"My lily now is my delight and glory," Mom said. "She must come with me."
Mr. Mayfair's smile was like winter. "She has work here. Her friend Tye is expecting her back. He will be very disappointed if she doesn't return."
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"You should go," Lily said. She tried to put into her eyes that she meant it. If Mom was safe ... She had to know that Mom was safe. "I'll be there soon."
Mr. Mayfair held up his hand. "First, my grandson."
In seconds, Jake popped through the gate. His knees buckled, and he collapsed on the slate sidewalk. Mr. Mayfair didn't move. He kept the blade on Lily's back.
Beckoning to her entourage, the dryad queen said, "Now we leave."
"Lily!" Mom's voice was shrill.
Lily felt tears wet her cheeks. "Go. I love you." On the other side, Mom could tell the dryad queen the truth. The council and their warriors would charge back through. They'd stop Mr. Mayfair.
"I never forgot that I love you," Mom said to Lily.
And then the queen led Mom and the dryads through the gate. They vanished as they crossed. Instantly, Mr. Mayfair pulled Lily away from the pillar. Lily pretended to stumble as she reached for a tree, her mind screaming to the oak--
Grabbing her shirt, Mr. Mayfair yanked her back to the sidewalk. "You have been doing so well. Don't fail me now," he said softly. "It's nearly done."
He's right, she realized. It was nearly done. He had what he wanted: The bulk of the Feeders were returned, the magic army and the gargoyles were on the other side, and he had two Keys under his control. He had no more reason to keep her alive.
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On the sidewalk, Jake moaned.
Releasing Lily, Mr. Mayfair knelt by his grandson. He gripped Jake's shoulder. "I don't know what I would have done if I'd lost you. Can you stand?"
"Yes, sir." Jake struggled to his feet. His hair was plastered to the sweat on his forehead, and his face was waxy and pale.
"Get yourself to Vineyard Club and see the doctor immediately," Mr. Mayfair said.
"Thank you, sir." Jake dredged up a smile for Lily. "I hung in there like you said. Knew you'd be back for me. You truly deserve to be a knight."
She had to speak. If he left, she'd be alone with Mr. Mayfair. She'd wasted all her other chances. Lily began, "Jake--"
"Tell the doctor to wait for my orders before transferring Richard Carter to the hospital," Mr. Mayfair said. "I'd like to be there to ensure that he's in good hands." He smiled at Lily. "Was there something you wanted to say, my dear?"
Numbly, she shook her head.
She watched Jake limp across the yard.
As Jake rounded Nassau Hall, Mr. Mayfair patted her on the shoulder. "One item left on the list: the humans." He steered her back through the side entrance and through the blockade of security. As they passed the guards, Mr. Mayfair nodded to them. "Tell your men that they can stand down. The threat is over. Humanity is safe."
The nearest guard saluted. "Sir, what are your orders for the civilians?"
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Keeping Lily close to his side, Mr. Mayfair detailed plans for what to tell the people who had seen more than they should have. He barked orders, and campus security sprang into action. The battle at Forbes was to be explained as a maintenance issue. Prospect Avenue was closed for "renovations." They were to contact the media to begin damage control, monitor the Web for photos and other incriminating evidence, and compile a list of all potential leaks. Vineyard Club would be bringing all of their considerable resources to the cover-up, but security had to plant the seeds now. It took Mr. Mayfair fifteen minutes at most to disperse the guards. While he talked, Lily tried to form a plan. There had to be a way to escape, save Tye, and protect Grandpa. She just had to think of it. She was supposed to be smart, Ivy League smart. Think, Lily! she ordered herself.
But Mr. Mayfair was stronger and faster, and he held all the cards. She discarded every plan that sprang into her head. None of them would work. She couldn't do this alone.
As the guards dispersed, Mr. Mayfair said to Lily, "Let's check on your friend in the chapel, shall we?" Leading her away, he seemed as pleased as a cat in sunshine. Of course he is, she thought. He's won. He was whistling as he ushered her toward the chapel. With each step, she became more convinced that she was going to die.
I need a miracle, she thought.
Staring up at the chapel spires, she prayed for one. But
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instead of avenging angels coming to save her, all she saw was the dragon writhing on the stone facade. Tears rolled down her cheeks. "Please ...," she began.
And then, across the plaza, she saw her miracle: her grandfather, hobbling toward them, with Jake at his side. Jake waved to them.
"Grandpa!" Lily cried. Oh, thank you. She was saved. She started to laugh and cry at the same time. When they met in front of the chapel, Lily threw herself at Grandpa and wrapped her arms around his neck. He was awake. He was alive. He was here. Everything was going to be okay. Grandpa would fix everything.
Jake was beaming. His cheeks were a healthier pink, she saw, and he wasn't swaying as he stood anymore. "I went to talk to the doctor, as you said, and Mr. Carter was there. Pulled out his own IV and insisted on coming once I brought him up to speed."
Grandpa staggered under the force of Lily's hug and then patted her back. "I'm all right, my tigerlily. Everything's all right."
"Richard," Mr. Mayfair admonished, "you should be resting."
Lily noticed that Grandpa's muscles were trembling.
Grandpa frowned at Mr. Mayfair. "Joseph, we need to talk. Is it true that you returned my Rose to the magic world?"
"Your daughter is fine," Mr. Mayfair said soothingly. "She's with family."
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"I was supposed to accompany her. She was supposed to be reintroduced gradually and carefully," Grandpa said. "She has no memory of who she was. She'll be frightened."
Mr. Mayfair's voice dripped with concern. "Don't upset yourself, Richard. Your health is fragile. I did what was best for everyone. You were not available to consult, and it was my place to decide."
His health was fragile. Taking a step back, Lily studied him. One arm was bandaged from shoulder to wrist. His face was a sunken mask of wrinkles. He wasn't Superman, she realized, and he was in no condition to save the day. In fact, by coming here, he had put himself at risk. "You should be back in bed," Lily said. "I'll take you." Looping her arm around him, she began to walk fast, pulling Grandpa with her.
"Lily, not yet," Grandpa said. He dug his heels against the stone. Even weakened, he stopped her. "There's something that I've come to say to Joseph, and it isn't right for me to delay." He turned to face Mr. Mayfair.
"Grandpa, whatever it is, I'm sure it can wait...."
"Joseph, you know I have the utmost respect for what you've done for Princeton, indeed for humanity, over the years," Grandpa said.
Mr. Mayfair executed a half bow. "Thank you. I appreciate your--"
Grandpa held up a hand. Lily noticed his fingers shook. "Lately I have watched you, and I have been disturbed by
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what I've seen. There has been no new research added to the library in decades. There have been no trips to the magic world, no summits with their leaders. The gargoyles have been marginalized. But worse, you have shown lapses in ethics that are alarming. I am sorry, Joseph, but when the knights convene tonight, I must call for a vote of no confidence."
Stunned, Mr. Mayfair stood as still as the statues on the chapel.
Jake stammered, "B-b-but ..."
Lily thought that she had never been more proud of her grandfather. He'd seen the clues to Mr. Mayfair's corruption, even if he had no idea how truly evil his friend was. In as calm a voice as she could manage, she said, "Grandpa, we need to run now."
Grandpa, Jake, and Mr. Mayfair all looked at her.
"He'll kill you," she said. "He'll kill anyone who stands in his way. He killed Jake's parents. He killed your s
on." She tugged on his arm, the one not in bandages. "Please, Grandpa!"
Throwing his head back, Mr. Mayfair laughed. "Oh, my dear. You have had a rough day, haven't you?" To Grandpa, he said, "Your granddaughter is a lovely girl, but she has had so much happen to her in the past twenty-four hours that she's obviously misunderstood much of what she's learned."
"He had an alliance with the leader of the Feeders," she said.
Sputtering, Jake said, "H-how can you say that? My grandfather is a hero!"
"Your grandfather was going to let you die," she said.
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Jake shook his head. "You're wrong," he said firmly. "Tell her she's wrong."
Mr. Mayfair's smile was tight. "Of course she is," he said. "She's imagining plots and conspiracies where none exist."
"He wants to close the gate between worlds permanently," Lily said. "Grandpa, he plans to kill me."
Grandpa patted her hand. "Lily ..."
He had to believe her. "Dragon! Chained Dragon, wake up!" she called. "Tell them how he used the fairy to make a deal with you. He promised you freedom in exchange for killing a baby half dryad by FitzRandolph Gate. He was responsible for all those deaths."
The dragon lashed his tail. "Free me, and I will avenge myself on the traitor!" His voice made her feel as if she'd swallowed a snake. It twisted and writhed inside her.
Grandpa was pale. "Rose always suspected a knight."
"Death to the betrayer!" The dragon screeched and scraped stone. Bits of the facade crumbled under his claws, but the chain held tight. "I will see you suffer as I have suffered! Your blood will paint the stones!"
Mr. Mayfair's smile vanished. "Richard, you cannot seriously believe--"
Lily said to her grandfather, "He's lied to you. All these years."
"There have been too many secrets, too many lies," Grandpa said. He touched Lily's cheek, and Lily realized he was apologizing to her. She'd have preferred a better apology,
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but if this one saved her life, she'd accept it. "We will bring the matter before all the knights tonight. Present the evidence and let the full Vineyard Club judge. Everything out in the open. How does that sound, my tigerlily?"
She opened her mouth to say that it sounded great.
Jake sputtered. "B-but ... but there is no evidence! You can't take the word of that ... that killer." He pointed to the Chained Dragon. "I'm sorry, Lily, but I stand with my grandfather."
"Of course you do," Mr. Mayfair said. "Richard, drop this crazy idea. You cannot bring this for discussion with the knights. It will undermine my authority needlessly."
Above, the dragon thrashed as he hurled threats and insults down at Mr. Mayfair. "I will dine on your flesh. I will feast on your entrails. False knight!"
"You want proof?" Lily asked. She pointed to the chapel doors. "Right now, Tye is inside, bound in ropes. Mr. Mayfair did that to him. And my mother ... we can bring her back from the dryads. She can testify that he drained her and threatened her. And what about the goblin? He sent a goblin to attack me. We can find the goblin."
Jake was gawking at the chapel entrance. "Tye is in there?" He began to climb the steps.
Mr. Mayfair held out a hand and stopped him, saying, "You can't possibly be listening to this drivel."
Gently, Grandpa said, "If it's drivel, what do you fear? Let him go."
"Yes, yes, see the betrayal!" the dragon cried. "Feel my pain!"
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"Jake, I order you to step down," Mr. Mayfair said.
Lily heard a hint of desperation creep into his voice. Jake heard it, too. His eyes locked on to Lily's. "Your brother needs you," she said.
Jake's face twisted. "Forgive me for doubting you," he whispered to his grandfather, and then he took a step toward the chapel antechamber.
Before Jake could react, Mr. Mayfair brought the sword hilt up and slammed it against his head. Jake crumpled to the ground. "You will understand when you're older," Mr. Mayfair said, and then he turned toward Grandpa.
"No, don't!" Lily screamed.
Mr. Mayfair sprang toward Grandpa. Grandpa dodged backward, and his knees caved. He collapsed on the plaza flagstones. Mr. Mayfair leveled his sword. Grandpa fought to stand as Mr. Mayfair advanced, but his legs again folded under him. Bringing up his arm, he turned his head as Mr. Mayfair raised his sword. Sunlight flashed over the blade.
Lily did the only thing she could think of doing. She jumped as high as she could and grabbed the ribbon of stone beneath the dragon. "Stop him!" she cried. "Avenge yourself!"
The dragon's head darted down, and his jaws latched on to her arm. He sucked, and she felt the world spin. It only lasted a few seconds--the dragon was half-free already. All he needed was a taste of magic. With a cry, the beast snapped the chain and burst off the arch.
The Chained Dragon soared free.
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CHAPTER Seventeen
With every breath, the dragon stretched and swelled. Lily sagged onto the chapel steps and stared upward as the stone gray scales shimmered with flecks of emerald and gold. The dragon's tail extended into a curl, and his wings expanded until they blocked the evening sky.
Mr. Mayfair's face twisted and reddened. "Foolish girl, what have you done?"
Lily tried to stand, but her knees folded under her. Silence roared in her ears. She could see her grandfather was shouting, but she couldn't hear him.
Above, the dragon jackknifed. He flattened his wings against his now full-size body and dived toward Mr. Mayfair. The aged knight sliced up at the sky with his sword. Landing on the plaza, the dragon wrapped his front talons around Mr. Mayfair. "You tricked me," the dragon said. His voice
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punctured the white noise that filled Lily's head. "You will pay with pain."
"You failed me!" Mr. Mayfair shouted. "You killed my son, not the girl!"
The dragon pushed off his hind claws, and the concrete flagstones cracked beneath him. As the dragon lifted him into the air, the old man hacked with his sword at the dragon's scales. The ring of steel on stone echoed across the plaza.
"Our alliance is ended," the dragon said. He bit into Mr. Mayfair's shoulder, and Mr. Mayfair screamed as the dragon drained him.
Grandpa struggled to his feet.
Lily watched without understanding. She wanted so badly to sink into the stones and rest. But the tiny part of her brain that was still able to think told her that she couldn't. Tye still needed her.
Gritting her teeth, she dragged herself up the steps and then stumbled into the chapel. She crawled up the marble stairs to the choir box.
Tye lay at the edge of the fairy's dried blood. Lily knelt beside him and untied the ropes around him with shaking hands. "Wake up," she said. It hurt to talk. Her head throbbed. Her lungs ached with every breath. "Please, Tye." She leaned against his chest and laid her head on his shoulder. "Please."
"Lily?" Tye's arms wrapped around her.
"Please. I need you to be okay," she whispered.
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Tye opened his eyes. "You're drained. What the hell happened?"
She felt like crying, but she couldn't summon the strength. Her muscles felt like stone. Everything hurt. She felt bruised from the inside out. "I released the dragon."
He swore.
"Lily, hold on," he said. "I'll take you through the gate. But you have to stay awake."
She tried, but her eyelids fluttered closed.
"Lily!" He shook her. "Open your eyes. There's a good girl. Come on, I'll carry you." She sucked in magic-less air and tried to focus on Tye. "Look at me--that's right."
Her vision tilted and darkened.
A second later Tye lifted her up. She laid her head against his chest and felt his heartbeat through her cheek. "I like you," she said.
"Very nice," Tye said. "Don't die, and I'll take you out for ice cream."
"I like ice cream," she said.
And then she screamed as every bone in her body felt as if it were shatteri
ng. Lightning lanced over her eyes. She heard voices around her shouting, and she felt her body spasm. "She won't make it!" "Put her down!" "There, right there!" "Open her mouth!" She felt cool, thick sweet liquid pour into her mouth and hit her throat. She coughed and gagged. "More! Make her drink it! Lily, baby, please, you have to drink this!"
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She heard Jake's voice. "Take mine!"
And more was forced down her throat. She swallowed and swallowed. The magic spread like fire in a forest. It coursed through her. Her blood blazed. Her skin sparked. She opened her eyes and saw pure light.
"Lily, my Lily!" Grandpa cradled her against him.
High above, the dragon circled, a dark shadow against the starry sky.
Lily felt arms around her. She breathed in the smell of earth after rain, and she knew it was Tye who held her this time. Her cheek rested against his chest. She must have blacked out again. She tilted her head to see his chin. Above them was the East Pyne arch. They were tucked under it. Tye was looking out at the plaza, so she followed his gaze.
The knights were spread across the flagstones, and the dragon spiraled above them. Flattening his wings, he dove. His empty talons stretched toward the knights, and they fought back with swords and knives and spears.
It wasn't enough for him to have had his revenge on Mr. Mayfair. He seemed determined to punish all of the knights.
Over the sounds of the battle, Lily heard the music of the plants, louder and clearer than ever before. The notes tumbled over her like a waterfall. She thought of Mom's piano playing in the lobby of Vineyard Club. Mom had been playing this music, she realized. Lily hadn't heard the plants clearly enough before to recognize it.