“Arma,” I whispered, the last of my energies pouring out of my hand. There. No matter what happened, at least she’d be safe. I owed her that much.
But Adriel raised his hand again, singleminded in his purpose, then thrust his two remaining talons at Crystal. Again something with the force and thunder of a cannonball rocketed through the air, striking his claws clear off his fingers. Adriel shrieked and fell to his knees, clutching his mangled hand at the wrist.
Crystal’s eyes were watching the sky. “I don’t believe it,” she breathed. And then I saw it, too.
It was an orb of energy, no bigger than a bowling ball, perfectly spherical, glimmering in the sunlight with its rich purple brilliance. It wove a strange pattern in the air as it slowed its flight, descending gently into the palms of Crystal’s outstretched hands. Odd. It wasn’t an energy sphere at all. It was, in fact, a crystal ball.
“What is that?” Pierce said, his anger forgotten, his eyes reflecting the scintillant purple of the orb.
Through tears, through a voice thick with joy, Crystal answered. “It’s the one that got away.” She hugged it to her chest. “Baby came back to Mama.”
Adriel grunted, pushing himself off the ground, his injured hand leaving a bloody print in the grass. “I still have the other hand,” he said, his breathing labored. “I still have four talons. Asmodeus promised. If I slaughter you, princeling, then I will have a place at her side.”
I stared at him, mouth agape, more concerned by all his proclamations about Mother than my own potential demise. Was this creature telling the truth? I scowled at Adriel, the bravado filling my blood. Spineless? Was that what Mother had said? No. I would not die a coward.
“Come and try,” I dared him, pushing my hair away from my face. I felt empty, both in my stores of magic and my emotions. Whatever happened next would happen, and that would be it. “Come and try to kill me.”
Adriel’s words came in one exhilarated breath. “With pleasure.”
And for the third time that afternoon, Adriel screamed in agony.
My mouth hung open as I watched the massive fist closed around his wrist, not simply intent on breaking his claws, but breaking his arm entirely. Then a second fist closed in on Adriel’s stomach. His wings folded in a final attempt to protect him, but the fist connected, sending the angel flying into and through the wall of the farmhouse.
I looked up, then up, and up again to search for the face of my savior. I could scarcely believe my eyes.
“Hornbellow?”
Steam emanated from the great brass automaton’s head, the pinpricks of light where his eyes should be glowing an ominous orange. His voice rumbled from deep inside his chassis. “Have you been harmed, Master Quilliam?”
“No,” I said, grinning. “Thanks to you.”
Pierce sauntered over from retrieving his fallen dagger, slipping them both into their sheaths at his waist, then clapping one hand across Hornbellow’s massive shoulders. He yelped, then clutched his wrist, looking down at his scalded hand, then accusingly back up into Hornbellow’s face.
“Can’t believe I’m saying this,” Pierce said, “but it’s good to see you again, you overgrown coffeepot.”
Crystal came over, her mouth hanging hugely open as she tilted her head back, looking up into the odd, helmet-like structure that represented Hornbellow’s head and face.
“A talking cat, a flying book, and now, this guy?” Crystal didn’t even bother containing her awe, smiling hugely at Hornbellow. “I guess meeting you losers wasn’t the worst thing in the world, after all. Hi there. I’m Crystal.”
Hornbellow lowered his head, his insides rumbling amicably. “Hornbellow is pleased to meet you, Little Miss.”
Mr. Wrinkles slunk up close to Hornbellow, but, being marginally smarter than Pierce, didn’t actually press up against him. He lingered between his legs, rolling around in the grass and basking in the warmth of his body.
“Now, this does beg the question,” Dantaleon said. “How did you find us?”
“Hornbellow has always had authorization to use the Hexus for his days off, but never has. Master Quilliam’s presence was not difficult to trace, but it kept shifting. It took days to find you, but now that the task is accomplished, Hornbellow is pleased.”
Pierce snapped his fingers. “You hear that, Quill? If he can still use the Hexus, then that means we can probably hitch a ride back to your apartments. Problem solved.”
The sky darkened, the wind blowing to the telltale noise of tinkling jewels, chains, and bells. “I knew I forgot something,” said a woman’s voice.
30
My blood curdled. We turned, and there she stood, arms folded, eyes narrowed with all of a mother’s disappointment. Asmodeus snapped her fingers.
“There. It is done. None of you may use the Hexus now.”
Hornbellow’s chassis creaked as he looked down at his huge hands, then up into Mother’s face. “Hornbellow feels no loss. It is difficult to mourn a gift that was so rarely used. Hornbellow is only pleased to be with Master Quilliam once more.”
Asmodeus scoffed, her jewels and chains tinkling as she spread her arms to gesture at our group. “Why must everyone be so impertinent? When this is all over, automaton, I will personally haul you back to the Palace of Veils and break you down into parts myself.”
“Is this the mom?” Crystal said, whispering loudly to Pierce. “Because yikes.”
Asmodeus squinted. “And then there’s this human witch.” She turned to me, her head cocked. “Is she the reason you refuse to come home, Quilliam? That you continue to defy me? Perhaps I should kill her first.”
I stood in front of Crystal, knowing full well that Asmodeus could burn through my body to reach her in an instant, but it was the principle of it.
“Leave her out of
