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Sprinting toward the castle, they wound among grapevines. Behind them, undead monsters that hungered to kill trampled over the rows like a wave of locusts. “They’ll trap us against that water, sorcerer.”

“Then let’s hope the castle’s owner has something up their sleeve to ward them off.”

As she sprinted, Mina willed some faceless magic practitioner to save them. “If something’s going to happen, it needs to happen now.” They were mere miles from the water’s hazy edge, and the revenants were gaining on them!

Never slowing, she scanned for anything she could use as a weapon. Rocks? Wood?Nothing but vines.

A mile separated them from the water.

A quarter of a mile. The revenants’ frenzied roars grew louder behind them.

“Silt . . .”

He slowed. “Yeah. We fight?—”

A sudden banging sounded. Mina blinked in disbelief as a rolled-up bridge unfurled from the castle out over the water, like the curled tongue of some giant reptile.

When the end landed on the nearby shore, they hastened over to the floating bridge, and Silt shoved her onto it. “Go, go, go!”

They charged over the bouncing surface. Halfway across, she realized something. “The revenants aren’t following.” Standing along the bank, they pounded their hulking chests with rage, but none stepped atop the bridge. “Another sinister threat senses yet another sinister threat and decides not to pursue.”

Silt muttered, “Welcome to Nightside.”

The bridge bounced even more, twisting in place. Mina’s steps crisscrossed as she and Silt fought for balance. She jerked a glance over her shoulder. Behind them, the unfurled bridge wasfurling.

Wide-eyed, Silt pushed her ahead of him. “Faster!” The sorcerer matched her speed, even when Mina dug in.

They couldn’t leap into the piping water, had only one means of escape—the castle entry. Two towering doors opened wide like a ravening mouth. . . .

“Almost there, vampire. Dive!”

She tensed when he did, and they sprang past the doors, skidding bodily across a tiled entryway. The rolled-up bridge slammed shut behind them, just missing Silt. Air gusted over them.

Then stillness.

Their breaths were loud in the echoing chamber. Lying on the floor, Mina raised her head to see stiletto boots a couple of feet away. She peered upward, taking in gartered legs.

“Welcome, weary travelers,” said a statuesque female with ebony skin, long black braids, and fuchsia eyes. She wore a red mask and a sophisticated headdress. Her golden garments covered little, the slits of her short skirt climbing all the way to her narrow waist. “I’m Entity, the Sorceri Queen of Dreams. And I’m here to make all yours come true.”

Twenty-Three

“I’ve been expecting you,” the Queen of Dreams said. “Up, up, up. We can’t be late.”

At any moment, Silt expected thisEntityto clap her hands together. But he didn’t sense an acute threat from her. Nor did he scent that dragon’s breath.

He levered himself to his feet, helping Kosmina to hers. “Late for what?”

“Our banquet starts in one hour. We keep schedule by the clock, because it’s always night here. One could go batty without a schedule! Besides, I know you must be hungry. Running from revenants and all manner of creatures increases the appetite.” She started off briskly, her bootheels clicking along spotless floors.

Chandeliers lit the area, and every fixture gleamed with gold. Rich wood panels covered the walls, adorned with collections of formal Sorceri masks through the ages. The large windows framed a view of a paradisical courtyard with more grapevines growing.

Of all the things Silt might have expected in Nightside . . .

He and Kosmina shared a look, then caught up with the sorceress.

“I’ll show you to your rooms for baths and fresh garments.” Tapping her mask, Enti said, “We dress for dinner here.”

“I’m Silt?—”