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Logan nodded and peeked around the corner. He kept pace with me, both of us hugging the wall. We continued on the winding path beneath the building until the noises and footsteps drew closer. A square wooden door was carved into the ceiling above us, and I noticed several others down the path. There were no steps or stairs, which told me exactly where we were. Sewer. I swallowed my disgust and tried not to think about it.
“That’s our way in.” I pointed up, and Logan grimaced.
“Is that what I think it is?”
I nodded. “Listen, you and I have both disemboweled creatures. This is nothing.”
Logan didn’t look convinced.
“Okay, I’ll go first. Just give me a boost.”
“Absolutely not.” Logan jumped, taking the cover of the hole with him.
“Rashearim men!” I cursed, clenching my fists. “Always the fucking heroes.”
Logan’s head appeared in the hole he had made. “All clear.”
He lowered his hand to help me, but I swatted it out of the way and jumped. He scrambled back out of my way. I landed in a crouch and stood. Logan leaped to his feet, brushing gods knew what from his pants, and looked around.
We were in the middle of a dimly lit stone room. Even with the heat of this realm, this room felt cold and desolate, but I didn’t have long to think about it. Something grabbed me painfully by my ponytail, yanking me off my feet.
“Trespasser!” a voice roared behind me.
“Dianna!” Logan yelled.
My body hit the stone wall, and pain took my breath away. I heard Logan groan as he crashed through the wall next to me.
I gasped, trying to catch my breath. A giant creature stomped toward me. Its arms, chest, and legs looked hewn from stone with a face made of the same. Hollow pits took the place of its mouth and eyes. It roared at me, and I jumped to my feet, summoning the forsaken blade. It threw its fist at me, but I ducked and brought my sword up. The creature’s arm fell to the ground with a thud. It roared its fury and charged. I sidestepped, extending my blade as it ran past. The ground shook as it dropped to its knees. There was a moment of silence, and then its head rolled to the side and fell to the floor.
The hole in the wall shook as Logan jumped into the room, his tattoos glowing vibrant blue.
“Dianna, you have to—” He stopped, his blade half raised, and watched as the decapitated creature turned into a heap of dirt and rocks. “Oh, you got it.”
I frowned at Logan. “What are you doing?”
“I was going to help, but you didn’t need my help.”
I shrugged. “Golem, right? Go for the head.”
His brows almost connected as he placed his hand on his hip. “How did you know that? They are ancient. Way before your time.”
“I read about them in a book.”
I didn’t tell him which book or that it was when Samkiel and I first broke into the council library. There was no way I would have wasted that opportunity. I’d researched every monster I could find when we weren’t sneaking looks at each other.
Logan and I strode to the door. I called the sword back to my ring and peered around the corner. The hallway was empty and sweltering hot. I motioned to Logan to follow me but to stay low.
We could hear the machines but no footsteps rushing our way. I thought someone would have heard the fight, but it seemed I was wrong. The hall curved to the left. We rounded the corner and stopped, straightening to our full height.
The hall led to a balcony. Beyond the steel railing, orange and red sparks shot upward. We weren’t in a mansion, a castle, or a home, not by a long shot. No, we were in a factory.
Overhead, massive metal wheels turned, grinding against each other, and pipes of all sizes covered the walls. Logan and I leaned over the balcony railing. Below, several large, worn oval cauldrons bubbled with something that looked like lava, but it glowed orange and gold. Tiny winged creatures tapped and nipped at each other, communicating in a language I didn’t recognize as they manipulated the pots.
They seemed too small for the task, but they tipped and moved the pots around as if they weighed nothing. The tiny creatures dumped the molten liquid, and it rushed down a narrow passageway to fill giant molds. The small beasts pulled a lever, and a heavy metal plate slammed down. When it lifted, a ghoulish creature lifted a black blade, shimmering with a sickly blueish tint with a serrated tip.
Weapons. That was why Kaden needed the iron.
“It’s only one ingredient.” Santiago’s voice rang in my head.
