ZOFIA
Zofia did not have room for fear.
Her mind grasped at the scene, breaking it down into parts. The liquid glass oozed from the panel, falling to the floor and gaining shape. Within seconds, the glass fused into a long snout, sharp claws, a thick tail, and a body that towered nearly fifteen meters high. The glass creature swung its head to face them.
“Remember how I asked for a dragon?” said Hypnos. “I take it back.”
Zofia noted the hot fan of its translucent wings, the stripe of scarlet up its belly, the clear teeth the size of her hand, and the lashing tail twisted with blue pigment. She smelled and tasted the molten metal in the air, coppery like blood. She heard the smash of its huge tail against the floor, like the sound of a shattering chandelier.
“Watch out!” shouted Laila.
She grabbed Zofia’s arm, yanking her to the floor just as the glass dragon’s tail whipped out, slamming against the wall. Normally,the force should have shattered the vials, but they stood perfectly intact. At the base of each pedestal, Zofia noticed a dimly glowing metal sphere. She recognized the structures immediately: Gaia Dots. Lightweight, but designed to absorb shock. That was what had to be holding the vials in place.
Just then, the dragon roared, the sound like the bellows of a furnace. Zofia forced her heartbeat to remain steady. Distantly, she registered that they were in trouble, but she knew she was no use to her friends if she could not think.
Her gaze flew to the creature’s taloned feet. They seemed to melt into the marble, allowing it slow but labored movement across the floor. It was not built for speed, but—Zofia glanced at the fused door and the skylight thirty meters above them—it did not need to work quickly.
Meltingly slow, it slid forward, its tail whipping out, its jaws snapping.
“I don’t know how to defeat a dragon!” said Hypnos.
“It isn’t a dragon,” said Zofia. “It’s glass.”
The glass dragon slid one step closer. Its tail spun out, but Zofia noticed that it never arced upwards; its Forging mechanism was careful not to disturb the skylight. The room’s cloying heat pressed against her robes. Séverin had called the heat intentional… apreference. An idea snapped through her thoughts.
“We need to stress the dragon,” she said.
Hypnos frowned. “I’m not sure now is the time to tell it about my existential woes—”
“Glass experiences thermal shock when the temperature rapidly changes between two surfaces,” said Zofia.
“Hot glass doesn’t like cold air,” said Séverin. “We need to introduce some cold into the room.”
“But the door is melted shut!” said Enrique.
Zofia glanced up. “The skylight isn’t.”
“We can’t reach that!” said Hypnos.
“Yes, we can,” said Laila. She ripped open her robes, reaching for the Forged steel Zofia had concealed in her bodice.
“The skylight will need significant mass to break,” she said, casting about the room for something to attach to the rope.
There was nothing around them but delicate perfume bottles.
The dragon moved closer, molten heat rippling from its body. The flowing glass surrounded four pedestals, two on each side.
“We need to move!” said Enrique, standing.
Séverin stayed where he was, pointing above them. “This is the best place to access the skylight—”
“Séverin,” said Laila, her voice full of warning.
“Buy me some time,” said Séverin.
“Take your robes off,” said Zofia, ripping off the heavy cloth.
“Normally I love that suggestion,” said Hypnos. “But—”
