Page 138 of The Glittering Edge

“It appears we arrived at a bad time,” Charles Barrion says.

“Not a moment too soon,” Corey’s dad says, but he doesn’t move to help Julian to his feet. “The De Luca boy has magic.”

Charles Barrion is caught off guard for a split second. Then he sighs, and a strange smile spreads across his face. “I knew something strange was going on, but I never considered the possibility that the boy had magic. And now we learn”—he points a shaky finger at Corey—“thatyouknew, and you did nothing. In fact, you aided him.”

“Grandpa—” Corey starts, but Charles Barrion holds up a hand to silence him.

“Do you know how much is at stake now that you’re inheriting the company?” Corey’s grandfather says. “Do you know how much more you have to lose? Our expectations for you are too high for this kind of foul play!”

Penny silently begs Corey to say something, but he’s staring at the ground, eyes unblinking. So he lets his grandfather talk to him like this without even attempting to defend himself. Has Corey ever looked so defeated?

Penny takes a step toward Charles Barrion. “None of you even bothered to ask what he was using his magicfor. This is all my fault. I asked him to break the curse, I wanted to save my mom—it wasme.”

Mr. Barrion levels her with a stony glare. His tone is mocking. “A brave admission, Miss Emberly. You certainly had no right to interfere. But at the end of the day, this matter has nothing to do with you.”

“My mother is dying!” Penny says.

“And I lost my wife, and my children’s partners, and I nearly lost a grandson tonight. You think I don’t know the pain you’re feeling?” His smile disappears. “I trusted a De Luca once. It cost me everything.”

It sounds like a speech Charles Barrion has rehearsed a thousand times. Something about the inflection rings hollow, and even though Penny should feel pity, sadness, or even alittleunderstanding, she can’t. Does their family know that Corey’s grandfather blackmailed Giovanni De Luca to save the company? That he was willing to work with a De Luca if it meant he didn’t look like a failure?

Penny is about to say as much, but Corey steps in front of her, shielding her from view.

“Alonso agreed to use his magic to break the curse,” Corey says, though his voice is thin. “I owed it to our family to try. And Alonso said—”

“Ow.”

Alonso sits up, one hand on the back of his head. Penny drops to her knees. “Alonso! Can you look at me?”

“I am,” he says, but his eyes drift back and forth. Then he grabs Penny’s shoulders. “Penny, it’s not a curse. That’s why it didn’t work.”

“What?” Penny says.

“He told me…” Alonso shakes his head, clutching at his temples. “He told me it was… I mean, that itwasn’ta curse…”

“Who told you?”

Alonso squints. “I don’t remember.”

“The boy is delirious,” Charles Barrion says, sounding annoyed. “James, you’ll alert that coven in Bloomington right away. His magic needs to be sealed for everyone’s safety, including his own.”

“I’ve called an ambulance,” Warren says, pocketing his phone. “It will take them fifteen minutes. I’ll carry the boy out—”

“You’ll do no such thing,” Corey’s grandfather says.

Warren clamps his mouth shut.

Wind moves through the trees, disturbing the surface of the lake. A strange understanding dawns on Penny: Maybe the Barrionsdobelieve that Alonso was trying to help them, but it doesn’t matter. Any De Luca with magic is terrifying to them.

“You should be celebrating, Mr. De Luca,” Charles says. “The more we suffer, the happier your grandfather must be across the Veil.”

Alonso looks like he wants to argue, but he blinks a few times, and then his eyes start to roll to the back of his head.

Warren kneels beside him. “Don’t close your eyes,” he says, and Alonso struggles to keep them open. Warren turns to Penny. “He’s likely concussed. Keep him awake.”

“Let’s go, Corey,” James says, grabbing his son’s arm.

But Corey pulls his arm out of James Barrion’s grasp. “I’m not leaving them.”

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