The Pyramid Chronicles: Tyche Point (#1)

Chapter Thirty-One: Plan of Attack

Eric raised an eyebrow as he studied the book poster outside the library. "Isn't this like, the eighth book in the series?"

"It's the tenth, actually," Sam replied. He peered through the library's front doors. "The librarian said they were arriving today."

Summer picked up one of the books laid out on the table next to the doors, an earlier installment in the sci-fi fantasy saga Sam and Veronica were apparently obsessed with. "And you guys have read all of them?"

"Yep." Sam lifted onto his tiptoes. "Is she even in there?"

"I don't think packages get delivered before seven in the morning, dude," Eric said.

Summer flipped the book she was holding over and raised an eyebrow. "I just didn't see you two as the type to read weird fantasy dragon books," she teased.

"They aren't 'weird fantasy dragon' books." Veronica folded her arms. "They're very political, actually. Teller is a great author."

Eric leaned over to study the cover Summer was examining. "Is that guy on the front supposed to be some kind of demon?"

"He's not a demon." Sam turned around. "He's the king of the dragon empire."

"But he's just a dude with horns," Eric said.

"They can shapeshift," Veronica explained. "It's what that Dragonworld musical the school's doing is based on."

Summer frowned. "I thought Dragonworld was about aliens."

"Yeah, they're dragons on an alien planet."

"Alien dragons?" Summer asked.

Veronica flushed. "It's a lot cooler than it sounds."

"Are you kidding? That already sounds cool as hell."

"Yeah," Eric said. "And that dude on the front's not bad looking, either."

Sam shook his head. "I mean, I guess, but the dragon king is evil. He—"

"Sam, don't spoil it for them," Veronica cut him off.

Raveena came flying around the corner.

Before anyone could process her arrival, she stumbled into the closed doors of the library. Gasping for air, she straightened up and whirled around. "Oh, good, most of you are here."

The librarian emerged from around the corner on the other side of the doors. "Excuse me, could you keep it down out there?" she called to them. "This is a library."

"There's no one in there," Sam muttered.

"Raveena?" Eric asked. "What are you doing here? Did you run here all the way from Magic Adventure—?"

"Magic Adventure Golf Land? Yes." Raveena looked anxiously around the hallway. "And I also ran around the school for a while."

Summer set the book down. "What's wrong?"

"It's Scorpion," Raveena said. "There's something about the energy field around the fragment, and Scorpion wants it for a secret project, and Claudia's going to recruit more—"

"Whoa, take a deep breath," Summer said.

"Where did you get information on Scorpion?" Eric asked. "I thought you were just hiding out at the golf course."

"I was," Raveena said. "But then I went to the arcade."

"You what?"

Raveena glanced at Eric. "I got into the basement through a nearby building. I was able to climb through the air ducts, and I found Claudia's office. I spied on her for a while."