Page 89 of The Underachiever's Guide to Love and Saving the World

“What if it’s the only way? The only way to get home, the only way to…”To be together, I thought but didn’t say.

Just then, something caught my ear. A faint ringing. I shoved Bryce off me and sat up. “Do you hear… bells?” I asked.

He planted a kiss on my open palm. “If you’re hearing wedding bells, we have more miscommunications to hash out.”

“Hush.” Stretching, I plucked my nightgown off a stack of books and slipped it on.

I ran to the nearest window and peered out. Bryce came up behind me, buttoning his pants and squinting against the sun. The city bells clanged their warning louder by the second. A sinking feeling settled in my stomach.

The dragon soared over the city, huge wings creating dull thuds that made my ears throb. Below, villagers scattered away from its shadow. The beast didn’t attack, only made pass after pass over the city, forcing people to their homes.

Worse, tarnished armor flashing in the sun caught my eye. Surrounding the city was an army that stretched, a blanket of iron and bone, all the way to the tree line. The city was under siege.

Behind us, the library door creaked open. I couldn’t tear my eyes from the landscape below until a voice wrenched my attention away. “You won’t get away with this.”

We turned to find Amy standing behind us, looking very pissed indeed.

CHAPTER 35INWHICHBOYMEETSGHOUL

BRYCE

Judging by his expression, Amy did not care that we’d technically saved him. Clearly, he was just remembering the part where our sidekick poisoned him and considered us co-conspirators. His ratting us out to the king would put a big wrench in our efforts to save everyone, so I decided to do what I always did: run now and deal with it later.

“We’re really sorry,” I said, feeling for Courtney’s hand behind my back, “and so glad you’re not dead. We don’t have time to explain now, but we’ll talk later.”

Courtney grabbed the potion book, then I pulled her down the nearest aisle, Amy’s cries fading behind us.

Outside the library, the castle was in chaos. Ducking our faces, we pressed ourselves against the wall, hoping the shadows would conceal us while we came up with a plan.

“What are we going to do?” I asked, gasping for breath.

“I have an idea,” came a tiny voice.

We looked down. There, leaning against the wall beside us like he was part of our crew, was Greg the mouse.

“Your ideas, historically, have sucked,” Courtney snapped.

“This one is harmless,” Greg insisted. “Amy is in there, is he not?” He pointed a tiny finger at the closed library door. “Simply ensure he stays in there.”

I hesitated. “Lock him in?”

Greg nodded.

“Amy will be fine in there,” Courtney said, like she sensed my hesitation. “We can blame a classic medieval door malfunction. Those have to be common enough. Once we handle the skeletons and the dragon, maybe he’ll be more willing to believe we didn’t mean to nearly murder him.”

“How do we lock him in?” I asked. “There’s no lock on the outside.”

Greg sighed. For the first time ever, his endless adoration waned, and he almost sounded fed up with us. “The two of you forget you have magic with astonishing frequency.”

On the other side of the door, footsteps tapped closer. Amy was coming. Panic rose in my throat—

Courtney pushed me against the wall and kissed me. Her lips glided over mine, and—she felt nice. So nice. So freaking nice.

Maybe too nice. Too easy. Too good.

All I wanted to do was drag Courtney back up to her room so we could be alone a little longer. But she’d suggested that potion, and a gnawing feeling of doubt made me worry that, despite vowing not to miscommunicate, there was something she wasn’t telling me.

My mind started to spin like those cheap carnival rides everyone despises.