She says the last part extra loud, even as she bats her big purple eyes at the older woman behind the very high counter near the entrance to the tree. She’s got long brown hair, which she wears in a single braid down her back, and though her face is serious, her bright mocha-colored eyes are awash with mischief as she winks at Erym.

“Are you sure you want to give away all our secrets?” she asks, but she smiles at Erym before moving over to an area about thirty feet behind her where an easily ten-foot giant is working at a massive wooden bench. Behind him is a roaring fire in a pot-bellied stove. So strange that we couldn’t feel the fire until we got closer, but I suppose if you’re going to build a fire inside a tree, you need to protect it with serious magic.

His beefy hands are encased in orange leather gloves, his face covered by an apparatus similar to a welder’s mask. Large metal tongs are clipped onto the side of a metal bowl, and he uses them to turn the bowl this way and that as he presses a long metal rod with a bright-orange metal ball on the end along the inside of the bowl, only pausing every few minutes to drop the cooled ball into the fire to reheat it before starting again.

The whole process doesn’t look anything more special than how I’d imagine you’d make a cauldron, if I’d ever bothered to consider it before today, that is. But then the giant places the long metal rod with the ball back into the fire, lifts his mask, and then leans forward and whispers along the side of the cauldron, slowly turning it into his breath.

Runes of various shapes and sizes start to appear all over the outside of the cauldron, everywhere his breath meets the cooling metal. They flame a bright orange like the fire before fading to red and eventually disappear into the black metal as they cool.

“Are those magical runes?” Macy all but squeals, her eyes glued to the fading symbols.

“They are indeed,” Sumna tells her, and this time she doesn’t even bother to hide her smile. “Each cauldron is blessed with a special type of magic, depending on what the blacksmith’s purpose in each creation is. Some cauldrons are meant to create healing spells, others to bring harmony and balance, and there are even those for war.”

“I’d heard that, but I had no idea this is how you did it!” Macy grins at me. “My dad is going to die that I got to see how our cauldron was made.”

A quick look at Flint and Eden and the vampires tells me they are just as fascinated by the entire process as Macy.

Macy’s eyebrows hit her hairline as she gasps. “Does this mean each blacksmith has their own talent, their own spells, and that’s what an Amweldonlis Cauldron is—it was made by the giant named Amweldonlis?”

Sumna’s smile is as big as her face now. “Close. The first part is the blacksmith’s name and the second is the name of the tree it was crafted within. An Amweldonlis Cauldron was made by Amweld in the Onlis tree.”

She points to one of the giant redwoods not far from her shop. “Like, that’s the Falgron tree. It helps infuse spells with strength and goodness. Which is why it’s my favorite tree.” She smiles at Macy. “And that is why the cauldron your family uses is a Sumnafalgron.”

Macy’s mouth drops open “How did you—”

“I know where all my cauldrons go, sweetheart. They are very near and dear to my heart, and I want to ensure they have a happy home. Your father is a very good man. I was honored for him to use one of my cauldrons.”

“I can’t—” Macy’s voice breaks, and tears bloom in her eyes.

Eden wraps an arm around her and whispers, “Coolest thing ever, huh?”

My cousin nods. “The coolest.”

“You see,” Sumna continues, “the trees in the Firmament speak to us. They offer us their magic, to build our houses and our shops. We always use them for making our cauldrons, or really any of our metalwork. The tree’s own magic where the metal was crafted brings something special to the item as well as the blacksmith. In fact, the tree’s magic is so important, blacksmiths have been known to seek out a specific tree for a particular commission.”

She puts a hand to one side of her mouth and leans toward us, as though she’s about to share a trade secret she doesn’t want anyone else to overhear. “I’m especially partial to jewelry made within the Manwa tree.” Her eyes are positively twinkling now. “That tree is known to give the wearer a special glamour of beauty.”

Macy glances at Eden with an awed look on her face, motions with one hand that her mind is blown, and Eden laughs.

And I have to say, it’s all really, really cool. I’m so intrigued, I’d forgotten why we came until Hudson nudges me with his elbow. Sumna is suggesting Erym take the group over to another giant just starting his cauldron process, a hunk of metal six feet tall resting on his workbench.

Sumna starts to head back to her position at the front of the tree, and Hudson follows her.

“Excuse me, Sumna?” Hudson calls out, smooth as butter, and she stops and turns with a smile. “I’m sorry to bother you. But I was wondering if you have a blacksmith in town who makes magical cuffs?”

Sumna winks at him. “Honey, half the city are blacksmiths. And all of them dabble in crafting jewelry as well as cauldrons. What are you in need of?”

My stomach sinks. We’d just assumed the Blacksmith was his name, like with a capital B. How foolish I feel now as I realize that’s not his name at all; it’s just his profession. The Bloodletter told us to find the blacksmith who made the cuff—not the Blacksmith.

I turn to Hudson, my eyes asking how in the world we can find a man whose name we don’t know in a city where half its inhabitants are similarly employed. He just winks at me and turns back to Sumna.

“Can you help me out, then? There’s this girl I want to impress, but I kind of screwed up,” he lies smoothly. “I got into some trouble at school, and now I’m grounded for a few weeks.” He lifts his wrist to show her his cuff. “But if I don’t get this cuff off, I’m not going to stand a chance. How can I convince her I’m the guy for her if I’m just a regular old vamp?”

Sumna studies the cuff for a second, then shakes her head and frowns. “I’m so sorry, son, but the blacksmith who made these original cuffs hasn’t been seen in centuries.”

Which is the last thing any of us wants to hear.

56

A Giant Little Crush

My shoulders sag. How are we ever going to free the Unkillable Beast and find the Crown without the right blacksmith? And if we don’t find the Crown, how are we going to save Hudson from prison? Stop Cyrus from attacking Katmere?

But Hudson is determined. He turns up the charm and gives the giant a wink. “Now, come on, Sumna. I really love this girl. There’s gotta be something I can do, someone who can help me.”

Sumna holds his gaze for a beat before she chuckles. “Oh, I remember young love. So foolhardy and exciting.” She pauses to look around for the others at the opposite end of the factory, then leans in to Hudson and whispers conspiratorially, “I hear his wife still does some repairs on his old work. She might be willing to help you. Maybe. She’s not been the same since her husband left, but she’s got a soft spot for young love. If she’s working, it’ll be in the Soli tree.”

Hudson positively beams at her. “I won’t forget this, Sumna! If you’re ever in the Vampire Court, I’d be honored to show you around.”

The older woman blushes like a schoolgirl as she swats him away. “Oh, you are a handful, aren’t you?” Her eyes turn to mine. “Is this your girl?”

Hudson doesn’t hesitate. “Yes, ma’am.”

She studies me, her eyes going wide for a second before the brown orbs twinkle devilishly. “Yes, I can see why you want to impress this young lady. She’s positively radiant with magic. It’ll take a lot for you to keep up with her.”

“You have no idea,” Hudson agrees, his steady gaze holding mine. “But I’ll spend the rest of my life trying.”

Is this just part of his act, I wonder, or does he really mean what he’s saying? It’s probably the former, but that doesn’t stop the heat from warming my cheeks or my heart from pounding fast and hard in my chest.

“I think he does pretty well,” I tell her. “I’m still getting a handle on my gargoyle magic.”

And then the old woman does something completely startling. She sniffs me. “Yes, I definitely smell the gargoyle in you, but…” She sniffs again. “I was referring to something else. Something much more ancient. What were your parents?”

I’m so surprised by her question, I answer without thinking. “My father was a warlock, but my mother was just a human.”

Her eyes narrow. “Hmm. Was she now?” A few seconds pass, but then her features soften again, and she laughs. “Look at me, being fanciful. Now, go on, you two, get that cuff off, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

She’s still laughing to herself about that last comment as she walks away, and I stare at Hudson and mouth, What the hell?

He shrugs. “Giants.”

I want to ask him what he thinks she meant, but Erym and the rest of our group are done with the other demonstration and join us again.