If that happens, just leave. But after my run-in with the black phoenix, I knew better than to trust in an exit.

A scuttling sound echoed in the woods above me, and I dove in. I had no idea how to kill one of those wolf-scorpion things, and I wasn’t keen on figuring it out. The water was so cold I almost fainted from the shock, but the sight of dark shapes moving toward me was all it took to drive off the dizziness. I dove downward toward a faint light in the distance. The dark shapes swooped closer, and I swam harder and faster, wishing I could transform into a fish.

When I reached the source of the light, I saw it was some kind of dome on the bottom of the lake. My mother stood just inside it, dripping wet but no longer submerged. In the center of the dome, a sword stuck up hilt first out of the lake bed. The sword was the light source. Even from outside the dome, I could see the magic pulsating from it.

I swam to the dome’s edge, passing through it as if it were made of air instead of something solid enough to hold back water. I plopped to the ground with a wet thud, startling my mother who turned around, poised to strike. Shock, then anger crossed her face at the sight of me.

“What are you doing? Where’s Bethany?”

I wiped water off my face. “We set her free.”

“You did what?” Her eyes flashed.

I pushed myself up to my feet. “I can’t let you do this, Mom.”

I realized how unprepared I was for this moment. Sadness and pity squeezed my chest, and I held back a sob. Until now I’d always been secretly proud of my mother, of her fierce independence, her reputation as being someone unafraid to do her own thing no matter what people thought. But not anymore. Now I saw a desperate, power-hungry woman. A murderer.

“The sword must be destroyed,” Moira said.

I took a step forward. “No. I won’t let you.”

“I don’t have time for this right now.” She turned toward the sword once more.

I raised my hand and pointed. “Hypno-soma.”

Nothing happened.

My mother turned back, outrage on her face. “What the hell?”

I tried again. Still nothing.

My mother cast her own dazing curse to the same effect. It wasn’t like how The Will absorbed magic, but as if there weren’t any magic at all, like we were in some kind of magic-free zone. Mom and I came to the same conclusion at the same time, and we both sprinted for the sword. She reached it first, but I crashed into her, knocking her to the ground.

My mother was more experienced at fighting than me, but she wasn’t stronger or faster. Neither of us played by any rules. We pulled hair and bit and kicked and scratched. I saw a nasty-looking wound on Moira’s side that looked as if something had taken a bite out of her, probably one of those wolf-scorpion things. I tried my hardest to grab hold of it.

She caught onto this strategy at once, and before I knew it she managed to get behind me, pin her arms around my neck, and cut off my ability to breathe. I clawed at her, but she wouldn’t budge.

“Stop fighting me, Destiny,” Moira said. “You’ve got to trust me. I’m your mother. I don’t want to hurt you, but the sword has to be destroyed.”

Panic was a living thing inside me, a demon that had possessed me, making me thrash and kick.

Through my hazy vision, I saw something approach the dome. My mother’s grip loosened as she saw it, too, and I was able to take a full breath. Then we both gaped in surprise as Bethany Grey emerged from the water beyond.

Moira whispered in my ear with a note of panic in her voice, “You’ve got to help me, Destiny. Beth’s the villain here, not me.”

I bit back my automatic denial of this lie and nodded. Bethany had been looking intently at me, sending me a silent message—she was here to help. Together we could overcome.

Moira let go of me, not once disbelieving my nod of agreement. As soon as I was free, I turned on her, Bethany jumping to help me. Mom was no match for the two of us, and when we finally managed to pin her down, Bethany was heavy enough to keep her there.

“Get the sword. I’ll hold her until you’re out,” Bethany said.

I fought back guilt at the sight of my mother struggling to break free. “Don’t hurt her,” I said.

Bethany bobbed her head, her face pinched with effort.

I approached the sword cautiously, both afraid and mesmerized by it. The hilt looked made of bone, and strange rune marks ran down the blade. I wrapped my hands around the hilt, and raw energy shot through me so hard it almost knocked me over. But I held on and yanked upward.

Resistance. Something held the sword in place. I squatted down and pulled with everything I had. Finally, slowly, the sword began to move. When it at last came free of its earthen sheath, I saw why it had been so difficult to remove. A woman was clawing her way out of the lake bed from the place where the sword had been, like a zombie emerging from a grave.

Only she wasn’t some monster, but Nimue, her face ageless and familiar. Our gazes locked on each other, and I could sense her appraisal. A moment later she nodded, and the last of the resistance on the sword vanished.

“Go,” Nimue whispered.

I shut my eyes, but I had no idea how to bring the sword out of the dream. I’d only done such a thing once before with the Milky Way, but that had been unintentional. Still, there was nothing else to do but try. Holding the sword tightly, I imagined myself bringing it out.

Nothing happened. I couldn’t leave the dream at all, sword or no. I looked around, fighting back alarm.