Azpen broke the silence first, forcing a laugh that sounded a little too sharp. He rose from the table, dusting his palms together. "Ghosts," he said with a crooked grin, though his eyes flicked toward the yawning doorway. "The old stacks are full of them. That's why I never read."

Baron's chair scraped back, slow, deliberate. He didn't look amused. His gaze lingered on Elowyn, longer than was necessary, before he finally stood. "Don't stay here," he said flatly. "If it was a ghost, you're in ...