Igor Ironbeast's Arc

Chapter 7 of 9

Igor walked Emberling back to its pen and left the dragon to feed. He climbed the stone stairs out of the pit and made for the courtyard. He needed open air. He needed to swing the new hammer until his arm learned its weight. The keep halls were quiet around him. Too quiet. Servants had cleared out. No guards stood at the inner arch. He kept the shield on his arm as he pushed the courtyard doors open. The courtyard was empty. A fire burned in the pit at the center, low and orange. Weapon racks lined the walls. Banners hung still. No wind. That was the wrong thing. The banners above the wall should have moved. A dagger left the shadow of the drum rack and struck his shield. Then another. Rattle Boneshire stepped out from behind the rack, skull tilted, yellow lights burning in the sockets. The gate on the far side groaned open and the pale wolf came through at a low run. Shade Nightfang sat the saddle, mask blank, a curved blade drawn. Igor set his feet. He caught Rattle's next dagger on the iron rim and drove the hammer down. Bone cracked at the shoulder. Rattle did not cry out. He never did. The wolf hit Igor from the side and knocked him against the fire pit. Coals scattered. Shade's blade opened a line across his arm before he could get the shield up. A third figure stepped through the smoke. A woman made of pale blue light, robes drifting as if underwater, white eyes with no pupils. Igor had not seen her before, but he knew the shape of court power when it stood in front of him. Kong's wife. Mara Voidweaver. She raised one hand and the air around Igor turned cold enough to burn. He roared and swung the hammer at the wolf's flank. It leapt clear. Shade circled. Rattle came again with the good arm. Then the sky went red. Emberling dropped over the wall. Fire came out of its throat in a long straight line. Rattle went to ash in one breath. Shade tried to turn the wolf and did not turn it in time. Rider and mount became black bone and then nothing. Mara stood in the fire and did not burn. The flame passed through her robes and struck the far wall. She lifted both hands. A spear of blue light formed and drove into Emberling's chest. The dragon screamed and staggered on the stone. Igor understood then. Flame would not touch her. She was not flesh. He looked at the fire pit. He looked at the iron cauldron of coals beside it. He dropped the hammer, grabbed the cauldron by its rim, and hurled the whole thing through her. The iron passed her waist and struck the wall behind. Her light bent around it and held. She laughed without sound and raised her hand again.