Mikhail and Yuri stared up at the… giant as it stepped from beside the gate, the ground shaking beneath its huge feet.

  Curious to see others’ reactions, Mikhail looked around the field. A few Warriors around the clearing stopped to watch the stone and dirt giant, but most continued working, apparently used to the monstrosity. Indeed, more appeared interested in the horse and rider that galloped out of the forest and up to the largest tent, its rider leaping from its back before it stopped. Mikhail stared at the tense faced man for a moment before Yuri’s voice brought him back to the stone giant. “What the depths is that thing?”

  “That,” Elana said, walking to the giant, “is rock and earth inhabited by Sila and controlled by us. A golem you could say.”

  “Us?” Yuri asked, as they followed Elana.

  “Yustitsiya and me,” Elana said.

  Mikhail shook his head, “Hold up, who is Yustitsiya? And assistant? It takes two of you to control the Sila?”

  Elana laughed. “Goodness, no. There can only be one bond between Sila and a human. Yustitsiya is what the Sila calls itself.” She stopped by the golem and rested a hand on its foot. “See, when the telepathy extract is combined with the Alchemist sculptors’ bonding extract—”

  “What’s bonding extract?” Yuri cut in.

  Elana glanced at Yuri. “Alchemist sculptors use an extract which allows them to bond with the Sila—uzhas—while its in its gas form. The extract allows them to form the gas into shapes, and when they sever mental contact with the Sila, it kills it. The hardened uzhasgart object is nothing more than the corpse of murdered Sila. You following?”

  Yuri and Mikhail nodded.

  “So as I was saying,” Elana continued, “when your blend telepathy extract with sculptors’ bonding extract, it allows for a mental bond between human and Sila. One power of the Sila is possession of non-living, porous objects. Without a human bond, the Sila is trapped forever in whatever the possess. With us, though? We can possess and leave objects at will. The bond also protects the Sila from being controlled by another human using a bonding extract.”

  Mikhail’s mind reeled with the information. So much power… but one question nagged at him. “How long does the connection last?”

  Elana fell silent and Mikhail tore his gaze from the golem.

  “Elana?” Mikhail pressed.

  “It’s permanent.”

  A chill raced up Mikhail’s spine. That couldn’t be right, some extracts had month long effects. Telepathy had to be like that. In time it would fade and she would return to normal; the mother he’d grown up with.

  “Why would you do that, Elana?” Yuri asked, anger tinging his voice. “Why would you give up your family for this… stuff?”

  “Because the helpless needed me.”

  Yuri snorted. “That hardly looks helpless.”

  Elana spun, her eyes glowing a cobalt blue. “Without our bond, the Sila can do nothing to defend itself. We have built an empire off the murder of its kind. Do you know how much uzhasgart you each carry on your person?”

  Mikhail felt a sudden jerk at his coat and he looked down, startled. The double row of buttons tugged away from him, drawn toward his mother by an invisible hand.

  “Perhaps you both would let an entire ancient race continue to be murdered,” Elana said “but I can’t. Both our people deserve to live free on this world, and we will not rest until that day.”

  “All right,” Mikhail said. “But right now, the Alchemist Guild will make sure that they’re the only force with any strength in Serovnya, and I doubt they plan to change their views on Sila. In fact, if you ‘stole’ this from the Alchemist Guild, why are you in plain sight? Aren’t you worried they’ll capture you?”

  “They already know I’m here, but they don’t dare attack me amongst present company.”

  Mikhail glanced around at the Warriors bustling about, many unloading crates by the edge of the clearing, big bulky weapons that would no doubt destroy whatever came through the gate.

  “Come,” Elana said, striding to the tent, “we still have much to talk about.”

  Mikhail joined her and Yuri, his attention wandering. A few birds flew overhead, their calls piercing in the eerily silent clearing.

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  Silent… Mikhail frowned. Gone was the bustle and chatter of soldiers, instead it felt like the still before a storm.

  Then a single word rang out across the field. “Fire!”

  Thuuuum!

  The ground shuddered with the sound and Mikhail spun. The Warriors by the crates held the large, awkward cannons—

  —all aimed at the golem, which had staggered back from the blow, dangerously close to the gate. Dirt showered down around it, falling from its giant arms.

  “Fire!”

  Another round of deep, reverberating thuuums sounded as the cannons in the Warriors’ hands bucked. Shockwaves warped the air and slammed into the golem, forcing it back.

  A scream from behind pulled Mikhail’s attention away. Elana emerged from her tent, her face flushed and twisted in fury, her diminutive stature taking nothing away from her ferocity.

  Then Yuri grabbed Mikhail’s arm and dragged him back. He grabbed Elana too, but she didn’t seem to notice as she stepped forward pulling him off balance. “Elana, we need to go!” Yuri said, stumbling.

  Then the golem charged.

  The ground shook under its massive feet as it crossed the distance to the Warriors in a second. The Warriors held their ground and unleashed another devastating shock wave. This time, the wave lifted the golem off the ground, throwing it back.

  Elana screamed again, falling to her knees as the golem hit the ground with a boom, sliding to a stop beneath the gate.

  Mikhail and Yuri pulled Elana to her feet, dragging her into the tent. She didn’t resist this time.

  Yuri ripped the tent flap shut.

  “What the depths is going on?” Mikhail asked, eyes wide, his hearts trying to out beat one another in his chest.

  “Doesn’t matter,” Yuri snapped. “We need to get out of here.”

  Elana shut her eyes and drew a shuddering breath, and her face relaxed. She stood. “Yuri is right,” she said, her voice oddly distant. “Our golem will hold them at bay while we flee.”

  “What will happen to it?” Mikhail asked.

  Elana looked at him with eyes tinged cobalt. “It will be destroyed.”

  “Does that hurt?”

  “Agonising. The Sila possessing it will die.”

  Yuri rummaged around the tent, opening crates, and flicking through draws. “We need weapons. They’ll come for you soon, they know you’re attached to that thing.”

  “Agreed,” Elana said with a nod. She stepped over to the bench and began pocketing phials. She held out three to Yuri. “Trinity. Take it.”

  Yuri snatched up the phials and downed the concoction.

  “What about me?” Mikhail asked.

  “Grab as many ingredients as you can and when we run, stay behind your uncle and me.” Elana shoved another dozen metal phials into various pockets and pouches of her Alchemist coat, then mixed something in a beaker. She lit a burner and placed the beaker over it, her movements like lightning as she crafted… something.

  Mikhail bit back a complaint and crouched by a chest. He lifted the lid and a blast of cold air washed over him. He reached into the chilled box and pulled out the plants neatly stacked inside. Hopefully they’d survive the escape.

  “They’re coming,” Elana blurted. “One squad, all on Trinity.”

  Mikhail glanced up from the chest. “How do you know?”

  “Telepathy extract,” was all Elana said.

  Yuri pulled a short sword from his belt. “Which direction are they coming from?”

  Without looking up, Elana gestured to the front entrance.

  “Thanks,” Yuri said and strode to the back of the tent and shoved the sword through the canvas, slicing a new door.

  Mikhail left the chest and hurried over to Elana. “Elana…”

  Elana grunted, but remained focused on whatever she crafted.

  “Please, we need to leave,” Mikhail said, gaze flickering from the front entrance to his mother.

  Finally, Elana stepped back from the bench and turned. “Run.”

  They ducked out of the tent and sprinted for the trees.

  Shouts filled the air behind them and Mikhail risked a look back—

  —the tent exploded.

  A massive fireball enveloped the pursuing squad, its roar drowning out their screams.

  But only for a moment. The thunder subsided and the shrieks of agony slicing Mikhail to the core as stumbled between the trees as a blast of scorching air washed over him. What the depths had Elana just made?

  “Oh, you beautiful muckers…” Yuri said.

  “Huh?” The forest spun around Mikhail and his ears buzzed. He couldn’t focus, couldn’t think.

  “Vera’s Revenge.” Yuri pointed through the trees to the opposite side of the clearing, towards Krepost Lozvinsky. Sure enough, the familiar grey bulk of Yuri’s airship crested the tree line.

  “How’re we going to get to them?” Mikhail asked.

  Elana looked up at the firs surrounding them, her face ashen and pinched from the assault on the golem. She seemed to feel every blow it took. “Climb.”

  “But they don’t know we’re here,” Mikhail said.

  Yuri stepped over to Elana. “Can you communicate with that thing from here?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good,” Yuri said. “I’ll show you what to do.”

  Mikhail stared out at the clearing. The golem was again on its feet, backing towards where they now stood. Shockwave after shockwave blasted it, each wave taking chunks off the golem. It made no attempt to attack, merely slowed and distracted the Warriors.

  Then it turned to the airship hovering over the trees and lifted its arms. Between shock waves, it swung its arms in a complicated series of motions.

  Semaphore.