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"Hey!" I tugged at my arm, which she released.

"Sign with your blood."

This was it. My last chance to change my mind. But my decision had been made the day my mother had died.

Without another thought, I gulped and smeared my blood across the line.

The paper rolled up by itself and drifted into Calypso’s hand. "Add in a strand of your sister’s hair and get her to drink it. She must drink every last drop. Then you only need to return to me."

There wasn’t much in the bottle, so I didn’t expect to have too much trouble getting Marissa to drink it. I would just have to mix it with something like one of her protein shakes.

I frowned. "How did you know I’d give it to Rissa?"

"Oh, child," her sinister gaze pierced mine, "that was never in question."

As I turned to leave, I paused. "But how do you know I’ll return?"

"Somany questions." Her tone dripped with condescension. "As with all my contracts, breaking it comes with near-fatal consequences. Should you attempt to flee… Well, trust me—it won’t be pretty."

Gripping the potion tight, I swam away.

CHAPTER 10

Dominic

Ileaned against the railing overlooking the Jefferson Memorial and Tidal Basin. Although spring had arrived, the cherry blossoms had yet to bloom, which meant crowds weren’t too thick right now. There were still enough people milling about to keep my meeting less likely to draw attention.

The Tidal Basin was first built in the 1800s to harness the power of the Potomac River’s tides, flushing silt and sediment from the Washington Channel. Today, it’s most well-known for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival, celebrating the enduring friendship between the United States and Japan. The entire area would soon explode with the iconic pink and white flowers.

As I surveyed the area, a million thoughts and emotions flooded my mind, none of which concerned the cherry blossoms. With our informant’s untimely death, it was clear Ichiro knew Scott had talked. But what wasn’t clear was how my grandfather had found that fact out.

Had he learned that Scott was giving out information the same way Keiko had? More importantly, were there any crumbs that would lead Ichiro to me or my friends?

It was also possible, though highly unlikely, that this was all some sort of strange coincidence. Perhaps the man had done something else to gain Ichiro’s attention and earn his subsequent execution, something to do with his gambling debts.

There was no way any of my friends had betrayed me or the others. Keiko, Rin, and Aaron were loyal to a fault. They would give their lives for me just as I would give my life for any of theirs. But something wasn’t adding up.

I gripped the railing tighter, my eyes tracking a small family of ducks swimming past. What was I missing? I needed more information about this man, Scott, about what else he might have been involved in. There had to be more about him that would explain his death, like who he owed money to.

Although Ichiro’s involvement in the man’s death was still technically unconfirmed, it was the obvious answer. Scott had met with me at the warehouse then Ichiro had shown up during our meeting at the diner.

But there were too many unknowns and uncertainties. Poison wasn’t my grandfather’s usual way of killing someone. Like all dragons, he thirsted for blood—literally.

I needed evidence. Cold, hard facts.

I turned as the others arrived, a curious look on Aaron and Rin’s faces while Keiko sucked on a lollipop. To ensure secrecy, I hadn’t told them what this impromptu meeting was about. Only Keiko knew.

The two men were complete opposites, Aaron’s blond hair and blue eyes contrasting with Rin’s dark. Where Aaron was more lithe muscle, Rin was a beast.

Then there was pint-sized Keiko with her yellow sundress, sleek black hair, and lollipop. Next to the rest of us, no one would ever expect her to be the deadliest of the bunch.

No tourists were close enough to overhear our conversation, so there was no sense in beating around the bush. "Scott is dead."

"What?" Rin’s jaw dropped. "How?"

Aaron’s eyes narrowed. "Ichiro found out?"

"Looks that way. Some sort of poison-filled hexbeetle at the coffee shop this morning," I explained.