Each room inside the Moonlit Tower occupied an entire level, connected to other floors by a wrought-iron spiral staircase running up the center. The exception was the roof access granted by a narrow stairway along one wall. The tower did not taper, so each room was a hexagon of identical size.

Talizar led Kendra down the tight, steep staircase, descending through three rooms before stopping at the fourth. Heavy velvet drapes covered the windows. Extravagantly framed oil paintings adorned the walls. The plush furniture would have looked at home in an antique mansion. A white harpsicord painted with tiny flowers occupied one corner. Plentiful candelabras offered flickering light.

“Make yourself comfortable,” Talizar said, indicating a massive armchair. A tray holding cookies and a steaming mug awaited on the little table beside it.

“Thank you,” Kendra said, removing a bolster and a tasseled pillow to make room to sit.

“Help yourself to gingersnaps and mint tea,” Talizar said, standing with his shoulders slightly hunched and his hands behind his back.

“Is this what you eat?” Kendra asked.

“On rare occasions,” Talizar answered. “My appetites are more . . . carnivorous.”

“Are you going to sit?”

“I’d rather stand, thank you. Tell me why you have come.”

“I need help finding the legendary Dragon Slayers,” Kendra said.

The wolfman gave a toothy parody of a smile. “A worthy goal. I am glad to hear my gingersnaps will not be wasted.”

Kendra tried a cookie. It was soft and flavorful, but gingersnaps were not her favorite. “Were you expecting me?”

“Ever since Jubaya marked you, I hoped you would approach me,” Talizar said. “You are in a precarious position with the demons.”

“I killed your king,” Kendra said.

Talizar’s eyes flashed, and he began to pace. “Exactly. Most of us expected Gorgrog to rule for another millennium. You threw our hierarchy into chaos. But the current conflict could offer you the chance to settle up with us.”

“We have a common enemy,” Kendra said.

“The dragons have muddied the waters for ages,” Talizar said. “Never have they been so dangerous as under Celebrant. They have evolved into a force of nature with a will, as if a hurricane could actively seek vengeance.”

“I’m trying to stop them,” Kendra said.

Talizar came toward her, crouching, his muzzle a foot from her face. “And that is why we are willing to deal with you. A king for a king. Kill Celebrant, and the destruction of our monarch is forgiven.”

“What if I capture him?” Kendra asked.

Backing away, Talizar gave a slow chuckle. “Do you think Celebrant is likely to submit to recapture? Can you envision him signing a treaty? Returning to a sanctuary?”

“Probably not,” Kendra said.

“If you wish to quiet this storm of dragons, Celebrant must die,” Talizar said. “Otherwise, the fight will continue until every last dragon has perished. Ideally, his son Tamryn will die as well. But first things first—we must sever the head of the snake.”

Kendra tried a probative sip of the mint tea and found it too hot. “Easier said than done. The dragons are winning the war.”

“We’re aware,” Talizar said. “You need Dragon Slayers. And I will help you, if you vow to slay Celebrant.”

“Do I have to personally kill him?” Kendra asked.

“What a question!” Talizar exclaimed, stalking back and forth across the room. “Nobody cares who issues the killing stroke. I need a commitment that you will orchestrate the demise of the Dragon King, whether by Dragon Slayer, wizard, or your own hand. Pledge that you will stay on the task until Celebrant is dead, and you will have my assistance.”

“What if things go bad for Celebrant and he surrenders?” Kendra asked. “What if he yields?”

“That will not happen,” Talizar said. “And if he did, he would be playing you, and the same war would have to be fought again in the future.”

Kendra considered the implications of making a promise to a demon. She already intended to slay Celebrant. The forces of good were at war with the dragons. Celebrant had tried to kill just about everyone she loved, and had enjoyed some success. He was a menace, an active threat to the safety of the world.

But could she guarantee Celebrant would die? No matter the circumstances? Would that make her a hit man? An assassin engaged by the demons?

The war was desperate. She needed guidance. Killing Celebrant was almost certainly necessary if they hoped to win. And it was probably impossible without help.

“Do you already know where I can find the legendary Dragon Slayers?” Kendra asked.

“I can lead you to one of them,” Talizar said. “She is not far away.”

“Here at Wyrmroost?”

“No, but she dwells in this part of the United States. She is like me.”

“A werewolf?” Kendra asked.

“No more information until you pledge to see the task through to completion,” Talizar said. “Kendra, you are not the only person capable of fulfilling this assignment. If you would rather endure the enmity of the demons, be my guest.”

Celebrant had killed Agad. He would have killed her and several members of her family had Andromadus not intervened. Celebrant had overthrown the dragon sanctuaries and intended to achieve world domination.

“I’ll destroy him,” Kendra said.

Talizar pounced toward her, making her fumble her second gingersnap. “That’s what I needed to hear! Excellent. A king for a king.”

“Deal.”

“Magdalena is not a werewolf,” Talizar said. “But if my instincts are correct, she has become a lycanthrope.”

“Meaning a were-something?”

“She seldom retains a human form these days,” Talizar said. He crossed to a low table and lapped a drink from a fancy golden bowl.

“You’re a werewolf, right?”

Talizar looked up at her, the fur under his jaws matted with liquid. “First and foremost, I am a demon. I am a werewolf as well.”

“Do you sometimes revert to a human shape?” Kendra asked.

“Why would I choose an inferior form?” Talizar asked.

“To blend in?” Kendra tried.

Talizar shook his head. “This is now my permanent shape. Long ago, I resisted this form, succumbing only when the moon was bright.”

“The full moon makes a difference?” Kendra asked.

“All lycanthropes are influenced by the moon,” Talizar said. “Most resist the transformations at first. The beast wants control, you see, and that tends to frighten the rational mind. We don’t want to terrorize our friends and family. But some of us see benefits when it comes to our enemies.”

Kendra shivered. “How long did you resist?”

“For a time,” Talizar said. “But when the moon is full, no lycanthrope can withstand the pull. I awakened afterward as if from a coma, guilty for having hunted. Life was never the same after that first kill. Resistance wears down. The transformation happens whether the moon is full or gibbous. Most of us are eventually consumed by the beast. After enough time passes, most lycanthropes never revert, and rational thought dwindles to a faint memory.”

“You sound rational now,” Kendra said.

“A few of us overcome those primal urges,” Talizar said. “Instead of seeking to suppress our feral side, we learn to work with it, and we evolve into a true hybrid of man and beast, a predator with an intellect.”

“How many lycanthropes become demons?” Kendra asked.

“Very few,” Talizar said.

“And you think Magdalena is a lycanthrope?” Kendra asked.

“Such is my suspicion,” Talizar said. “I have a great deal of experience mentoring lycanthropes. I currently work with hundreds here at Wyrmroost, helping them transition to the highest state of which they are capable.”

“Has Magdalena become wild?” Kendra asked.

“Assuming I’m right, the power the beast wields over her waxes and wanes,” Talizar said. “When she loses her identity, the beast reigns. When she remembers her long history, she reasserts dominance.”

“What kind of beast is she?” Kendra asked.

“If I am correct, she is one of a kind,” Talizar said. “A wereyeti.”

Kendra remembered what she knew from reading Legend of the Dragon Slayer. “She has the fang.”

“And sometimes it rules her,” Talizar said. He returned to his bowl and lapped up more of the liquid.

Kendra lifted her mug of mint tea and blew across the surface. Taking a small sip, she found the temperature barely tolerable. She would have sweetened it a little if she had sugar, but it tasted decent, and she loved the smell. “So I’m looking for a yeti?”

“Some might say a sasquatch,” Talizar said, wetness dripping from his muzzle.

“No way,” Kendra replied. “I’m looking for Bigfoot?”

“Whatever else influenced that legend, Magdalena is part of it,” Talizar said.

“Where will I be looking?” Kendra asked.

“I recommend you start your search in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho,” Talizar said.

“Are you sure about this?” Kendra asked.

“I’m not positive,” Talizar said. “I’ve never seen her. But I’ve conducted extensive research. The topic is of great personal interest. Go to the Couer d’Alene Resort and search the lakeshore for an older man with a metal detector. His name is Sal Greenbaum, and you must convince him you are legitimately interested in learning about the sasquatch. If Sal believes you, he will help.”

“What if he doesn’t believe me?” Kendra asked.

“You will have a lot of ground to cover,” Talizar said. “You’re searching for a needle in a vast field of haystacks.”

“What about the other legendary Dragon Slayers?” Kendra asked.

“I don’t know their exact locations,” Talizar said. “In anticipation of this offensive by the dragons, we have been searching earnestly for months. You should visit Batoosa next. He believes Gerwin hides in his part of the world.”

“Which is where?” Kendra asked.

“Peru,” Talizar replied. “The Starlit Shrine, in the mountains south of Machu Pichu.”

“That’s convenient,” Kendra said.

“Did you expect this to be easy?” Talizar asked, pacing again. “At least you have winged mounts.”

“How will I locate the Starlit Shrine?” Kendra asked.

“Southeast of Salcantay, the tallest mountain in the region, you will find a deep valley shielded by a potent distracter spell. Thanks to the mark Jubaya gave you and your commitment to slaying Celebrant, the spell over the valley will work in reverse for you, summoning rather than distracting. At the bottom of the valley, you will find Batoosa and his shrine.”

“If Magdalena has turned wild, how can I reach her human side?” Kendra asked.

“It will be a challenge,” Talizar said. “She may wish to fight, but you must do the opposite. Calm her. Soothe her. Help her recall her identity. Do not approach her by moonlight.”

“How do I calm her?” Kendra asked.

“That depends,” Talizar said.

“Aren’t you the expert?” Kendra challenged.

“Effective methods vary,” Talizar said. “Speak softly. Move slowly. Show no fear. The right music can help. Items from their former life. Favorite foods. With Magdalena, the yeti fang she carries is instrumental in her transformation. To separate it from her could distance Magdalena from her bestial nature. But taking it could also enrage her.”

“She’s lived a long time,” Kendra said. “Is there any chance she has mastered her condition by now?”

Talizar chuckled darkly. “You are new to life. For most of us, a long life simply provides more time to accumulate damage. Magdalena is likely coping in ways that work for her.”

“Is there anything else you can tell me?” Kendra asked.

“Trust her strength,” Talizar said. “Once you wake her, Magdalena will be a powerful ally. To defeat Celebrant, you will need all the might you can gather. That tea should be cool enough for you now.”

Kendra tried a sip and found he was right. She ate another cookie.

“When you are finished with the refreshments, I will see you out,” Talizar said. “Should you encounter your brother, please give him my regards.”

“You know Seth?” Kendra asked.

“We have interacted in the past,” Talizar said. “Between the two of you, I did not suspect you would visit my tower before he did.”

“Seth has plenty of his own problems,” Kendra said. “The last thing he needs is to get mixed up with more demons.”

Talizar spread his arms, palms outward. “We’re here for those who need us.”