Gemma held out her hand to his, meaning to grab it so she could drag him along with her. She didn’t really have time to stand here and argue with him anymore, but she wanted to help him. Taking him with her would really piss off Penn, but he knew Penn better than Gemma. He might know some of her weaknesses and could help fight against her.

Sawyer reached out and just about took her hand, when Lexi surfaced in the water nearby. Her golden hair shimmered under the sparkling lights of the fireworks above them, and she pulled herself out of the water in one graceful move.

“That can’t be good,” Alex said.

Her sundress clung to her body as she walked up behind Sawyer, and he dropped his outstretched arm back to his side.

“You weren’t thinking about leaving us, were you, Sawyer?” Lexi asked, her voice flirty and playful.

“No, of course not,” Sawyer said. She was still behind him, rubbing up against his back, and he turned to Gemma, mouthing the word Go.

“Lexi, where’s Penn?” Gemma asked, trying to distract her. Gemma still hoped to get Sawyer away from the sirens, but she had to do it before Lexi put a spell on him again.

“Around,” Lexi replied absently. She rested her chin on his shoulder and whispered in Sawyer’s ear, “You’d never leave us, would you?”

“No, I’d never leave you,” Sawyer said, but he stammered a bit. He was still thinking for himself. Even though Lexi was whispering to him, she wasn’t enchanting him.

“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.

32. Immune

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.”