“What do you mean, we could all die?” Pidelle asked.
Goldmight collapsed on the ground, exhausted. The lightning golems looked at everyone, but made no move to attack. For now, they were content to watch.
“Suffrn’s guards were supposed to be unstoppable. And if you look at these golems, they are. We haven’t made a scratch on them.”
“We’ve been a bit busy,” Hilt said. she looked at the constructs appraisingly. They didn’t seem too tough. But then again, the lightning could be called up at any second. She could not deflect two different attacks at once, or even one for an extended period.
“They do look incredible,” Book and the Sarrofop sisters looked at the golems closely. “It seems copper beneath the iron plate, but there is another layer underneath. Perhaps stone for the runes?”
“I don’t know,” Goldmight confessed. “Luxar could only find a reference that this was Suffrn’s lesser work. Binding lightning to golems was a hobby, and a security measure.”
“A hobby?” Zibnizik asked.
Goldmight ignored him. “The real test was Suffrn’s life work. Living lightning. He pulled himself out of his body, transformed it into energy. It is still here.”
“What?” Hilt looked at him. “Living lightning?”
“Suffrn lives,” Goldmight said. He laughed, delirious. “The great Suffrn the Caged has spent centuries trapped in the Glass Cliffs, defending his treasures. And if someone breaks in and manages to get rid of him, it’s all his.”
Zibnizik ran over to the fairy. He picked up Goldmight, and shook him.
“Get rid of him? You mean kill him!” He shook the fairy some more. “Is that what your stupid master told you? Is that what you want Bin to do? Is it!”
Goldmight could only laugh.
“That boy is out of his mind trying to help you. And you sent him to either be a murderer, or dead!” Zibnizik shouted. “What kind of friend are you?”
“A friend?” Goldmight scoffed. “He’s just some idiot half-breed. When Ona told me that he knew where the caves of Suffrn were, I knew that Luxar’s stories were true. All that power, right at my fingertips!”
“That fool Luxar,” Book muttered.
“Luxar is dead!” Goldmight screamed. “Faded away into one of his little light magics, but he never came back. Just one day, poof, all gone! Left without even letting me know what was going on. But I’ve got his last work, and a lackey stupid enough to do the dirty work for me!”
Hilt howled, and dove at Goldmight. The fairy winked out, and disappeared in a flash of light. The rest of the group huddled together, all eyes searching for him.
“Where did he go?” Hilt said.
“With his magic?” Book asked. “We could be staring right at him and not even know it.”
Yuva tried to listen to the beating of his wings. But the only ones she could hear were Nutrose’s, whirling away in anticipation. Or fear.
“Stop it!” She snapped at Nutrose. “I can’t hear a thing.”
“Sorry.”
Hilt slammed her foot to the ground. “He’s gone.”
Book settled in. “He’ll be back. His treasure is here.”
Pidella looked at the door. “But what about Bin?”
copyright 2018 Jack Holder