Should I touch him? What if he has internal injuries?
“Hold on, man.” Nico twisted around. A full moon was rising beyond the fog, casting an eerie half-light over the island. He spotted Opal leaping across the stones, Tyler and Emma hot on her heels.
“Over here!” Nico waved, then turned back to Logan, who groaned and licked his lips. Nico’s heart started beatingagain. “Just relax, dude. We’ll get you fixed up. Don’t … don’t freak out or anything.”
Logan puked into the grass. “Wha … what happened?”
“We fell into the Dar”—Nico winced—“the pool under the boat. Came up in the pond. You’ll be fine in a minute.” But Nico wasn’t sure. No one had gone through the Darkdeep with another person before.
Opal and the others were racing toward them. Nico stood. Cracked his neck. A moment later the ground shuddered beneath his feet.
Nico froze. “What was …”
The island went silent.
The hairs on his neck stood.
Logan hocked onto the grass. “Oh man, I feel like a used Kleenex.” He rose to his knees, then shot Nico a wild-eyed look. “What’s going on? What was that … thatthingin the water? What are you guys doing out here?”
“Shhh.” Nico waved for quiet. “Something isn’t right.”
“Of course it’s not right!” Logan staggered to his feet. “I got sucked down some kind of undertow … into … into …” He aimed a finger at Nico. “Tell meright nowwhat you and your weirdo friends are up to, or—”
The ground shook a second time.
“Be quiet, Logan!” Nico tried to look everywhere at once. “You don’t understand what’s happening. We should get back to the houseboat.”
“Where the whirlpool is?” Logan stared at Nico in horror. “No way. I’m not going near that thing.” His teeth chattered. “Did you … I swear I felt something. Like there was someone in the water with us.”
A tree groaned. There was a sound like a bullwhip, then a broken sentinel pine crashed to the mud less than a dozen yards from where they stood.
“Oh no,” Nico whispered.
“What wasthat?” Logan shouted, his voice cracking.
From the gloom emerged a giant, clanking monstrosity. It stood fifteen feet tall, wearing a dark robe with the hood thrown back. A smell like rotten eggs swept the field.
Moonlight pierced the mists, illuminating the figment’s face. Beady black eyes flanked a veiny, bulbous nose. Two sharp tusks protruded from its mouth.
“No!” Logan stumbled backward in shock. “You can’t be real! I stopped playing years ago, I promise!”
Nico’s eyes shot to his companion. “What is that?”
“Volg,” Logan practically whimpered. “It’s the Ogre King.”
The nightmare glared down with scorching eyes. “Invaders,” it growled through dripping jaws, though its voice sounded mechanized. “Humans have no place in my empire!” Lightning bolts sizzled along the creature’s sleeves as it unsheathed an enormous broadsword and raised it with an earthshaking roar. Fire erupted from the blade.
Nico gasped, his blood turning to ice. “Holy crap. That’s no ogre!”
Thanks to the burning sword and electric robe, Nico could better see the creature’s face. Its skin was made of liquid metal. The tusks were steel spikes. The letterMwas stamped in the center of its forehead.
“That’s Mordan,” Nico whispered, his jaw dropping open. “Warden of the Ways.”
Nico used to watch Japanese cartoons with his older brother as a kid. Mordan was a robot monk tasked with guarding the underworld on the planet Hexra. Mordan had scared Nico witless every time he saw him. After three episodes and a dozen nightmares, Nico never watched the show again.
Yet here the robot god was. Only … why did he also look like an ogre?
Logan was nearly hyperventilating at Nico’s side. He’d backpedaled into the pond up to his ankles, but didn’t seem to notice. “Ogre Warsis just a stupid video game. I quit when I was ten!” His hand shot out to grip Nico’s arm. “Why am I seeing Volg? Why is he made of metal?”
