“You were with Laila ‘in bed’?” asked Enrique. “Like … beside her or—hold on, what do you mean out there with the others? What others?”

“The paralyzed members of the Order are lined up all around the atrium. Must have been a blood Forging artist,” said Séverin. Then he frowned, running through what Enrique had said. “Why would Ruslan need to deliver a lyre to the matriarch?”

Enrique eyed him warily.

It hit Séverin then: Enrique didn’t trust him. Enrique, who had once willingly walked into a volcano beside him and emerged on the other side craving marshmallow and bars of chocolate. This was the cost of what he had done, and to stare at it full in the face and have nothing to offer in return: no godhood, no protection, no recompense …

It was its own kind of death.

“Later,” said Enrique curtly.

Séverin forced himself to nod and then turned to the door of the library.

“The ice creatures are drawn to heat and movement. There’s a heat net blocking the grotto entrance, and they can’t cross it. We just have to get there before them.”

“And how, exactly, do we avoid getting mauled?”

He couldn’t care less what happened to him so long as the others were safe, but he’d be useless to them if he was too wounded to help. Séverin looked around the library, then walked to one of the tables laden with treasure. There were statue busts, woven tapestries that shimmered and sang at his touch … but that wasn’t what he was looking for. His gaze zeroed in on a handheld mirror the size of his palm.

Enrique moved behind him.

“That’s a fourth-century replica of Amaterasu’s mirror. It’s a relic all the way from Japan, so be very—”

Séverin smashed it, eliciting a strangled choking sound from Enrique.

“… careful,” finished Enrique weakly.

Séverin picked through the shards, gathering a couple for himself, and then a couple for Enrique.

“Follow me.”

Séverin opened the library door slowly, and they walked down the hall to the atrium. Beside him, Enrique muttered something about the “tyranny of indifference.” Morning light changed in the room, silvering the interior of the Sleeping Palace. The ice creatures weren’t true animals; they couldn’t see. Yet their Forging function was identical to that of a Mnemo bug. It could track and record movement like any ordinary pair of eyes … and respond in kind.

Séverin weighed the mirror shards in his hand.

“Do you remember Nisyros Island?”

Enrique groaned. Séverin knew that Enrique, in particular, held a special grudge against the island.

“Remember the mechanical sharks?”

“The ones you said wouldn’t attack?” shot back Enrique.

In the past, Enrique had always mentioned this jokingly, but there was no humor left. Now, Enrique’s eyes dulled, as if whatever joy he’d found in the past had snapped beneath the weight of the present. Séverin wanted to shake his shoulders, to tell him that everything he’d done was for and not against him. But disuse had turned his tongue clumsy for truth telling, and the window for truths slammed shut at the distant growl of an ice animal.

“Those sharks followed patterns of light,” explained Séverin.

“Which would carry a very faint heat signature to the ice animals,” finished Enrique, nodding.

“Exactly,” said Séverin. “Now. On the count of three, I’m going to shine the mirror shards onto the wall behind us. At that point you have to run.”

Even without turning around, Séverin could feel Enrique chafe at the thought.

“One…”

Séverin moved forward. The silhouettes of animals crowded the stage, tensed for any sign of an intruder.

“Two…”

Enrique moved beside him, and Séverin remembered every other time they had stood like this. Like friends.

“Three.”

Séverin threw out the mirror shards. Patterns of light hit the floor.

“Go!” he shouted.

Enrique ran forward. Light splayed like diamonds across the translucent floor. The creatures leapt and snarled at the patches of light. But not all the creatures were so distracted. To them, any combination of heat and movement was worth chasing. Out the corner of his eye, Séverin saw a huge crystal wolverine break off from the rest of the group. Its head jerked sharply in their direction before it growled, leaping after them, the ground falling away beneath its loping pace.

Up ahead, the red Forged heat net grew closer. Enrique tried to match Séverin stride for stride, but he wasn’t fast enough. The wolverine gained on him, one sharp claw was all it would take—

Séverin turned swiftly and barreled into the ice wolverine. It skidded to the right, scrabbling at the ice to get back on course.

“Don’t stop running!” yelled Séverin.

Séverin tore an incendiary device from his belt, throwing it into the wolverine’s gaping jaws. Seconds later, orange light burst across his vision. He threw up his arm as glass exploded in every direction. Growling and hissing filled his ears. All that the other creatures detected was heat and light, and they stalked it like a trail of blood left behind by wounded prey. Séverin couldn’t run. The creatures closed on him from every side. He willed himself still, arms frozen. In front of him, a vulture hopped forward, snapping its beak.

Séverin slowly maneuvered the mirror shards down his sleeve and into his palms. If he could distract them, he could make a run for it. He nearly had the shard in his hand when he heard the scrape of glass on ice. Out the corner of his eye, he saw a leopard sink back on its haunches. His heart pounded. He spun around in the same instant the creature leapt into the air. Light flashed in his eyes, his feet skidding beneath him. Séverin threw up his hands, only for cold air to burst onto his face. The animals had scattered. Sharp patterns of light knifed across the floor, blinding him.

“Run!” called Enrique.

Séverin twisted around. Enrique stood at the entrance to the Forged heating net, and for a moment, time froze with his shock: Enrique hadn’t left him. Scrambling to his feet, Séverin took off at a run. Behind him, he could hear the ice animals giving way to chase. A claw caught the edge of his jacket, tearing it off him. The Forged net loomed closer, its warm red light searing into his vision. One step, then three—

At the same time, Séverin and Enrique dove through the Forged heat net. Séverin slammed into the ground. Sharp pain shot up his wrist, but he pushed past it.

“Behind you!” shouted Enrique.

A huge ice lion sprang toward them. Séverin clambered backwards on his elbows, turning his face sharply. Seconds later, a rush of water hit the floor. He looked up to see water soaking his pant leg.

The heat net had turned the creature to a puddle of water.

Beside him, Enrique fought to catch his breath, his arms around his knees.

“Thank you,” said Séverin.

Enrique’s eyes turned glossy. When he fixed him with a stare, it was dead-eyed. For a long moment, he could say nothing. He looked away from Séverin to the floor.

“How could you do that to me?” he asked quietly.