Somewhere in the smoke haze, metal thunked and clattered, drawing closer. A shape appeared in the shattered window. Runes glowed across the familiar canine shape of a golem, its shark-like mouth ready to chomp down on squishy human flesh. It charged through the open threshold, glass crunching under its steel feet.

I grabbed Robin’s arm and hauled her out of its path. It skidded on the slippery tiles and crashed into the desk, hundreds of pounds of steel crumpling the wood.

“Out!” I yelled. “Get outside!”

We needed room to maneuver if we were going to stand any chance against the golem. I raced for the door, Robin stumbling with me.

“What about the people inside?” she gasped. “They—”

“They’re combat mythics! They can take care of themselves!”

I jumped over the broken glass and landed on the front stoop. Dragging Robin by the arm, I got three steps—and glimpsed something huge flying toward us.

All my recent training saved our lives. I threw us sideways and the massive projectile flashed by so close the wind of its passing whipped my hair across my face. We hit the ground—and a deafening crash shook my bones. Shattered concrete spilled out of the brand-new hole where the guild’s front wall had stood seconds before.

Then I saw what had created the hole. It wasn’t a projectile.

It was a fist.

A huge steel fist attached to a huge steel arm connected to a huge steel shoulder.

The biggest hunk of metal I’d ever seen dragged its limb out of the wall and straightened to its full height. Twelve feet tall, broad and bulky, it looked like a cross between a steampunk Transformer and a medieval suit of armor. Giant runes glowed across it, their pinkish light competing with the firelight leaking from inside the guild.

The gargantuan golem turned its featureless helmet toward Robin and I, sprawled on our backs, and raised an arm above its head. Its basketball-sized fist plunged toward us, and with a wall on one side of me and Robin on the other, I couldn’t even roll away as death whooshed down.

Chapter Twenty-One

Robin’s terrified scream rang out—and red light burst from her chest. Crimson power streaked upward and solidified into the shape of her demon. He stood over us, arms raised.

The golem’s huge fist slammed into the demon’s outstretched hands.

His muscles bunched with inhuman strength as he braced against the impact. The golem bore down with the weight of steel, the momentum of its swing, and whatever magical force powered its movements. The demon sank lower, then collapsed to one knee, his metal greave hitting the pavement with a crunch.

“Tori, move!” Robin yelled, scrambling backward.

I rolled over and threw myself away from the demon and golem. The moment we were clear, the demon shoved backward, letting the golem’s fist smash into the ground.

“A golem,” Robin panted wildly as her demon scooted after us on agile feet, staying between his contractor and the giant. “It’s huge. How is it so huge?”

“Great question, but let’s worry about it later!” I whirled, fully intending to run like hell across the parking lot, down the street, and all the way back to the Crow and Hammer. “We need to—”

I broke off, terror plunging through me.

Waiting at the edge of the parking lot were three more canine golems, and behind them was a line of men—dressed in black, some in combat gear, faces covered with masks, hats, or handkerchiefs.

“Take out the contractor first!” one of them yelled.

The canine golems charged toward us, and behind them came three rogues, two raising artifacts as the third conjured water out of thin air.

I unholstered my paintball gun. The CO2 canister popped with my first shot, and I unloaded six of my seven potion balls. The sorcerers keeled over, too slow to counter, but the hydromage shaped water into a shield that blocked my paintballs.

Two out of three wasn’t bad—except the golems were still pounding toward us, their steel footsteps so loud it was like listening to a cutlery factory falling down a mountain. And I had no magic to defend against them.

Robin’s demon streaked past me.

He leaped over the golems like a champion pole vaulter, minus the pole, and slammed feet first into the hydromage’s chest. The man keeled over backward, hitting the pavement with sickening force.

The demon leaped off his chest and straight into the nearest golem, ramming his bare fist into its side. With a gong-like boom, the steel panel caved in. Undeterred, the golem spun on the demon, metal teeth snapping. The demon sprang away.

Behind us, the super-golem smashed another hole in the Odin’s Eye building.

“Knock it over!” I yelled desperately—then remembered the demon wasn’t actually the one fighting. “Robin, use your demon to knock them on their sides! They have trouble getting up!”

“Right!”

Her demon launched at the golem again, twisted in midair, and landed on his back, skidding under the golem’s belly. His body coiled, legs pulling in tight, then he kicked upward with explosive force. His feet hit the golem’s underbelly and heaved it up and over. It crashed onto its side, limbs waving helplessly.

“Whoa,” I breathed. “How’d you do th—shit!”

Grabbing Robin’s arm, I pulled her backward—because while her demon had been distracting the golems, the remaining rogues had surrounded us. They spread out, magic sparking off them as they prepared their attacks.

“Hoshi!” I cried desperately.

The sylph burst from my belt pouch in a streak of silver. A gust of wind whipped across the parking lot, blowing debris into the mythics’ faces. Dust billowed everywhere, thick as fog.

A furious shout—from behind us. I spun again.

Izzah appeared in the dusty haze, twin daggers in her hands. She leaped forward onto one foot, spinning in an elegant twist as her blades wove through the air. Water coalesced around the weapons, trailing after them like sparkling ribbons.

She spun like a dancer, her ponytail fanning out, and completed her move with crisscrossing slashes of her blades. A wide band of water shot outward, and it struck the cluster of rogues at knee height, blasting their legs out from under them. They howled in pain as they collapsed.

Behind Izzah, ten members of Odin’s Eye streamed out of the burning building, diving past the hulking super-golem as it smashed another hole into the second floor. Fury burned in every face as they charged toward the rogues and remaining two canine golems. They met the rogues in a clash of magic and weapons, and it was immediately apparent why one group were feared bounty hunters and the other fugitive rogues.

The problem was the golems, and as I eyed the remaining two, the ground shook with a crashing footstep.

The super-golem had turned away from the building. Fire spread through the interior, and smoke poured from the holes. The golem took a lumbering step toward the battling mythics.

Oh hell. The waist-high wolfy ones were almost impossible to kill. How could anyone stop that giant? It wasn’t very fast, but it was huge and deadly. I slapped my hands over my pouches, knowing I had nothing useful. Disabling it would require big, powerful, scary magic. Not my little trinkets. I needed something crazy, something—

My hand landed on my jean pocket, a square lump tucked inside.

Robin gasped. I jerked my head up—and saw the super-golem’s arm whipping toward us.

Her demon shot out of the dust haze, grabbed us both, and sprang straight up. The swinging steel limb whipped underneath our feet. We plunged down. The demon hit the pavement and leaped again, propelling us out of reach. He landed in a skid and spun to face the golem, his arm crushing my ribcage.

The super-golem plodded after us. Upside: it was no longer advancing on the Odin’s Eye mythics. Downside: we were screwed.

“Robin,” I wheezed as her demon released us. Staggering for balance, I grabbed my belt buckle. “Can your demon get me up onto the golem’s head?”

“Its head?” she squealed shrilly as the golem stomped closer. “Why—”

“Can you?” I pulled the buckle apart and lowered my belt to the ground. “Yes or no!”

Her frightened gaze flicked to her demon. “Yes, but—”

The golem drew its arm back. Robin jumped in front of us, and her demon grabbed her hand—simultaneously seizing me around the waist with his other arm.

“Ori eruptum impello!” Robin yelled.

Silver light burst out from her in an expanding dome. It whooshed gently over me and her demon—and hit the golem’s oncoming fist. The force of her spell halted its attack, metal creaking and groaning from the sudden loss of momentum.

The demon swept me against his side and leaped. He landed on the golem’s outstretched fist and sprinted up its arm to its shoulder. I jammed my hand in my pocket and pulled out the small square of purple fabric.

The golem lurched upright. Almost pitching off its shoulder, Robin’s demon seized its helmet to stay in place, my legs swinging wildly with the motion. The golem’s massive fingers shot for us.

The demon’s arm loosened around my waist and I had just a moment to clutch the thick helmet. Releasing me, the demon caught the golem’s fingers, knees bending as he coiled his body.

He launched off the golem’s shoulder, forcing the arm back, metal groaning as the limb bent the wrong way. The golem teetered, thrown off balance. Gripping the helmet with my knees, I pulled on two corners of the folded fabric, yanking them apart.

The Carapace of Valdurna unfurled.

Shimmering purple cloth swept out. The fabric billowed—and magic poured from it. Streams of glittering purple and blue rippled off the Carapace, its edges softening into pure magic. Glowing indigo light bathed the parking lot, and a heavy, sweet tang filled the air, so thick it was hard to breathe.

I swept the fabric onto the golem’s head. It settled over the steel in a swirl of light and magic. Power crawled up my arms, hot and cold, numbing all sensation.

The golem reached for me—but the glowing runes across its body were dimming. The luminescent markings darkened from bright pink to deep, burning red, then that too faded. In five seconds flat, it was inanimate steel once again.