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shared our dreams and interests, we never exchanged information about our past. I just had to know who this Bearded Dragon was and why Wiz didn’t want me around him so I took a quick peek.
    M en tore the limo apart with their bare hands and slung metal all over the place.
    What are they looking for?
    Another car pulled up. A woman jumped out, ran to the back door, and opened it. A man stepped out. The streetlights hit his X brand. He adjusted his jacket as he walked further into the light. I gasped. Large crimson scales , at least three inches long, jutted out of his jaw, around his mouth, and all over his chin. They resembled a jagged beard. Besides the scales, he had pale white skin and long blond hair. Men surrounded the guy and frantically talked as they moved their arms around. He lifted his head as if to inhale the air and held one finger to his lips. They all paused.
    And then the man’s face turned in my direction and pointed directly to me.

Chapter 4
     
    My h eart slammed into my chest. I ducked, hiding behind the ledge, and scanned the area. Many tall building with rooftops I could leap on surrounded me. Unless this scale-beard guy employed street punks, he wouldn’t catch me.
    “You might as well reveal yourself!” A deep voice thundered. “I can’t grab Theo or you tonight, but I do want you to give him a message.”
    No one knew Wiz’s real name but a set of twins and myself. I rose just enough for my head to peek over the ledge but not expose my whole body.
    “There you are.” The man now stood on the sidewalk near the building. “Has Theo ever told you about me, the Bearded Dragon?”
    What type of weirdo names themselves that ?
    I blinked, k ept my mouth shut, and counted the other guys around him as they crept his way. Ten guys. They didn’t hold brick-climbers so they couldn’t get up on the roof in time to grab me. My heart’s pounding decreased to a steady pace. I rose a little more to get a better view.
    The man’s eyes met mine. And as soon as I looked into them, his pupils flared like tiny balls of fire. They seared my body into place. I gritted my teeth and gripped the bricks in front of me tighter. I tried to escape his glare, but I couldn’t move.
    Where is Theo? The man’s threatening voice ripped through my head. Where is the Shadow?
    My temples throbbed in agony. I couldn’t even move my fingers.
    Wait a minute. Come down here. His voice wrapped around my psyche. Come to me, little one. Scorching hot power sank into me. I smelled burnt hair. Intense heat lapped at my bones. He rummaged through my thoughts. I remained stuck in place—helpless and unable to budge as he pulled out my memories, analyzed them, and slammed them back into my brain.
    Come to me ! His voice drummed against my skull. Climb down to me or you’ll regret it. He terrorized me with my nightmares—my mother’s knife scrapping away the scales on my arm, a flooded dumpster full of rats, a roof collapsing under my weight.
    “No!” Tears leaked from my eyes. I quivered. With all my energy I forced my teeth to glide against my tongue and slice through the tip. I concentrated on the sting and the metallic taste of my blood as I pushed the foreign power out of my head.
    Get out! Get out! I screamed over and over in my mind until more tears fell and warm blood filled my mouth. Get out!
    The ghostly fingers retreated inch by inch until nothing remained, but my own fear. I te sted my fingers. They moved. I turned and raced away without glancing back into those eyes. He laughed as I fled. It came out loud and followed me. I jumped from rooftop to rooftop. How did he get in my head like that? I lifted my dress with one hand and gripped my brick-climbers with the other. The man’s scent lingered in my hair and on my tongue.
    “Tell Theo not to think twice about canceling out the blood promise. It expires soon and then I can come for what I want!” the man roared. “I’ll take my Shadow like we