The Storm Runner

Zane, his uncle, and Brooks take the giant’s superpowered scooter to the party, traversing the 15 miles to the Beverly Hills Hotel in five minutes’ time. Brooks warns the others that the twins like to play mind games and trade in magic. She cautions them, saying that, “By the time you know what they’ve done, you’ve already lost” (250).

The group passes through a security checkpoint, convincing a living skeleton to let them attend the party without an official invitation. When burly guards pat them down, one discovers Zane’s jade tooth, and Zane lies about where he got it. The party is a lavish affair that includes both human and supernatural guests. Zane and his uncle want to explore, but Brooks doesn’t want to linger.

The twins find the group quickly. One asks Brooks where about the whereabouts of her sister, his future bride. Brooks shrugs this off, and the group mingles with the crowd, spreading rumors that the twins didn’t actually defeat Ah-Puch in hopes that the twins will become angry enough to reveal how they did it. The twins accuse