Avery, lost in the rhythm of the ancient archives, thanked Preston Hale with a small incline of her head.

Ten minutes later, Harper Bennett returned to their side, her shoulders slumped in defeat. She pouted at Avery, her scent sour with frustration. "Honey, I really tried to track the logic of the First Age, but my brain is more suited for a battlefield than a riddle hall."

Sadie Monroe chimed in, her voice heavy with resignation. "I’m no better with these cryptic ancestral puzzles. I doubt I’d be much help in securing that prize."

Watching Preston still straining his mind within the crowd, trying to win the lantern for her,...