“Now what?” Kat asked.

But before Isaac could answer, they heard it: a terrifying screech from overhead. A blast of flame arced through the dark sky, the dragon a darker blot above them.

They turned as the dragon descended to the rocky ledge and Moloch and Daemon both slid from the beast’s back. Moloch unfurled his own huge leathery wings, turned to face them, and smiled. “My dragon is a very good hunter,” he said. “And now we’ve found you.”

CHAPTER 56

Isaac

1942

Isaac gasped. This Moloch was not like the Moloch he’d met earlier. This Moloch was terrible. This Moloch radiated menace and anger, exuding evil.

His teeth were sharpened to sharklike daggers. His single eye burned like fire. He stank of rot, and he was dreadful: bloody face, claw hands, huge leathery wings, skin stretched over cheekbones sharpened to points.

The pendant on Isaac’s chest vibrated so that it was all he could do to stand still. Moloch pulled hard at Isaac, forcing him to enhance the magic that Moloch wanted.

And Moloch wanted darkness. The darkest kind of magic. Isaac could not resist him.

Moloch waved a hand, and everyone except Isaac and the knights fell to their knees and cried out. Isaac staggered, trying to hold himself together.

The wind howled and stinging sleet pelted them. Even the earth beneath their feet seemed to heave. The hum in Isaac’s head was so loud it drowned out the sound of the sea pounding the cliffs, and he tried to fight, tried, but it was so difficult . . .

“Now you understand,” Moloch said. “Now you see what you’re up against.” His single red eye gleamed, and the scar that ran up his cheek to his empty eye socket puckered as he grinned. A new gash, slashed across the other side of his face, dripped blood.

Moloch was using Isaac to amplify dark magic and Isaac couldn’t stop him, as hard as he tried. The raw power that emanated from Moloch was overwhelming. Isaac’s legs buckled as he fought to stay upright.

Leo pushed himself to his feet. Isaac hadn’t seen him take a sword from the armory, but there Leo was, waving one wildly and hollering, “I’ll fight you . . .”

But Daemon flew at Leo, knocking him flat and standing with front feet on Leo’s chest as the sword skittered across the ground. The wolf bared its teeth in Leo’s pale and frightened face.

“Let’s see what happens when I take away that boy’s mind,” Moloch said, and Leo began to cry out.

Amelie yelled at the knights, and Bedwyr came to her side, but the other knights, turned evil at a command from Moloch, surrounded Amelie and Bedwyr with swords drawn, as Moloch laughed and waved his hand. Snakes emerged from the empty ghost armor, slithering toward Amelie, who screamed in terror.