I hacked at it with the sword. The blade pinged off, leaving a scratch but not much else. I tried again and the force nearly shot it right back to Viola. It was sturdier than I’d assumed. The wood didn’t shatter to pieces like a cameo or a glass pendant would have and the decorative filigrees were made of iron. I scuffed the paint off, but the damage wasn’t enough to free me from Viola’s magical stronghold.

I scooped it up, searching frantically for another way to destroy it. There were little fires burning everywhere but none of them looked hot enough to consume the pendant quickly enough to prevent Viola from reaching it to put it out. Already, rain was starting to fall, hard as silver coins. Mud made everything slippery within seconds. Thunder rumbled, as if an angry dog crouched over us.

Dragon fire was the only thing that would burn hot enough, even in a deluge.

I slid through the wet grass, blinking the water out of my lashes and dodging panicked horses and flashing swords. The cut on my hand bled sluggishly, making the pendant slick. I had to get myself into a better position. I darted out of the protective shield of tree branches and ran as fast as I possibly could toward the dragon while everyone else was running away from it.

Everyone except Viola and Constantine, who were back in a saddle and so close behind me I could hear the horse snorting. The hooves were merciless, a constant hammer bearing down on me. Above us, the storm continued to crash.

Lightning tore through one of the dragon’s leathery wings. It bellowed in pain, fire erupting in one giant cloud, tinged with the acrid odor of charred flesh and blood. It spiraled, losing control and clipping the roof. Shingles and slate shot in every direction. Constantine launched his spear at me but it went wide as he concentrated on controlling his fire-maddened horse.

The dragon roared again, spewing more fire. It was close enough to singe the tips of my hair and turn my cheeks red, as if I was sunburned. I tossed the pendant up high into the flames and leaped out of the way. The heat from the fire made steam lift off my wet clothes.

“No!” Viola shrieked. “No!”

I landed hard, sliding down a hillock to the gatehouse where Gwyneth was hiding. My silver cord went so bright, it was like a moonlight path through the dark woods.

Now or never.

“Go!” Gwyneth shouted. “Now!”

“Come with me!” I shouted back, trying to grab for her hand.

She just shook her head sadly. “I can’t.”

And then she shoved me.

This time, I didn’t fall into one of Viola’s stored memories, but into a flash of silver, like lightning.

Chapter 23

Lucy

Thursday

“You have got to stop writing in the library books,” Tyson said.

“I will if you stop looking at me like I just kicked a kitten,” I replied, sliding the offending book away from him. “I couldn’t help it. Someone needs to edit these things.”

He sat back in the library chair. “Yeah, they’re called editors and they already did that.”

I snorted. “Please. I could drive a truck through the holes in your education.”

“We’re here about your education, not mine.” He actually lowered his forehead to bang it on the table. The librarian sent me a stern glance.

“What?” I said. “I’m not the one giving myself a lobotomy.” Concentrating was even harder than usual. We wouldn’t know how Solange was doing until sunset and that was still hours away. I was relegated to tutoring to keep from going insane. Teasing Tyson was more fun. I nudged his shoe. “Come on, you love it. You’re into learning shit just for the sake of learning. And vampires don’t eat raw hearts.”

“What about Lady Natasha?”

“Please, she was batshit crazy. You can’t judge all vampires by her. That would be like judging all Helios-Ra by Hope.” Which, I had to admit, I’d done myself at first. “And hello, you’ve never met a crazy human?”

“I’m talking to one right now,” he shot back, his voice muffled.

I patted his shoulder encouragingly. “Don’t worry, I’ll make it up to you by telling Jenna how smart and hot you are.”

“What?” He lifted his head, half-horrified, half-intrigued. “Why? What?”

I chuckled, flipping through the next history book on the pile between us. “Hey, get out! My grandma’s in here.” I goggled. “I had no idea she’d staked that many Hel-Blar in her seventies.”

“What do you mean about Jenna?” Tyson asked, lowering his voice so we wouldn’t be overheard.

“Aren’t we supposed to be studying?” I asked him primly.

“Lucy.”

I burst out laughing. “Oh, Tyson, you really are adorable.”

“Great,” he muttered. “I’m puppies and kittens.”

“I’m sure Jenna doesn’t think that.” I gave my most dazzling grin over his shoulder. “And here she comes now.”

“No.” He swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “What have you done?”

“I just told her to meet me here,” I said, blinking innocently. “But I forgot I have to meet Hunter.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Hi, Jenna,” I said brightly, hooking my foot around Tyson’s ankle under the table so he wouldn’t bolt. I felt bad for nearly getting him and Jenna killed at that field party and I wanted to make it up to them. I wasn’t sure if Jenna returned his feelings, but I knew they’d never find out if he didn’t talk to her alone for more than three minutes.