Page 110 of The Glittering Edge

“Is that because of the vodka or the truth serum?”

Alonso runs a hand over his face. “Both. I don’t know where the truth serum ended and the alcohol began.” He pauses. “I know I fucked up.”

Penny drops onto the empty bed, her head in her hands. “We got answers. They weren’t the answers you wanted, though.”

They fall into silence. After a moment, Alonso says, “The ward is getting weak.”

Penny looks up, hoping she misheard him. “What?”

“Last time we were here, I could see its aura. But today, it’s barely noticeable.”

“Because of the curse?”

Alonso nods.

The world narrows until Penny can barely see what’s in front of her. “But Corey’s mom lived for years while she was wearing the ward. Why isn’t it working the way it should?”

“The curse is really depleting its power, and fast. It’s coming at her with everything it’s got. Wards can recharge when they’re not being worn, but we can’t take it off, for obvious reasons.”

“The full moon is in a week and a half,” Penny says. “Is there any way we can try the curse-breaker tonight? Or even tomorrow?”

“No.”

“But what if—”

“You want me to play by the rules from now on, right? Then we’re waiting until the full moon, because that’s when my power will be strongest. I’m not letting this magic hurt you.”

Penny stands up. “I don’t care about me. I want my mom to be okay.”

“And if Corey and I also die in the process, it’ll be worth it. I guess I deserve it after what I did to Dylan, right?”

He’s putting words in Penny’s mouth, and they taste bitter. Before Penny can argue, someone behind her says, “What did you do to Dylan?”

Corey is standing at the door to the empty hospital room, looking back and forth between them, his face tense.

“You’re here,” Penny says, trying to break the tension.

Corey’s eyes fall to Penny’s T-shirt. A strange expression passes over his face—one that Penny can’t read. She crosses her arms over her chest, as if that could hide the fact that she’s wearing Alonso’s shirt. Maybe she should tell him why she needed it in the first place, but before she can, Corey looks away from her, directing a glare at Alonso.

“I told my aunt what happened after you texted,” Corey says. “She was a wreck when she heard the news, and I offered to drive her here. But you were about to tell us what you did to my girlfriend.”

Alonso wets his lips, but he doesn’t say anything. Maybe he can’t.

But this isn’t Alonso’s fault. Not fully. Penny sucks in a breath and says, “I gave her a truth serum.”

Corey’s expression turns murderous. “What do you mean,yougave it to her?”

“Alonso made it. I gave it to her. You should be mad at both of us.”

“No,” Alonso says. “Penny didn’t want anything to do with this—”

“And I did it anyway,” Penny snaps, and Alonso falls silent. It takes all the strength she has left to say, “The Mayberrys are witches, like Milton said. But they didn’t curse your family.”

Corey is silent as he processes all of this. “You went behind my back.”

“You were never going to talk to Dylan,” Alonso says, his tone sharp. “Because if you asked her about being a witch, you’d have to tell her about the curse, and if you told her about the curse, she would finally know you’ve been lying to her this entire time. And it’s not acceptable for anyone except me to know you’re fucking selfish.”

“I’m selfish?” Corey says, his voice rising. “I’ve gone along with this entire thing even though I had no reason to trust anything you said, and now you’ve proven that was a mistake.” Then he turns to Penny, and the judgment in his usually kind eyes makes her want to shrink. “I really didn’t think you had it in you to do that to someone.”

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