Iron Crowned Page 0,50

through any part of the Otherworld. I wondered how far it went. To infinity? Or would a traveler simply fall off the edge, like on those maps made back when people believed the world was flat?

"This is it."

Deanna's voice, though soft, seemed harsh in the emptiness around us. We came to a halt, and I glanced around, searching for what she'd found. At last, I spotted a small, dark opening tucked in one of the iron mountains.

"That's it? It seems so ... small."

"Out here it does," said Kiyo. "We don't know what's inside ... except that it's going to completely enclose us in iron. Remember - that'd kill most gentry. It's a test you're lucky enough to skip. Hopefully."

"True," I murmured. I still felt no ostensible effects from this land, but what would happen inside the mountain?

"I can't go inside," said Deanna. "I'll just wait here for you to come out."

"I too shall wait," said Volusian, "in the hopes that you meet your death and that it is your spirit that emerges, so that I may torment it for all eternity."

I pushed away the desire to order him away. Even if he couldn't follow us, I'd feel better having him right here for defense when we came out. And we would come out, I decided fiercely. There was no if here.

I left my bag and gun outside, seeing as I had no ammunition left. Fucking snakes. Surveying the rest of my arsenal, I left the iron athame in my belt, putting the silver athame in my right hand and the wand in my left. I glanced at Kiyo.

"Ready?"

He nodded. "I'll go first."

It was a very manly thing to do. I let him lead and faintly heard Deanna wishing us luck. The cave we entered was pitch black and cramped. I could just barely get through without ducking and knew Kiyo had to walk slightly hunched. We followed the twists and turns, scraping against the close, rough walls. We spoke occasionally to check location, and I'd sometimes touch his back as well. The deeper we went, the more I could feel the iron around us. Again, I had no indications of weakness ... just an awareness.

"Light," said Kiyo suddenly.

I blinked. He was right. I saw no light source, but something farther ahead was casting light down the tunnel. It started as only faint illumination, just giving me a glimpse of his silhouette. Soon, the light increased ... as did the heat. A roaring sound came to my ears.

"I have a bad feeling about this," I said.

We rounded a corner, and my jaw nearly dropped. The path ahead was blocked by fire. To be precise, it was blocked by sheets of very neatly contained fire, giving the impression of giant blades - particularly since they swung from the ceiling. Magically flattened into sheets or not, the flames burned intensely, and the heat radiating through the corridor left no doubt that these bastards would incinerate us.

"I think I saw this in a video game," I muttered.

Kiyo's gaze was fixed unwaveringly on the fire blades. There were five of them. His face was blank, but the concentration in his eyes told me what he was doing. He was timing them, studying their patterns.

"They're staggered in a way that would let us get through," he said. "We just have to watch the timing."

"You can get through. I don't know about me." I wasn't being defeatist; I was just stating the truth. Kiyo possessed reflexes I didn't have. I could sit here for hours and probably not learn their patterns like he could.

He frowned. "Maybe I can just hold your hand. Or put you on my back."

"What? No. That's ridiculous. It'd affect your speed - throw you off." I studied the flames, hypnotized by the swinging patterns. There were spaces between each sheet. "Maybe I can wing it, take them one at a time."

"Now that's a ridiculous idea." Frustration lined his brow.

"And to think, I would have given anything for heat last night. We should have camped in here...." My joke trailed off as an idea came to me. "I'll just walk through."

The look he gave me required no words to convey his opinion.

"Seriously," I said. I put my weapons away and drew on the magic within me. The iron wasn't affecting me. I toyed with the elements of air and water, testing and weaving them like a scarf. Kiyo could feel the shift in temperature near us.

"What are you thinking?"

"I can protect myself," I said.