He unfreezes the dire wolf and calls it to come to his side—which it does without hesitation—then makes the transformation work for them both.

Moloch and the dire wolf, now in disguise as boy and dog, find their way deeper inside Rookskill Castle, searching. Moloch has no doubt that he’ll find his ages-long quarry.

CHAPTER 41

Isaac

1942

Kat, Amelie, Isaac, and Leo stood together at the window. It was very clear that a dragon was moving from one tree to the next. An occasional spit of flame lit up the storm, and its wide red wings were etched against the clouds as it balanced, its long neck and tail flexing.

“We need Colin,” Kat said. “We need to figure out where the dragon came from.”

“Do you think Colin can talk to dragons?” Amelie asked.

“I hope so,” Kat replied.

“It’s pretty amazing,” murmured Leo. “Big, scary, but amazing.”

Kat said, “I’m going to revisit the wards. Make them stronger. Isaac, can you help me with that?”

“Of course.” Isaac was glad he could help protect the castle.

But he wasn’t sure how he’d finish his own mission. If the clue he was to find in his last time travel was in the ledger, then he’d missed it. If it was any of the artifacts, he couldn’t figure out which. Maybe he’d failed with this last time travel, as he had with the first, and even, if you counted his mistake with Hypatia, the second.

Isaac swallowed hard. He still had one more time travel to make, one more chance to understand what he had to do with the Vault, its key, and the artifacts.

One more important puzzle piece to find. But how could he deal with that, when there was a castle to protect?

Kat closed her eyes, and Isaac took the jolt of magical energy from her and harnessed it, sending it through the walls in wave upon wave.

Isaac said, “I sense that a door is open.”

Kat opened her eyes. “I felt it, too.”

Willow popped into view. “Can’t find Colin anywhere.”

“Anywhere?” Amelie asked.

“Well, we can’t scour the entire castle,” Willow sniped. “We’re a wight, not a gruagach.”

“We need to find Colin and then stay together in a safe place,” Amelie said.

“What’s safe?” muttered Leo.

“This is my fault,” Isaac said, sinking against the wall. “This is all because of the monster that’s been hunting me. I brought these problems here.”

They were all silent for a moment. Then Leo offered, with a slightly shaky voice, “I said before, and I really mean it, that even though I’m scared out of my wits, I’m with you.” Leo squared his shoulders and forced a smile.

“Me too,” said Amelie.

“And me,” said Kat. And she added in a low voice, “Though I’ve got no idea how we’re going to conquer the problems.”