Marrow knelt in front of me. Then he said in a kind, soothing voice, “I understand your anger, Dusty. I understand your hurt and loss. You’ve a right to them, no doubt. But you must accept that hurt and loss are a consequence of war. And this is war, Dusty. You just didn’t know it. But now it’s time to choose your side.”

I fought back the urge to cry. I couldn’t give in to my emotions now. I’d failed my mom, but there was still Eli and Selene to think about. It was my fault they were here. I had to find a way to get them out, and I couldn’t do that while overcome by grief.

Marrow continued. “The Magi must be stopped. Magickind needs to be free, and those that choose to follow me will be freed.” He adjusted his grip on the sword as if preparing to use it. “We shouldn’t have to disguise ourselves with glamour. Shouldn’t be forced to blend in with the ordinary world, adopting their crude ways of life, like using electricity and natural gas to run our homes. Magic can do those things for us. Ordinary technologies are a nuisance, all those cell phones and televisions. And some of them are even dangerous. Take the Internet, for example. Did you know Paul has created a website that allows me to recruit for my very own army? Hundreds of oppressed magickind, organized and ready to fight with a mere click of a button.”

I shivered at the implications. With social networking sites he could coordinate wide-scale attacks with ease. I’ve got to do something. Not just for Eli and Selene, but for everybody.

With adrenaline pumping through my system, a focus came over my mind. I needed to find a way out of this. “How did the Magi steal your spell in the first place?”

I didn’t expect Marrow to answer, but he said at once, “I fell in love with the wrong woman, and she betrayed me.” He stood and approached the tomb, forgetting about me for a moment. He lifted my mother’s body out of the tomb with his magic and tossed her over the side, out of sight. I bit my tongue, holding back a cry.

Marrow peered into the tomb. “But she wasn’t just any woman, my Nimue. She was my dream-seer, and I hers.”

Comprehension struck me. “You and she were—”

“The same as you and Eli, yes. Dream-seers have a special bond, you know. One that far exceeds anything physical.” He reached into the tomb and stroked Nimue’s cheek.

“Uh-huh. Right. So her betrayal makes perfect sense then.”

“She had her reasons. And she made her choice.” Marrow withdrew his hand and then raised Excalibur over his head, holding it like a stake with the blade pointed at Nimue. He drove it downward into her body with one fierce stroke.

I screamed, but the sound was drowned out by another scream, one so loud it shook the walls of the chamber, raining down bits of rock on top of us. Magic fueled that scream, giving it weight and power. Marrow hadn’t only killed Nimue; he’d broken whatever spell had enabled her to live so long, trapped in a dream of her own making.

The silence afterward rang almost as loudly as the scream. Blood rushed in my ears as deafening as a storm-swept river. I didn’t want to die, too.

Marrow walked back to me, holding the sword casually as if he hadn’t just used it to kill. Blood dripped from the tip, leaving red splotches on the ground.

“Don’t be upset, Dusty,” he said. “Nimue was a prisoner, but I’ve given her rest at last. It’s more than she deserved after her betrayal, I assure you.”

Even though I was more afraid than I’d ever been in my life, I still couldn’t keep my mouth from running away with me. “Rest. Revenge. Same difference, right?”

Marrow smiled at me with something like affection. I recoiled from the look, disgust churning in my belly. “You remind me of her in many ways. Same feisty spirit, same talent as a dream-seer. Perhaps that’s why I’ve always been so fond of you. I hope you will consider joining me. You and Eli. There’s nothing more valuable than a dream-seer pair. I can give you everything and anything you want. Just ask Paul. His greatest desire was to do magic. And now he can.”

I shook my head, still hearing the sound of Nimue’s death cry echoing in my mind. His pitch about freeing magickind from oppression would’ve been more effective if he wasn’t going around murdering innocent people. “No. Not ever.”

Marrow sighed. “I can’t say I didn’t expect this reaction. You inherited Nimue’s bull-headedness as well.” He motioned at Paul. “Make her change her mind.”

Paul shook his head, his face going pale. “I … I can’t. Not on her.”

Marrow pointed the bloodstained sword at him. “You will do it or I will take back what I have given you.”

“Wait,” I said, trying to delay again. “First tell me how you did it. I know what happened with Rosemary, but what about Mr. Ankil? How did you get him down in that tunnel with all the senate watching out for him?”

Marrow looked at me, a smug smile on his lips. “More easily than you could imagine. Paul, you see, was never as powerless as his uncle believed. He is half-siren, able to manipulate and seduce despite The Will. A useful talent under the right circumstances. The more desperate or lonely the person targeted, the more effective the power. Arturo Ankil was an easy mark, unable to resist when Paul lured him out of the dance right under the nose of his guard.”

I swallowed, disgusted at the image that rose in my mind. I didn’t want to look at Paul, but I couldn’t stop myself. His eyes were fixed on the floor, his face now red. A muscle ticked in his jaw.