“I can’t believe we didn’t know,” Vera said aloud.

Mimi was gone. Addamas was gone—stolen away while Vera and Kale were distracted by another pawn. They’re gone, was playing in a loop in her head.

“It doesn’t make any sense,” said Kale. “Marianna’s been helping us the whole time.”

“Yeah, that’s what she wanted us to think.” Vera pressed her palms to the side of her head. “You’re sure it was her?”

“It’s not every day that a house full of snakes pops through a gate,” said Braxas.

“We met before too,” said Maiden-Mother. “It was the same woman from the meadow—the weaver you told me about.”

“Did she say anything?” Vera asked.

“No,” replied Maiden-Mother. “She simply opened her front door. Mimi and Addamas walked inside. Then they were gone.”

“She took them into Heliopolis,” Braxas finished. “Pili, Seb, and I haven’t found a trace of them yet.”

“But why?” Kale asked the question no one had an answer to.

“She wants us to follow her there,” guessed Vera.

“Are you going to?” Maiden-Mother asked.

“Of course.” Vera shrugged. “She has Mimi and Addamas.”

“Braxas and I will remain in the meadow,” said Maiden-Mother. “The locked gates didn’t stop her, and I’m afraid of what else they might not stop.”

“What about Leah’s son?” asked Vera. “He has a world-thread. If she goes after him...” Vera felt sick.

“He and his family are staying at the palace,” Maiden-Mother informed her. “They are surrounded by the most powerful witches of the coven.”

“That won’t do any good if Marianna got to one of them,” Vera pointed out.

“If she did, there’s not a lot we could do to stop her.” Maiden-Mother sagged into a chair around the makeshift conference table. “She knows how everything will play out. All our moves.”

“Then don’t go after her,” Braxas said. “If you believe that’s what she wants, do the opposite.”

Kale rounded on the dragon, eyes blazing red.

Braxas hissed, “I will keep my promise.”

“What promise?” Vera asked.

Both men ignored her. Kale finally spun away, slamming a fist into the wall as he did. Jemma, who was sitting nearby, jumped with a squeak. Seb edged between the girl and Kale.

Vera decided to ask what Braxas meant later, when Kale wasn’t losing his crap. She picked up the paper in front of her, crumpled from being passed into many hands, and read it again. Mimi, You and your unborn baby will die unless you follow these instructions exactly. Tell no one. And lie to no one—get creative, dear. It was signed, Marianna. Then there was a list of dates and things that had already happened. The first had happened the day after the meadow fell. It told Mimi to avoid Kale until a specific time that morning. Vera knew that was the moment he’d swapped places with Ferrox. There were other various days and times to return home and avoid him as well. Those were the times when Kale must have surfaced to check in. She’d made sure that he wouldn’t detect Mimi’s deception. The entire time they’d searched for Suzie’s network, Mimi had known it was Marianna.

“But you never saw deception on Marianna,” Vera said.

“That’s bothering me as well,” said Kale.

According to the list, Mimi planted the idea of peeing in the nymph pool in Addamas’s head. The final two instructions were to show Addamas the note, and then a date and time to meet her in the parking lot. It explained why Mimi had been distant and awkward.

“They packed bags and made their beds before they left,” said Pili. “They were ready to go.”

That sounded off to Vera. “Mimi never made her bed. She liked it messy—said it was more comfortable that way.”

“Okay,” said Kale, obviously not understanding why that mattered.

“She decided she should make it for the first time, to celebrate being taken?” Vera shook her head. “That doesn’t make sense.”

Kale shrugged, but Vera stood and headed down the hall.

“Where are you going?” he called.

“To check something.”

Vera took the stairs two at a time up to their room. An entourage followed her. She and Mimi had decided to stay in their same room after everything went down, since it was already set up and home to them. Vera’s bed was made from the last time she’d actually slept. That was normal. Seeing Mimi’s bed made? That was eerie. Vera grabbed the comforter and pulled it back. Sketches littered the bed.

“What are those?” she asked.

Jemma peered over Vera’s shoulder. “Mimi asked if she could have some of the drawings I made from your trip to Zerzura.”

Vera frowned at the drawings of her facing off against a league of beings she’d never seen before. They wore loose clothes and had geometric patterns on their cheeks and foreheads. “Anyone know what they are?”

“Genies,” Kale said. “Look at the throne.”

“What about it?”

Seb and Pili shouldered through. “The beetle is gone.”

“And that means?” prompted Vera.

“It sits on the throne when Mimi is away, so no one can claim it in her absence,” Pili explained.

“Then Mimi has to be at the palace,” Vera concluded.

“Or she already was,” argued Seb.

“That fight with the genies hasn’t happened yet,” Vera replied, “which means we know where Mimi will be.”

“But not when,” Kale finished.

Vera turned to Jemma. “When will these happen?”

“I thought they already had. I don’t see the future, just what’s happening at that moment. That’s what a daayan sees—the current. That’s what you said.” The girl seemed to be on the verge of breaking into tears.

Vera laid a hand on her arm. “It’s okay. Maybe you’re an oracle too. Who knows, right?”

She’d meant it to be reassuring. Jemma looked anything but. Pili tugged her back between him and Seb, as if they were ready to take on the world for her.

Maiden-Mother sifted through the pictures, and Vera’s breath caught. “Look.” She dropped the other pictures. “Jemma, is this Kale?”

Jemma bent close and squinted. “Huh, I didn’t even realize that was him when I was drawing it.” She assessed Kale. “I never saw him look like that before.” The drawing depicted Kale on two legs, surrounded by genies.

“How did I lose my unnatural bindings?” Kale asked Jemma.

“I don’t know,” she said. “I saw these as flashes, not a movie. That’s why they aren’t so good.”

“These are all the images you saw in flashes?” Maiden-Mother gestured at the pictures on Mimi’s bed.

“Yeah. I didn’t understand why Mimi was so interested in them. It’s not my best work.”

“It wasn’t the quality that interested her, it was the message,” said Vera. “We can separate Kale and Ferrox.”

“Wait, Vera.” Maiden-Mother pulled out another sheet. It was the same image: Kale in the center of a swarm of genies. Only, he was still in his unnatural form.

Vera’s throat tightened. “There are two possibilities. Oracles only see one.”

Jemma retreated farther into the huddle of brothers. “I draw what I see. I have no idea how anything works. But my grandma always says there is more than one path that life could go, that it was up to us which we take.”

“I bet she never went up against the Fates,” Vera said through gritted teeth.

“The question is, which of these paths does Marianna want us to take?” Maiden-Mother wondered.

“And how do we take the other one?” Kale added.

Maiden-Mother pointed at something near Vera’s feet in one of the drawings. “You recognize that?”

Vera hadn’t even noticed it. “That’s Professor Eldrid’s book from the library. The one that only I could read.” That book was important this whole time? She shuffled through until she found the two drawings of Kale. The book was also in the picture where Kale was on his own two feet.

“If you have that book in the future where Kale is unbound….”

“Then it’s time to go to the library,” Vera finished.

“It’s closed,” Jemma piped up.

“Why?”

“Umm, because it’s summer break and they have an annual shut-down for maintenance.”

“Perfect,” Vera grumbled.

“It is,” Kale said, “because that means no one will be there to see us steal it.”

Vera cringed, but at that point, it was the only way to get the thing. Not getting it wasn’t an option if it led to saving Kale.

“Let’s go.” Kale started to back out of the room.

“I think you should stay here,” Maiden-Mother intervened.

“I think she’s right, Kale,” agreed Vera.

“What if Marianna doesn’t want you to get that book? What if she sends someone to stop you? Or someone to kidnap you too?”

“I don’t think so.” Vera gazed at the drawing. “Not if Jemma saw this battle twice. Marianna wants me in Heliopolis, not captured.”

“I’ll go with her to the library,” Pili volunteered.

“She doesn’t need you to go with her,” Kale protested. “I’m going.”

Vera didn’t know how to tell the man that he was being irrational. “Someone could see you.”

“I don’t care.”

“You should,” she insisted.

He clenched his hands into fists by his sides. “I’ll make sure that anyone who sees me doesn’t repeat what they see.”

“Yeah, that sounds a lot like threatening anyone we happen across,” Vera said.

“I figured you’d prefer that to me actually killing them all,” he replied.

“Kale, I don’t know how to tell you this.” Vera winced. “You’re not coming with me.”

“Who’s going to stop me?”

“That pleasure is all mine,” announced a man lounging in the doorway. Vera had never seen him before. His eyes were slitted like a cat’s, but the smoke streaming from his mouth and bright red hair gave him away.

Vera’s eyebrows flew up. “Braxas?”

“You were supposed to check in almost an hour ago,” he told Maiden-Mother.

“Sorry,” she said. “I got caught up.”

“It’s fine now that I know you are well,” he said simply.

“He can go with you,” Kale announced.

Braxas frowned. “Where is it you think I’m going?”

“To help Vera steal a book from the library,” Kale explained.

“In Earth?” Braxas made a face.

“It’s him or me,” Kale said to Vera and Maiden-Mother.

“I’d suggest you find another candidate,” Braxas said.

“Please?” Vera asked, knowing it would be so much simpler if he’d agree. She was quickly losing her patience, knowing that she could already be on her way if Kale weren’t being a butt. She told herself that her annoyance had nothing to do with her stinging pride from Kale’s reaction earlier. But that was a lie.

Braxas glanced at Maiden-Mother and sighed. “Fine, but it better not take long. I don’t want to catch something.”

“What, like human pox?” teased Maiden-Mother.

“You never know.”

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Jemma asked.

“There’s not much that can stand against a dragon,” Braxas assured. “Even one masquerading as a two-legger.”

“That’s not what I was worried about.” Jemma shrank back as she admitted it.

“She has a point,” Vera said.

“What’s the problem?” Kale asked irritably.

“Oh, just that books are rather flammable, Kale,” Vera bit out. “If anything goes wrong, the whole place will go up.”

“I’m flame-proof. I can shield you with my wings if there is trouble.”

“See?” asked Kale. “Nothing to worry about.”

“Braxas,” started Maiden-Mother.

“I won’t burn down a library,” he promised. “My fire is not my only weapon.”

“Are we ready to get this over with?” Kale didn’t seem to understand what everyone was so worried about. And that worried Vera. So much so, that her frustration at him mellowed, but she didn’t have the time or privacy to try to make sure he was hanging in there. Braxas was already headed down the stairs. Vera followed but overheard Kale tell Maiden-Mother, “When she gets back she needs sleep. Ferrox and I need to hunt.”

“Where are you going?” Maiden asked. Vera slowed to hear the exchange.

“Does it matter?” he asked sharply.

Maiden’s words were measured. “I have to open a gate for you. They’re all locked.”

“What if I said Summartir because I have a bone to pick with a wolf coven?”

“I’d say I’ll open the gate to Shangri-la so it can dump you right into Avici, where you will not be tempted to take the life of someone still living.”

“Then why’d you ask for my choice?” Kale asked.

“I’d hoped you’d choose better.”

“I’ll go as soon as she gets back,” Kale said.

Vera skipped down the stairs before she got caught eavesdropping. She almost called on Ferrox, but the demon had been quiet recently. Plus, she was afraid Kale would not appreciate her checking up on him. She had no idea why she needed this book, but she hoped it was the way to fix Kale.

Campus was quiet. It was strange not to see students lounging in the grass or hustling to class. So much had happened since the spring semester. Vera felt like there were a thousand years between her and school, even though it had only been a few months. Braxas eyed everything with barely veiled disdain. She restrained the urge to jump and shout boo—mostly because her mind filled with images of burning alive in an inferno.

“Hey Braxas,” Vera ventured. “Were you around during the Unraveling?”

He gave her an appalled side-eye. “How old do I look to you?”

“You look the same age as Kale,” she replied.

He rumbled deep in his throat. “I am not that old. But my father was there for it.”

Vera barely kept herself from rolling her eyes. He was offended because she had his lifespan off by one generation? “Why didn’t the dragons just kill the unnaturals?”

“The horde was powered by the strongest Siphon Masters ever to walk the Earth. Our fire could not burn them. Not to mention, they outnumbered us a thousand to one. A new dragon is only born every few hundred years or so.”

“Did anyone ever talk about an unnatural changing back?”

“No, because none ever did.”

“I think one did.” According to Kale’s vile ex, anyway.

“It must have been a fluke,” he said dismissively.

She traced the pattern of the brick sidewalk with her eyes. “What if it wasn’t?”

“Mother said you are a magic collector.” He gave her a bored look. “Including a soul-eater. Summon him and ask.”

“I don’t have a way to connect to him—whoever he is. No mementos, no name, nothing. And even if I could summon such a person, I don’t have a body lying around to stick his soul in.”

“A body isn’t an issue. There’s one over there.”

A person in a maintenance uniform walked between two buildings. “That’s not a body, that’s a person.”

Braxas shrugged. “Semantics.”

“A beating heart is not semantics,” she insisted when he seemed to slow while eyeing the oblivious guy.

“If you say so.”

“I do.” Vera didn’t trust that he was listening. “If you kill a human, I’ll tell Maiden-Mother.”

Braxas scowled but stopped staring at the man. “My father said the immortals of Penglai took it upon themselves to collect mementos from every unnatural. They believed it could be used to turn the tides of the invasion.”

“That’s a lot of mementos,” Vera said.

“Supposedly the alchemists cooked it all down into a potion. He said the generals each wore a charm with a drop of potion into war. Then, the unnaturals slaughtered them. So it didn’t work, but maybe your mystery man was part of the memento soup.” He glanced at Vera meaningfully. “The generals were buried in full armor”

“Are you suggesting I go to Penglai and rob a grave?”

“They were buried in the catacombs under the city. Right on the outskirts of Diyu.”

Diyu. The name of Penglai’s underworld made her stomach sink. It was the underworld Kale cursed most often. For good reason, he’d told her. Only, despite how ludicrous it would be to go there on purpose, Vera couldn’t help the spark of hope that ignited just then. She tried to temper it with logic. Do you know how much luck it would take to summon the right man and to get out of there alive? It didn’t help.

“This is it?” Braxas surveyed the three-story building as if he’d expected something grander.

Vera pulled at the door, even though she knew it would be locked. Maybe it was habit. Or maybe she was hoping for a miracle. “Let’s walk around and see if there’s a door or window open.”

“I thought we were in a hurry.”

“We are, so let’s go.” Vera took a dozen steps, but Braxas stared at her incredulously without budging.

“This is ridiculous.” Then he said dryly, “Oh look. That window is open.” He pointed at one of the large panels of glass flanking the front doors.

“That window doesn’t even op— ”

Braxas smashed a fist through the thick glass. Vera’s mouth popped open, and she looked around for witnesses, heart galloping.

“What are you doing? There are alarms for stuff like that. And cameras.” We are going to jail.

“I suppose we should hurry before your human guards get here then,” he replied without any sign that he was in a hurry. He used his foot to knock out the rest of the glass and stepped inside. Vera couldn’t make her legs move.

“Let's go, two-legger. I want out of this realm.”

Braxas strode through the library, in the opposite direction of where the book would be. If it was even shelved—something Vera hadn’t considered until that moment.

“Do they only keep books in this place?” asked Braxas.

What do you think a library is? She slipped inside. She was already screwed, so she might as well get what she came for. Hopefully, she could explain it all to Dean Harris and not get expelled or granted a ride in the back of a police car.

“Stop throwing books on the floor,” Vera scolded. “I know where it is.” I hope.

“Oh.” Braxas tossed the book in his hand aside.

Luckily, the book they needed was right where it should be. Not that anyone else could read it, so yeah, it being there wasn’t much in the way of luck.

Braxas whistled low. “That’s old.”

She studied him for a moment. “Would you teach me how to do that?”

“Whistle?”

“Yeah,” she said. “I’ll put in a good word with Maiden-Mother.”

“You need to stop using her to get your way with me.”

“It works, doesn’t it?”

He growled low but didn’t argue, before stalking to the broken window. Once they were headed back across campus, he said unexpectedly, “Whistling is easy. Any hatchling can whistle.”

Vera bit her lip to keep from grinning. She was going to get a lesson after all. Dragon-man had it bad.

“No,” Kale told Vera flatly. “You are not going to traipse through Diyu.”

“Just through the catacombs. Right inside the entrance,” she clarified. “And I’m not suggesting I go alone.”

“Oh, because that makes it better.”

She folded her arms. “I could go alone if you’d rather.”

“Where is that dragon?” Kale turned in a circle, scanning the meadow for Braxas. I’m going to murder him for putting this idea into your head.”

“That dragon is back in his scaly form and rather grumpy,” Mother chimed in. “Why not give Vera’s idea a chance?”

“Plus, you said you needed to hunt,” reminded Vera. “So you could do that.”

Kale narrowed his eyes. “When did I say that?”

She opened her mouth and then snapped it closed. Aww, heck.

“Did you link to me?” he demanded.

“What? No. I overheard you before I went to vandalize the library with a dragon.” She turned to Mother. “Any way to get that repaired before I end up with a criminal record?”

“This is a waste of time.” Kale threw his hands into the air. “We need to go get Mimi and Dam.”

“It’s not a waste of time if we screw up Suzie and Marianna’s plans,” Vera countered.

“How do you know she didn’t plan for you to go to Diyu?” he challenged.

“She manipulated you into facing off with Noah—she sent that message to get you there. Which means she wants you back in your unnatural form.”

Kale hadn’t thought about it like that. He hadn’t gone back and analyzed everything that had happened since they’d learned Marianna’s part in it all. As much as he’d rather charge after her, Vera might be right. Changing him back might be the only sure way to screw over their plans for world destruction. “Only if you get a few hours of sleep first.”

“You’re joking, right?”

“You need to be thinking straight, and I need to get dinner.”

“Why not get dinner while we’re in Diyu?” she asked. “Two birds. One stone.”

“I won’t argue with you on this one,” he said. “I will not leave you for two minutes while we are there, not even to hunt. That’s my deal.” He turned to Mother. “I need that gate to Shangri-la opened.”