Page 99 of The Alien's Vicious Starflash Manor

“Father said we could protect the Evans ladies,” Rhaela says. “It seems he knew what we were walking into.”

I don’t reply, but in any case, it doesn’t really matter. The monster is dealt with. I’m just glad we were with Rhaela and Harai when it showed up.

Finally, the four of us once again begin trying to find our way to the center of the maze.

By my estimation, getting to the center of the maze takes more than an hour, but in that time, we learn more about the firelords than we could have learned in a year of court lessons or miserable dinners.

I walk beside Harai as in front of us, Izzy and Rhaela stroll along, their heads tilted together as they murmur. I hope Izzy realizes this flirtation she’s striking up is probably doomed. After all, our ultimate goal is to head home—even if we have a stopover in the firelords’ realm.

“Seems like back there would’ve been a good time for your first shift,” I say to Harai as we’re making our way along a curved passageway.

Harai turns a horrified look on me. “That would have been terrible.”

“Why?” I ask.

“The first shift is the hardest. It’s painful and difficult and takes longer than any of the others.”

“So you’re vulnerable during your first shift?”

“That’s part of it,” she agrees. “But also… it doesn’t always work.”

“What doesn’t? The shift?”

“Yeah. First shifts go wrong about ten percent of the time—that’s the number they tell us, anyway.”

“So what happens? You just don’t turn into a dragon? Like ever?”

Harai’s expression is solemn. She tilts her head forward, and that curtain of hair falls down to obscure her face for a moment before she brushes it back. “Worse. Those who can’t shift—itmeans their bodies can’t handle the trauma of the Change. They die.”

“Oh, no,” I breathe out.

Harai and I fall silent. I don’t know what she’s thinking about, but I can’t quit wondering what it must be like to grow up knowing there’s a ten percent chance you won’t make it through the firelord equivalent of puberty. “I’m so sorry,” I finally say.

She gives a little one-shouldered shrug. “It’s all right. Ten percent is really kind of a small risk.” Her face brightens. “Besides, no one in our family has ever not made it through the Change.”

“That’s good.” I berate myself for how lame I sound.

After that, we fall silent, and a few moments later, Harai and I catch up with Izzy and Rhaela. The spiky-haired twin stands at the edge of a switchback turn with her arms crossed, shaking her head.

“What’s wrong?” I ask with a frown.

“Take a look.” Izzy points around the corner.

I lean out to see around the corner.

“Oh, hell no,” I say, backing away from the pitch-black corridor stretching out in front of me. I glance down and see a straight line of shadow at the edge of the path.

It’s like the light just stops there for no reason.

There is no way I’m going down that path.

And nothing anyone says can convince me.

CHAPTER 26

LARA

“I’m beginning to think we’re supposed to go through the frightening sections,” Harai says.

---