“Exactly,” said Séverin. “Now. On the count of three, I’m going to shine the mirror shards onto the wall behind us. At that point you have to run.”
Even without turning around, Séverin could feel Enrique chafe at the thought.
“One…”
Séverin moved forward. The silhouettes of animals crowded the stage, tensed for any sign of an intruder.
“Two…”
Enrique moved beside him, and Séverin remembered every other time they had stood like this. Like friends.
“Three.”
Séverin threw out the mirror shards. Patterns of light hit the floor.
“Go!” he shouted.
Enrique ran forward. Light splayed like diamonds across the translucent floor. The creatures leapt and snarled at the patches of light. But not all the creatures were so distracted. To them, any combination of heat and movement was worth chasing. Out the corner of his eye, Séverin saw a huge crystal wolverine break off from the rest of the group. Its head jerked sharply in their direction before it growled, leaping after them, the ground falling away beneath its loping pace.
Up ahead, the red Forged heat net grew closer. Enrique tried to match Séverin stride for stride, but he wasn’t fast enough. The wolverine gained on him, one sharp claw was all it would take—
Séverin turned swiftly and barreled into the ice wolverine. It skidded to the right, scrabbling at the ice to get back on course.
“Don’t stop running!” yelled Séverin.
Séverin tore an incendiary device from his belt, throwing it into the wolverine’s gaping jaws. Seconds later, orange light burst across his vision. He threw up his arm as glass exploded in every direction. Growling and hissing filled his ears. All that the other creatures detected was heat and light, and they stalked it like a trail of blood left behind by wounded prey. Séverin couldn’t run. The creatures closed on him from every side. He willed himself still, arms frozen. In front of him, a vulture hopped forward, snapping its beak.
Séverin slowly maneuvered the mirror shards down his sleeveand into his palms. If he could distract them, he could make a run for it. He nearly had the shard in his hand when he heard the scrape of glass on ice. Out the corner of his eye, he saw a leopard sink back on its haunches. His heart pounded. He spun around in the same instant the creature leapt into the air. Light flashed in his eyes, his feet skidding beneath him. Séverin threw up his hands, only for cold air to burst onto his face. The animals had scattered. Sharp patterns of light knifed across the floor, blinding him.
“Run!” called Enrique.
Séverin twisted around. Enrique stood at the entrance to the Forged heating net, and for a moment, time froze with his shock: Enrique hadn’t left him. Scrambling to his feet, Séverin took off at a run. Behind him, he could hear the ice animals giving way to chase. A claw caught the edge of his jacket, tearing it off him. The Forged net loomed closer, its warm red light searing into his vision. One step, then three—
At the same time, Séverin and Enrique dove through the Forged heat net. Séverin slammed into the ground. Sharp pain shot up his wrist, but he pushed past it.
“Behind you!” shouted Enrique.
A huge ice lion sprang toward them. Séverin clambered backwards on his elbows, turning his face sharply. Seconds later, a rush of water hit the floor. He looked up to see water soaking his pant leg.
The heat net had turned the creature to a puddle of water.
Beside him, Enrique fought to catch his breath, his arms around his knees.
“Thank you,” said Séverin.
Enrique’s eyes turned glossy. When he fixed him with a stare,it was dead-eyed. For a long moment, he could say nothing. He looked away from Séverin to the floor.
“How could you do that to me?” he asked quietly.
At the sound of his voice, something inside Séverin threatened to break. He had nothing left to offer but the truth. He closed his eyes, thinking that once more his head would be full of remembering the slick golden ichor on Roux-Joubert’s mouth and the fleeting weight of wings.
But instead, he thought of Hypnos’s last toast.May our ends justify our means.That was all he had wanted. And he’d failed.
“I needed you for this one last job,” said Séverin, hauling himself upright. “I needed everyone’s complete focus and attention, but it wasn’t just for me. It was for all of us.The Divine Lyricscan grant godhood. That’s what I wanted for us… Do you understand? If I had that, no one would ever hurt us. You could have anything you want. You could go back to the Ilustrados, and they’d fall to their knees to have you. Tristan could even—”
“Have you gone mad?” cut in Enrique. “Turning into agod?Thatwas your solution to your problems?”
“You have no idea what I saw or what I felt when I was in those catacombs. I hadwings, Enrique. I had golden blood in my veins, and what I felt… it was like knowing the fucking pulse of the universe,” said Séverin. “You heard Ruslan in the dining room. The Fallen House had the means to do that, with their Midas Knife or whatever it was called. Imagine if there was more. Imagine what I could have given us if we had that book—”
