“I know you wouldn’t.” Lexi smiled. “Do you know how I know?”

Sawyer shook his head. “No. I don’t.”

“Because your heart belongs to us.” Lexi smiled wider at that.

Then her hand burst through his chest.

She was standing behind him, and her human hand had shifted into the awful monster hand, the long, powerful fingers with curved talons at the end. It had torn through Sawyer’s chest easily, spraying a bit of blood as it did, and she now cradled his heart in her hand.

THIRTY-TWO

Immune

Penn lay on the ground, a small stream of blood running from her nose, and blinked up at the trees above her. The fireworks had just begun, and the light glimmered through the leaves.

“I normally don’t justify hitting girls, but if you’re going to try and kill me and my girlfriend, then I’m gonna hit you,” Daniel said as he stood over her. “I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Harper stood behind Daniel, and she couldn’t shake the confusion from her mind. She wanted to go up and touch him, but she felt frozen in place, and had no idea what she should be doing.

“Daniel,” Penn tried singing, her silky voice causing a warm euphoria to spread out over Harper, and she smiled to herself. “Daniel, you will help me.”

“Why are you singing?” Daniel asked. “You’re just lying in the dirt and singing. That’s weird. I thought you were supposed to be some kind of scary monster.”

“Why aren’t you doing what I say?” Penn sat up, propping herself on her elbows. “Are the fireworks drowning out the song?” Then she glanced over at Harper. “No, she’s over there smiling like an idiot, so it’s working. What’s wrong with you?”

“There’s nothing wrong with me, but I don’t have time to argue about this.” Daniel grabbed Harper’s arm and attempted to drag her back the way they had come, but she wouldn’t move. “Harper, let’s go.”

“No, I can’t go.” She shook her head. “I have to stay here for … for…” She stared up at the lights flashing through the trees. “Fireworks.”

“What did you do to her?” Daniel turned back to face Penn, who’d gotten to her feet. “Undo it.”

Her eyes were no longer glowing and had gone back to their usual black. She crossed her arms over her chest and pursed her lips as she watched Daniel and Harper.

“You’ve never listened to me, have you?” Penn asked. “You’re the guy with the boat that intervened when we were talking to Gemma before, and you ignored us. Nobody ever ignores us.”

“I’m ignoring you right now,” Daniel shot back, and he put his arms around Harper to pick her up.

“Daniel,” Harper complained, pushing wanly against him. “I don’t think I should go.”

“That’s right, Harper,” Penn said, using her singsong voice. “You can’t go!”

“Daniel!” Harper screeched when he tried to carry her away. “Put me down!”

“Dammit.” Daniel sighed and set her down carefully, then he walked over to Penn and got right in her face. “I don’t know what the hell your problem is, but you don’t want Harper. You don’t need her. Let us go.”

“Why can’t I enchant you?” Penn asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

“You’re not that enchanting,” Daniel said. “What do you want? Why are you doing this?”

“I want you,” Penn decided. “I want to experiment on you and find out how you can resist me. Then I want to eat your heart. But first I’m going to kill your girlfriend.”

“That isn’t going to happen,” Daniel assured her. “I’ll kill you first.”

“Hmm.” Penn smiled. “Maybe I won’t kill you. It’s been so long since a man has stood up to me. I’ve forgotten how much fun it can be.”

“Let’s have some fun, then,” Daniel said, and he punched her again.

Or at least he tried to. He swung, but Penn grabbed his fist. She squeezed it hard, beginning to crush it with her hand. He grimaced, and started to crouch down. Then he kicked out with one foot, swiping Penn’s legs out from underneath her. She let go of his hand and fell back.

“Daniel?” Harper said, flinching when one of the fireworks exploded loudly in the sky.

She was watching Daniel and Penn, and she wanted to do something. In her heart, it felt like she should, but it was as if her feet were locked in place, and her mind was still so foggy.

Daniel kicked Penn in the side, but she grabbed his leg and pulled him down. Once he was on the ground, she jumped on top of him, straddling him between her legs. Her eyes had shifted back to bird-yellow, and her teeth were razor-sharp and couldn’t seem to fit inside her mouth anymore.

He punched her again, and she laughed, an odd cackling that sounded as if it belonged more to a raven than to a person. She grabbed his wrist and pinned it to the dirt so he couldn’t hit her again, and with her other hand she gripped his throat, her fingers elongating around his neck.

“You would be a lot of fun,” Penn said, cocking her head at him. “But you’re probably not worth the trouble. I think I’ll just kill you now.”

“Harper!” Daniel managed to yell as Penn tightened her grip around his throat. He was pulling at her arm with his free hand, but she wasn’t moving. “Harper!”