over to me. “Run!”
We sprinted toward the edge of the island. We didn’t even get close to getting off the rock. A neat row of stalactites fell off the awning and straight down into the moat to form an impassable barrier. We were trapped inside the tightening jaws of death.
“Matt—”
“I’m on it.” He drew out the Dragon’s Eye and unwrapped the handkerchief around it. The sapphire amulet shone dully under the orb’s artificial light. Matt frowned. “I don’t sense any magic.”
Above us, the awning slipped another few inches. More stalactites fell down around us. Matt handed the amulet to me. I took it, but the gemstone had never felt so cold and dead.
“It’s not working,” I cried.
“The rock must be interfering somehow.” As if he couldn’t help it, he added snidely, “You won’t be able to run to him to be rescued for once.”
The remark broke the last thread of my already battered composure. In jerky movements, I stuffed the unresponsive amulet into the pocket of my pants and turned on him with a vengeance. “Have you completely lost your mind? I know you don’t trust him, but ever since you lost your power, you act as if you hate him. You say you care about me, but this whole trip, all you’ve done is to tell me over and over again how much I’ve screwed up. If you really cared, you could at least try to be forgiving. Being with you shouldn’t have to be so painful.” Out of nowhere, tears sprang to my eyes. Annoyed at myself, I rubbed them away. “I thought I knew you, but I’m coming to see that I don’t at all.”
Matt frowned, but without a hint of any remorse. “Ryan—”
“Forget it, Matt. If I’m going to die here, right now, I want to do it alone.” I stalked off across the rock. The amulet jangled heavily in my pocket. I drew it out. The gemstone winked dully. The quiet in the chaos, it sat without life. Vane couldn’t help me, yet I still undid the clasp and slipped on the silver chain. I didn’t really want to die alone.
A sense of calm filled me as soon as the red gemstone settled against my skin, just above the cleft that encased my heart. A spear of rock slammed down from above just in front of me. The impact knocked me backwards and I landed hard on my tailbone. The stone stalagmite lowered a few more inches. The stone face of the Morgan watched the destruction of the island impassively, but from this angle, I noticed a detail I previously missed.
Matt walked over. “Ryan, listen, please—”
I turned to him, pointing excitedly at the Morgan. “Matt, look at her face. She has pointed ears.” I touched my ears. Gia and I got pointed ears when we were temporarily transformed into mermaids.
Matt peered at her, then the next closest Morgan. “It looks like all of them are mermaids. In Greek, the nine water nymphs, the Muses, the daughters of Hesperides, guarded the isle of immortality.”
“Look at their mouths,” I said. The Morgans’ mouths all formed a small O. “They’re singing. Water nymphs used songs to lure men to their deaths. On the rooftop, I heard Leonidas. The mermaids’ power is in their singing. We need a mermaid to sing.”
My shoulders drooped. The Dragon’s Eye sat cold on my skin. There was no mermaid to help us. No Vane.
Suddenly Matt laughed and drew out a plastic vial from his jacket pocket. “We may not have a mermaid, but we do have wind. The sound of the wind will be enough. We only need the key, not real mermaid magic.”
I perked up. “What else do you have in there?”
“I keep trying to show you,” he said archly, throwing the vial into the air.
It exploded. A wild whirlwind screeched around the island, threatening to send me flying. Matt grabbed my hand and pulled me up close to him. Sober, amber eyes framed by thick lashes held my gaze. Warm fingers shoved back swirling hair from my face.
“Ryan—”
“Later,” I shouted.
Matt’s fingers tightened on me. “There may never be a later—”
More rocks crashed beside us. The wind picked up huge chunks that flew around like bouncy balls. I shouted, “We have to get to the casket. It’s our best bet.”
The rocks played a deadly game of “whack-a-mole” with us as we bobbed and weaved through them. Just as we reached the casket, a soulful aria filled the cavern. The Morgans sang a