Page 148 of The Night Firm

"I don't think I know this castle better than you. That's the most thorough map I've ever seen."

"Let's hit up all the bedrooms as fast as we can, then head to the more remote areas."

We work quickly searching through each room—my god there are so many—and tracking our progress on my drawing. We search Liam's room more thoroughly since that would be an extra nail in the coffin if it's found in there. But…nothing.

We then head down to the lower levels, to where Lily's tree lives, to places that used to be prisons and give me the chills to be in. Moon follows at our heels, as if he understands what we're doing and wants to help.

We can hear the Enforcers hitting the places as we leave them.

When our search yields nothing, I sigh, then have a light bulb moment and grab Derek's hand. "I think I know where it is."

We've been to all the main levels, and we've been below. The only place we haven't checked is up. The stairway that winds up the tallest tower is dark and narrow, and the higher we go, the less covering we have from the storm that's brewing. Wind and rain pelt us as we reach the top platform. At first it appears we've reached another dead end, but then, in the corner, I see a trunk that wasn't here before. I show Derek, who walks over and tries to open it. "It's locked."

Derek is water, and that's not going to help us right now. "Stand back," I say, praying I have enough control for this. Because if the egg is in there, and I mess up, well, I can't think too much about that without having a panic attack.

I definitely do not want to kill a baby dragon. That's for sure not on my list of things to ever do.

I pull up the fire in me and direct it into the metal lock, heating it up until it's so hot it cracks, falling off. Derek reaches for it, but I hold him back. "You'll burn yourself."

Instead, I grab it and pull it open, knowing I am now immune to fire. My powers are growing.

And just as I suspected. Within the chest is the pulsing silver blue egg of the water dragon. I can feel the life growing within, and I lay a hand on it and close my eyes, letting the feeling of bliss from this little being wash over me.

A zapping sound startles me and Derek yelps and falls to the ground. I spin around, stunned to see Derek unconscious. I run to him and hold his head in my lap, trying to revive him. I'm about to slit my wrists to feed him when a voice stops me.

"Eve, leave him. He is not badly injured. He will wake and be fine."

I look up at Adam and frown. "What are you doing here? Why did you attack Derek?"

Laying Derek gently on the ground, I stand, facing my twin. "What's going on, Adam? Did you steal the dragon egg?"

"I had to," he says, with the same conviction he used to defend his murder of Mary and her child. "This is all happening the way it needs to. The Enforcers must find the egg. Liam must take the fall. If he doesn't…"

"What? What happens if Liam isn't blamed for a crime he didn't commit?" I ask, my patience for all this nonsense wearing thin.

"You die," he says. "You, the baby, all the other brothers, Matilda, Lily and her tree…you all die. You burn to death."

I shake my head. "That's impossible. I have the fire element in me. So does Alina. She and I can't burn to death."

He shrugs. "I've seen it, Evie. It happens. Or it would have, if I hadn't intervened. Whatever leads up to it, somehow this particular fire destroys you all. And when Liam discovers what he's done, he takes his own life. This way is better, for him and for all of you. You must let it happen."

"You want me to believe that we should play god with people's lives based on visions of a future that may or may not happen?" I ask. "I can't do that. It isn't right."

"You have always been so caught up with doing the right thing, you've never stopped to ask yourself where this idea of right and wrong even came from. Or if it even makes sense." He runs a hand through his hair and sighs. "Isn't it a greater good to save many, even if it means sacrificing a few?"

I shake my head, stepping back. "This doesn't feel right."

"Come with me, Evie. Let's leave. Together. Just you and me. Us against the world, like it always used to be." He holds out his hand, his eyes pleading. "I can't do this without you. We are stronger together. We always have been."

My heart stops. When it beats again, it fills my head with the sound. Everything slows. My breathing hitches. And then…everything falls into place and I swallow a bitter truth that cracks me open and leaves me shredded.

Adam has been pushing me to leave the Night Firm.

He showed me the Memory Catcher, which he knew would create conflict with Liam and the other brothers.

The demon the Collector subjected me to said, "Nothing is at it appears. Least of all fate's twins."

And the other night at the ball, Cole used shadow magic to change his features.