“I won’t promise anything. I hate you!”

“I’m sure you do. But I can fix your bear. Just swear you won’t hurt or help anyone hurt Jilly or me or any of our friends.”

“I won’t. I hate her. I hate both of you, but I hate her more.”

There was no point in arguing that Jilly had never meant to hurt her. Mattie was a child, with a child’s one-dimensional concept of right and wrong. Shades of grey in terms of circumstances or remorse simply didn’t enter into the equation.

“I don’t care if you do or don’t,” Lizzie told her. “Swear, or you’ll never get your teddy back. I’ll tear it up into so many small pieces no one will ever be able to put him back together again.”

Mattie started to cry again and once more Lizzie almost gave in. The little girl’s tears were so heartbreaking. But she remembered how Mattie had led Del to them earlier, and from what Jilly had told her, the bear was extremely dangerous. They couldn’t chance Mattie sending it after them—just saying they managed to escape Del in the first place.

“Swear, on your true name,” Lizzie said.

A cunning look came into Mattie’s eyes, but Lizzie shook her head.

“Don’t think for a moment that I don’t know your true name, Mattie Finn,” she said.

Jilly had told her that as well.

“So . . .” Mattie said. “If I help you and promise not to hurt you or Jilly or any of your friends, you’ll fix Grath and give him back to me?”

Lizzie nodded. “You don’t even have to help. Just promise not to hurt us.”

“Okay, then. I promise.”

This seemed a bit too easy, Lizzie thought. And Mattie still had a bit of a smug look, hiding there in the back of her eyes. She also had her hands behind her back.

“Say it again,” Lizzie said, “and let me see your fingers this time. And it doesn’t count to cross your toes or your eyes or any other part of your body you might be able to cross.”

Mattie glared at her.

I was right, Lizzie thought.

It was so easy to forget that although they both looked like children, Mattie still was a child. To a child, forget ethics. Crossing your fingers while making a promise truly invalidated the promise.

“I won’t,” Mattie told her.

“Won’t what?” an all too familiar voice asked.

Don’t let it be, Lizzie thought. But turning, she saw that Del really had come back and her heart sank. She remembered how easily he had dealt with the child Jilly was. What were the chances she’d have any better success?

Mattie had turned as well, but as soon as she saw him, she looked away and stared at her shoes.