Iron Crowned Page 0,45

it's hurting my magic either."

"Good," said Kiyo. "You're strong, so I'm not surprised. You may just have a simple awareness of it."

I thought about this for a moment and came to another realization. "You're not affected at all, are you?"

He shook his head. "Nope."

I always thought of Kiyo and me as being alike, children born of both worlds. That part was true, as was our half-human heritage. But my Otherworldly blood came from the gentry. Only gentry were affected by iron, and kitsunes had no fairy connection. As with the demon bear and the fetch, a kitsune's bane would be silver. At least, a full-blooded kitsune's would be. I'd seen Kiyo handle silver objects; his human blood protected him as mine did me. The bottom line was that he was a more useful companion here than I'd realized. I wondered if Dorian had made the connection.

"We will cross through no other lands until you turn back, mistress," said Volusian.

"So this is the world's end. The Otherworld's end, at least." I turned to Deanna, hovering alongside us. "Will we reach the entrance before night?"

She thought about it, and I braced myself for another vague response. "No. If you don't stop, you'll reach it in the morning."

Kiyo and I exchanged looks, both of us thinking the same thing. Get to the crown sooner or camp and be rested?

I looked over at Volusian. "You said there are no other lands. But will the terrain in this one change?"

"No."

"What do you think?" I asked Kiyo. "I don't want to be tired when we face whatever's guarding the crown, but this isn't great camping territory."

"No," he agreed. His eyes scanned around us, able to see more than mine in the waning light. He pointed. "There. There's a small outcrop that'll block most of the wind. Enough to keep a fire going. I hope."

I couldn't see the spot but trusted him. "Camping it is."

When we reached it, I saw the site was indeed sheltered. I tethered the horses while Kiyo built up a fire. We watched it warily as the wind abruptly came and went. The fire flickered and waved but appeared capable of lasting the night.

"I could hold off the wind a little," I said.

"Don't bother," said Kiyo, settling down beside the blaze. "Save your magic. This'll hold."

I wondered if he really was concerned about me conserving my strength or just wanted me to avoid my magic altogether. He'd never liked it. I didn't question him, though, and sat down as well, mostly because the cold was finally starting to get to me. I buttoned up the leather jacket, achieving little. Our dinner consisted of more travel food: jerky, granola, and some bread that would probably be stale tomorrow.

"I don't suppose you can use your wilderness skills to go hunt us something fresh?" I asked.

He smiled, the campfire casting strange shadows on his face, now that night had fully come. "I would if there was anything alive out here. It's just us." He eyed me, taking in my shivering. "Don't you own a warmer coat?"

"Where am I going to get a down coat in Tucson?" I demanded.

"This time of year? Any sporting goods store. For the skiers. Lara could order you one if you can't be troubled."

"I think Lara and Tim are in love," I said abruptly, remembering that bizarre development.

"What?" asked Kiyo, as astonished as I had been. "Are you sure?"

"Well, they're in infatuation, at least. Volusian, were they together when you went back?"

My minion was off in the shadows, only his red eyes visible. "Yes, mistress. They were in bed, their bodies naked and - "

"Okay, okay, stop," I exclaimed. "I don't need to hear anymore."

"Well, I'll be damned," said Kiyo. While we'd dated, he'd been witness to their phone battles. "But I guess stranger things have happened."

"Yeah," I agreed. "Look at us. We're sitting in an iron landscape, being led by a ghost to a mythical object, which - if it even exists - may or may not make me scary enough to end a war."

"Fair point," said Kiyo, his smile returning. We sat in companionable silence. It was a nice change from the animosity and tension that had surrounded us for so long. I'd missed him, I realized. "Eugenie?"

"Hmm?" I glanced up, feeling embarrassed by my thoughts.

"Why didn't you bring Roland with you? He could've fought unaffected. And God knows he doesn't want gentry power."

I looked away from those dark eyes, down at the fire's blue heart. "He doesn't want me