Page 100 of The Glittering Edge

“He thinks I’m so stupid,” Dylan says. “That’s the worst part. I’m hot, and I’m mean, but I’mnotstupid.”

Penny tries to wrest her hand out of Dylan’s, but she only holds on tighter.

“I shouldn’t even care,” Dylan says, and the next words come out like they’re on a rope, and someone is pulling on the other end. “I—I’ve been cheating on Corey.”

Penny’s mouth goes dry. She doesn’t want to know all of Dylan Mayberry’s darkest secrets. She just needed to find out more about the curse; she never intended for any of this to happen. It’s been at least ten minutes since Dylan drank the truth serum. It should be over by now.

“Give me my phone,” Penny says.

Dylan grabs Penny’s phone from the floor, but instead of handing it to Penny, she shoves it between her seat and the window. “Didn’t I tell you to keep driving?”

“Fine. I’m taking you home.” Penny puts the car in drive.

Dylan crosses her arms. “I don’t like how Corey is hanging out with you all the time. It needs to stop.”

“He’s concerned for my mom. That’s it. He’s being a good friend.”

“Cut the bullshit, Emberly, he told me you like him.”

The road in front of Penny goes blurry. She absorbs the words slowly, and she can’t help it—she laughs. “I’m sorry, Corey said what?”

This must be a lie. Why would Corey say that?

“Here,” Dylan says, pointing at an old storefront on the left.

Penny pulls into the parking lot, which is full of cars. The bad feeling in her gut gets worse. This isn’t Dylan’s house at all. The windows of the building are boarded up, and a low grumble of music comes from inside. Above the entrance is an old, faded sign, but the words are legible:DE LUCA PHARMACY, EST.1920.

This is where Giovanni De Luca died.

“Why are we here?” Penny asks.

Dylan grins. “We’re going to a party. We’re going to have the best time.”

Penny

DYLAN SOMEHOW AVOIDS HER OWN VOMIT AS SHE PUTS ON HER HEELS,but she struggles to get the car door open.

Penny hasn’t even put the car in park. “Dylan, you’re sick. Shouldn’t you go home?”

Dylan scoffs, and Penny takes that as a good sign. The truth serum must be wearing off for real.

“Fine,” Dylan says. “Leave me drunk and defenseless at the mercy of a bunch of assholes. Women supporting women, right?” She slams the door.

Penny lets the car idle as Dylan walks across the parking lot. She’s never been inside the old pharmacy, and she doesn’t want to start now. This is where Alonso’s grandfather died, and knowing what Penny knows now, going to a party here feels like asking for something to happen. Something bad.

There’s a clear escape route. Dylan isn’t Penny’s responsibility after all. She can drive away.

Except Penny just gave Dylan a magical serum that made her spill all her innermost secrets and fears.Andvomit all over the Prius.

Penny bangs her head against the steering wheel. Then she grabs her phone and drops Naomi a pin.

It’s a long story, Penny types,but Dylan dragged me here. Can you come? I may need backup.

Penny waits. And waits. Naomi always responds quickly, but right now there are no little gray dots indicating Naomi is typing. Pennyalmost calls her, but then she remembers their last interaction at the hospital—when Penny ran out, ditching Naomi to go hear the news about Idlewood’s second coven of witches. She and Naomi have barely spoken since.

No wonder she isn’t responding.

Penny is about to type something else—an apology, or maybe a plea. But Dylan is already disappearing inside the pharmacy.

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