The Iron Warrior

by Julie Kagawa

  “No,” Annwyl whispered. She had drifted close and was staring at us with glazed green eyes, her face slack with horror. “Ethan Chase, please,” she said, looking at me. “I can reach him. Let me try again.”

  “There is no time to try again!” the Thin Man snapped. “The Iron Prince must be stopped. Look at the damage he has caused, the lives he took, in a single night! He is using the full extent of his power, and we cannot hold back any longer. Your feelings for him will doom us all.”

  “Annwyl,” Kenzie said, still pressed close to me. “I don’t want to accept it, either, but...maybe he’s right. Keirran might be gone. I mean, if Ethan wasn’t immune to glamour now, he would’ve killed him. Again. How many chances can we afford to give him?”

  “Please,” Annwyl whispered, her eyes filling with tears as she stared at me. “I’m begging you. One more time, Ethan Chase. He is your family, your blood. One last chance.”

  I gazed across the field without answering. The knights, now joined by several fey of both Summer and Winter, had finally hacked their way through the bramble wall. As expected, Keirran was nowhere to be found. He’d probably slipped back into the Between as soon as he’d thrown up the distraction and was on his way to the Lady right now. Because we couldn’t stop him.

  “You!”

  I jumped as Titania’s furious voice rang over the field, but for once, it wasn’t directed at me. The Summer Queen strode across the field, her blazing glare fixed on Mab, who awaited her with ice spreading out from her feet.

  “Curse you!” Titania spat, as the air around the two queens swirled into a dangerous cyclone. “Curse your interference, Mab! I had the Iron Prince where I wanted him. I could have stopped him tonight, had you not interfered!”

  “That is my grandson,” Mab hissed in return. “The only kin of my last remaining child. I will not have him killed by the likes of you.”

  “I warn you, Mab.” Titania drew herself up, eyes flashing. “You are moments from being at war with the Summer Court, as well.”

  Mab sneered. “Is that a threat, Summer Queen? Do you think I am afraid of you and your pathetic court?” Her lips curled in a savage, dangerous smile. “Any time you wish to experience the wrath of Winter, we are happy to oblige.”

  “Someone needs to stop this,” Kenzie whispered in a warning voice. I couldn’t agree more, but I didn’t want to be the one to step between two pissed-off Faery queens. Titania swelled with fury, wind and lightning screaming around her, and Mab straightened, too, icicles spearing out of the ground to claw the air. They each raised their arms, and the ground started to shake. I whispered a curse, then shoved away from Kenzie.

  “Stop it!”

  Both queens turned, pinning me with blazing, scary eyes. I strode forward, trying to put distance between myself and Kenzie in case a lightning bolt or ice storm suddenly came my way. “This isn’t the time to fight each other,” I said, glaring at the queens with more bravado than I felt. “If you declare war on the other court, you’ll just be helping the First Queen. You’ll be playing right into her hand, and she’ll be laughing at you all as she takes over the Nevernever and destroys the Veil. Is that what you want?”

  “You dare, mortal?” Mab asked softly, and several sharp icicle points turned in my direction. “You dare speak to a queen of Faery like that?”

  “Someone has to,” I heard myself saying, and gestured to the torn landscape, suddenly furious myself. “Look around us. If you haven’t noticed by now, Faery is being torn apart, the Veil is being shredded, and the First Queen is still out there while you two are having a pissing contest. I might just be mortal, but my world is being threatened, too. If the Veil goes down, it’ll be hell on earth for everyone, not just the Nevernever. So I’d kinda like to stop that before Keirran and the First Queen unleash the faery apocalypse. And the two of you aren’t helping by being at each other’s throats all the time!”

  Several ice spears flew at me, insanely fast. My insides cringed, but I forced myself to stand tall, facing them as they veered off at the last second, sticking into the trees and mud behind me. Mab stared in surprise, and I used that pause to tell my heart it could start beating again.

  “What is going on here?”

  A surge of energy announced the arrival of the Iron Queen. Meghan strode through the crowd, Oberon beside her, and the throngs of fey quickly fell back. Ignoring Mab and Titania, Meghan walked straight to me, her gaze concerned as she gripped my arms, blue eyes searching.

  “Ethan? Are you hurt? What happened?”

  “Keirran,” I muttered, and Meghan went rock still. “He was here. I’m sorry, Meghan. I couldn’t stop him.”

  “The Iron Prince has fled back to his Lady,” Titania announced, as Meghan squeezed my arms and straightened, turning to face the other rulers. “He has gone into the Between, and we must follow him. Open the Veil,” she ordered, looking at the Thin Man. “This has gone far enough. The Iron Prince and the First Queen will not hide from us any longer. We will go into the Between and find them ourselves. Open the Veil, Forgotten.”

  “No,” the Thin Man answered. “I will not.”

  Titania stiffened with fury and outrage, but Oberon raised his hand, silencing her outburst. “I will not hasten the destruction of the Veil any more than I already have,” the Thin Man continued. “Bringing any of you—” he gazed around at the four rulers “—into the Between will put too much strain on the Veil. It is already dangerously weak. A surge of power that strong could dissolve it completely.”

  “Then what do you expect us to do?” Titania spat. “Sit here and wait for the Forgotten and the Iron Prince to attack again?”

  “No,” I said, and stepped forward. “I’m going in after Keirran, right now.”

  They all stared at me. “The Forgotten might still be retreating,” I went on. “If we hurry, we might be able to get to him before he reaches the First Queen.”

  “We, Ethan Chase?” Mab wondered.

  “Yeah.” I nodded at the small group around me. “Me, Annwyl, Kenzie and the Thin Man. We won’t pose a threat to the Veil, and hopefully we’ll be able to slip through the Between without the Forgotten noticing we’re there.”

  Meghan frowned. “It’ll be the four of you against the Forgotten, Keirran and the First Queen,” she said. “If you’re discovered, you won’t have a chance. I don’t know if I can let you do this, Ethan.”

  “I have to, Meghan.” I faced my sister tiredly. “It was always meant to be me and Keirran in the end. I can’t do anything about the First Queen, or the Forgotten, but I can try to save Keirran.” One way or another.

  Meghan sighed. “Are you sure you can do this? Alone?”

  “He won’t be alone,” came a deep voice, as Ash, Puck and the Wolf padded up together. I froze as Ash turned his cool gaze on us. “We’re going with him,” the dark faery said, his firm voice leaving no room for argument. “If we can find the First Queen, we might be able to stop her.”

  “Yep,” Puck agreed, lacing his hands behind his skull. “And hopefully, our illustrious presence won’t make the Between go wonky and poof out of existence.” He glanced at the Thin Man. “That won’t be a problem, right, Slim Shady?”

  The Thin Man frowned. “It might,” he said uncertainly. “Two legends and a former Winter prince? I don’t know if the Between will be able to take it.”

  “Risk it,” Ash said, narrowing his eyes. “This is our best and only chance to reach Keirran and the First Queen. If she won’t come to us, we’ll have to go to her.”

  “And if it destroys the Veil in the process?”

  Someone yawned, loudly and mockingly, a few feet away.

  “I do not think you have to worry about that,” purred Grimalkin, appearing on a nearby shattered stump. Curling his tail around his feet, he regarded us lazily. “The Veil will survive,” he stated in
a bored voice. “Regardless of what he might believe, Robin Goodfellow is not going to be throwing around the power of a king or queen of Faery. The dog’s strength comes from story and legend. He has no magic of his own except the annoying ability to not die when he should. And the former Winter prince is no longer fey, not completely. Taking them into the Between will be a risk, but it might be your best option for any hope of victory tonight.”

  The Wolf rumbled an agreement. “The cat has a point,” he said, curling his lip as if those words were somehow distasteful. “Two humans, a Fading Summer girl and a Forgotten won’t be able to stand against an entire army. We can at least get you there.”

  “Oh, very well,” the Thin Man snapped. “But no one else. We’re already pushing the boundaries of what the Between can take.” He scowled at us all—me, Annwyl, Kenzie, Ash, Puck, Wolf—and sighed. “Shall we go, then? I believe you want to find the Iron Prince and the Lady soon, before the Forgotten have a chance to regroup.”

  I nodded before I had a chance to think about it. “Yeah,” I said. “Let’s go. Right now. The sooner the better.”

  “As you wish,” the Thin Man murmured. “Wait here. It will take me but a moment to find where the prince went through.”

  He strode off toward the hole in the bramble wall the knights had torn through. Guiltily, I looked at Kenzie, wondering what she was thinking about all this. She gazed calmly back, and I swallowed. “Are you okay to do this?” I asked softly. “Go into the Between again?”

  Kenzie smirked. “Trying to leave me behind again, tough guy?”

  “No.” I shook my head. “I’ll always want you with me, no matter what we’re facing. But I want you to be sure. You don’t have to do this, Kenzie. This is family stuff. If Keirran...kills me, he’ll go after you, too. I won’t be able to protect you from him.”

  The smirk widened. “If that happens, he’s the one who’s going to need protection,” Kenzie replied, only half joking, and stepped close to me. Her arms slid around my waist, pulling me against her. “We started this together, Ethan,” she said, smiling up at me. “We end it together. No matter what.”

  “Kissy kissy!” Razor buzzed, as I lowered my head and did just that.

  “Ethan Chase,” called the Thin Man as we drew apart. “It is time.” We glanced up just as he pushed his long fingers into nothing and parted reality like a curtain. A jagged tear appeared before him, leaking smoke. “Hurry,” he urged, waving us forward. “Before either the First Queen or Iron Prince notices we’re coming.”

  Okay, then. Guess it’s time. No more running, Keirran. We’re coming for you now.

  “Let’s go,” I told Kenzie, Annwyl and Razor, and started toward the Thin Man, through the ranks of fey. Meghan and Ash remained behind for a moment, the Iron Queen putting her hands on his face as she gazed up at him.

  “Be careful, Ash,” I heard her whisper as I passed. “I can’t lose you, and my brother, and my son in the same night.”

  “I’ll watch out for him,” Ash returned, taking her hands. “And we’ll bring Keirran back. That’s a promise, Meghan.”

  I looked away as they kissed, giving them some privacy. I hadn’t thought about that, how much Meghan had to lose tonight. Me, Keirran, Ash, the entire half of her family. No wonder she was worried. Puck and the Wolf fell into step beside us, and Ash joined us at the tear a moment later, his face grim and determined.

  “Well,” Puck commented, looking around at our odd party, “this is it, huh? I must admit, this is probably one of the stranger things I’ve had to do, with one of the stranger groups I’ve had to do it with.”

  The Wolf snorted. “No stranger than usual, Goodfellow.”

  “I guess not.” Puck sighed, then straightened with a bright grin, rubbing his hands. “Welp, as a certain furball would point out, time’s a-wasting. Who’s up for saving the Nevernever one more time?”

  Kenzie slipped her fingers through mine and squeezed. I took a deep breath, and we stepped through the tear into the Between.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  REALM OF THE FIRST QUEEN

  “Okay,” Puck remarked as the curtain of reality closed behind us, trapping us in the Between once more, “that’s...cheery.”

  A cold wind blew against my back, and I shivered. A stark, jagged landscape surrounded us, rocky outcroppings soaring out of the ground at random intervals, spearing into a dull gray sky. Jet-black mountains surrounded a sullen valley, the mist and shadows so thick they were impenetrable. There was no color anywhere. The rocks were gray, the few trees scattered here and there were black with white stripes and patches circling the trunks. A few silvery blades of grass poked up from between rocks, and the shadows were unnaturally long, almost appearing to move. It was like being inside an old negative photograph, and since the color leach hadn’t affected the rest of us, we definitely stood out. Puck’s red hair and Razor’s glowing blue teeth were almost painfully bright, and Wolf nearly blended into the background, his eyes floating green orbs in the dark.

  “Yes,” the Thin Man agreed, turning in a slow circle, momentarily vanishing from sight. “It seems the First Queen has been very busy,” he mused, reappearing once more. “No wonder her army of Forgotten have been able to hide in the Between.”

  “Yep, getting a definite Nosferatu vibe here,” Puck went on, observing the dead gray landscape with his hands on his hips, before giving a tiny shudder. “Brr, definitely creepytown. Wonder where all the natives are? And the First Queen?”

  Kenzie pointed. “I’m going to guess in there.”

  I followed her arm. A massive black fortress sat atop a mountain peak, pointed towers silhouetted against the sky. Leading up to the castle was a long, long stone bridge, suspended over a several-hundred-foot drop into utter darkness.

  “Oh, that looks safe,” Puck remarked, raising an eyebrow. “Can’t think of anything that could go wrong there.”

  “Come on,” Ash said, walking forward. “That’s where Keirran will be heading. Let’s try to catch him before he reaches the First Queen.”

  We started across the bleak landscape, heading toward the fortress looming in the distance. Ash, Puck and the Thin Man led. I trailed behind with Kenzie and Annwyl, and Wolf brought up the rear, padding silently over the rocks. Except for Razor’s low, constant buzzing and the deep, guttural panting from the Wolf, everything was quiet. Even our footsteps seemed muffled, swallowed up by the shadows that clawed at us from every corner. They shifted and wriggled in the corners of my eyes, and more than once, I thought I saw glowing yellow spheres, watching us from the black. But when I jerked up my head to look at them directly, they were always gone.

  “Anyone else get the feeling that we’re being watched?” I finally said, my voice unnaturally loud in the silence.

  Behind us, the Wolf gave a low chuckle.

  “Definitely,” he growled, making my hairs stand up. “The shadows are full of eyes. I can feel them, even if I cannot smell them. We are not alone.”

  “Why aren’t they attacking us?” Kenzie asked, moving closer to me. Razor gave a worried buzz and hid beneath her hair. “What are they waiting for?”

  “I imagine only a few Forgotten have noticed we are here,” the Thin Man said. “However, it only takes a few to alert the rest of the army. We should probably move a little faster.”

  So we did, striding over the bleak, black-and-gray landscape, on alert for anything that could come leaping out of the eternal shadows. As we drew closer to the bridge, more and more yellow eyes appeared in the darkness surrounding us. The Forgotten’s numbers were growing.

  “Quickly!” Ash said, beckoning us forward. I joined him and saw a long stone staircase cut into the side of the cliff, zigzagging its way up the mountain. We climbed, and the eyes followed us, slithering over the rocks and up the cliff face, turning into a huge swarm. Scrambling up
the steps, we finally reached the top and the narrow stone bridge that stretched out over nothing. In the distance, the castle beckoned, a jagged smear of black against the gray.

  A Forgotten heaved itself over the side and grabbed at Kenzie with pointed fingers. I yanked her away, slashing at the thing with my sword, and it billowed away into mist. But more shadows appeared, crawling over the railing, surging up the steps, a thousand pairs of yellow eyes coming at us, and we ran.

  The fortress loomed overhead, dark and menacing, making me feel tiny beneath its shadow. I felt, rather than heard, the horde of Forgotten at our backs and wondered how we were ever going to confront Keirran while running from an army.

  Ash stopped and turned around with a swirl of his cape, drawing his sword. Blue light washed over the bridge as Ash flung out a hand, causing a line of ice spears to grow from the stones, wickedly sharp points aimed back at the Forgotten.

  “Ash!”

  “Keep going.” The dark faery’s voice was calm as Puck and the Wolf whirled around and joined him in the center of the bridge. Together, the three formed a barrier between us and the approaching horde. “We’ll hold them here,” Ash continued, as Puck drew his daggers and Wolf panted a savage grin. “You three go on to the castle.”

  “Are you crazy? We’re not leaving you here!”

  He ignored me, facing the throng with his sword glowing blue at his side. The Forgotten continued to pile on to the bridge, slithering over the stones, massing beyond the ice barrier until the other side was nothing but black. Ash, Puck and the Wolf stood quietly, waiting for them, three motionless bodies against a flood of shadows and eyes.

  “That’s an awful lot of Forgotten, ice-boy,” Puck mused as the group reached the barrier and began clawing their way over it. He twirled his daggers in both hands and stepped forward, a fierce grin in his voice. “We might not make it through this one. Exciting, isn’t it? Just like old times.”