, walking stiffly trying not to spill his food, approached their booth...

Wrapping her hands around Damien, Jasmine asked, “Are you excited about the movie?”

“I am,” he replied as he broke her grip, “I was worried that you were going to be late.”

“It’s my birthday, and you didn’t wait outside for me. Just because you had your own ticket…” Jasmine teased with a grin. Her hand absently brushed against her pendant as she continued, “Now can we go watch our movie...

As the limousine drew to a stop, Kyle stepped in front of the vehicle, slapping the hood with a file folder.

The driver’s window lowered, and he popped his head through the opening. “Are you aware of who I’m driving?”

Kyle tapped the packet against his forehead as his lips curled into a grin. “I trust Chase Heath is nestled in there.” He thrust the dossier toward the backside of the limousine. “I have important questions for him...

Taitha’s silk shawl whipped behind her as she walked down the street. When she came to a particular building, she halted, turning to face the entrance and grinned. With a glance to each side, she stepped up to the doors, touching the clasp on her belt, and strode through the thick wooden panels. Once inside, she hurried to the map of the interior.

The lithe elf placed her finger on the picture, tracing the floors. Her head shook as she dismissed each room...