They burst through the doorway, Saul in the lead with Rult at his heels. His eyes searched the high room at the top of the tower, with its heavy paned windows set in arches of stone, each of which soared forty feet to the top of the room, where they met like spokes on a wheel. On the floor, statues stood before each section of stone, depicting emaciated humanoid forms that stretched to stand over eight feet tall.

  Crystal shimmered in the dome, overhead. Platforms and walkways hung between the columns around the edges of the room. Above the dome the world gates’ ring crackled and flared with bolts of lightning distorted by the intervening panes.

  Saul took the whole room in, surrounded by the disgusting but increasingly familiar stench of gern, like burning hair in his nostrils. He walked forward warily, but he saw no one in the room. A doorway stood open onto a balcony across from where they had entered, flanked by ornate statues like the other arches. Saul made his way toward the door.

  Tori paused in the center of the room. “Where’s Lord Dao?”

  Saul glanced back at Tori and Olivia. “He might be outside. Maybe he’s planning on leaving with Luther.”

  “Why would he do that?”

  “What’s a city compared to a whole universe?” Saul said. “Maybe Dao thinks Luther will share.”

  “Greedy bastards.”

  “No kidding.” Olivia looked up at the world gate. She squinted. “There’s a platform up there.”

  “That’s probably where they’re going to launch.” Saul peered out the door into the smoky outside air and found a broad ramp with no railing. It led up around the side of the domed peak of the tower, and out of sight. He stepped back into the main room. “I found the way up.”

  Olivia and Tori joined him. Saul looked for Rult. The little child was already out on the ramp, sniffing the air. “Your right, maker.”

  “Nat, be careful of the lightning out there.” Saul touched his collar where the little child usually hid. “Stay inside, or you’ll likely get hit.”

  “Thanks, Saul.” Nat wriggled into the fold of his collar.

  Saul hefted the backpack on his shoulders. He tightened his grip on the oven rod. “Looks like your people are running late.”

  Tori frowned at him. “They’ll be here.”

  Saul shrugged.

  “I hope they’re alright,” said Olivia.

  “They’ll make it,” said Tori.

  They started up the ramp. Wind buffeted Saul from the vortex forming as the world gate began to open. Shit, where they trying to go? He wished he could have figured out something, anything, positive about Luther’s origins. As it was he seemed to be an exile, but one with a lot of power and connections to the maker world. I’ll have plenty of time to figure things out once I have the hilt. Saul pressed into the wind.

  As he climbed, he felt a chill breeze run through him. He and Olivia and Tori rounded the side of the tower and approached the summit of the dome. On the dome perched a small winged boat with taloned feet at its rear, that clutched the stone rim of the dome. In the air above, a different vessel descended from the world gate’s glowing chaotic portal.

  The vessel from between had no wings. It was twenty yards long, and beneath its hull on a short spire, a blurringly fast blade whirled around in a circle. Saul couldn’t tell the purpose of the blade. The little ship hung in the air appearing supported by glowing orbs on the underside of its hull, between the circle of the world gate and the curved top of the dome.

  Luther stood, clad in deep black and carrying his heavy cane, before the descending vessel with its sweeping blade. Beside him, the wind whipped Rufus’s shock of red hair above the seat of his wheelchair. Irene stood on Luther’s other side, looking up at the gate. William had returned to his usual pale pudgy form, but he turned as Saul walked onto the dome. He bared his teeth.

  Between Luther’s group and Saul’s position, there stood three other people. The heavyset man wearing the robes and amulet of Mortressa’s city lord faced Saul from between two robed and cowled bodyguards. He carried a large black book, bound in leather. “Stop, where you are Saul Burton, and I may choose not to have you killed.”

  He hesitated. A roar echoed over the city. Olivia glanced in the direction of the enormous gern, still tearing the opening into the world larger with vast claws. Saul glared at the city lord.

  “Give me the hilt, and I will spare you a fall from this tower.”

  The city lord’s lip curled. “You don’t frighten me, boy. I’ve repulsed incursions before.” His eyes moved to Tori. “And I’ve put down more rebellions than I can remember.” He folded two large ringed hands. “This time, the stakes are higher. Once Mister Mansard has his way, I will rule far more than this city.”

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  Tori screamed in fury. Her sleeve flew toward the lord’s face, narrowing to a blade at its point. One of the cowled figures interposed himself between the lord and the lethal tip of the sleeve. His raised arm deflected Tori’s strike, but the point tore open his robe.

  A seething mass of insects appeared through the tear in the cloth. The bodyguard did not speak, but the click of mandibles came from the insects that swarmed within the robe. Saul shook his head. “A servant-guard. You really are a piece of work.”

  The lord of the city sneered. “They offer their bodies willingly. My art-children control them.” He thumped the cover of the huge book he held. “You’ll never lay a hand on me.”

  Tori seethed and took a step forward from beside Saul. “Lord Dao, you’re reign of this city is a sham. I’m done listening to you.”

  “Yes, you are done.” Lord Dao snapped open his book and ran a finger along one line within.

  Lightning leapt. The sound of thunder rolled from the world gate. Saul shouted a warning. The bolt of lightning jagged from the world gate toward Tori. Electricity forked, then redirected. The beating of loud wings announced a winged boat climbing to the top of the dome.

  Saul glanced at the boat as the glare of the lightning passed his vision. At the helm, Una spun the wheel. Standing on the bow above her, Leel laughed, one arm raised. The lightning crackled over his sleeve but then faded into the black he wore. Jagged streaks of his clothes turned red with captured energy.

  Tori turned to the city lord. “Not by a good shot.” She sprinted up the dome toward Dao and his guards. Members of her gang leapt from the boat to follow her. Saul joined the charge, oven rod in hand.

  A flare of fire burst from the second hooded guard’s chest. The blast lit one of Tori’s gang. He screamed and fell to the dome, frantically beating at the flames on his chest and arms. As Saul reached the peak of the dome, he glimpsed Olivia circling below him, halfway down the slope. She held a taser in one hand, and her cattle prod in the other.

  Saul refocused. The insect-child man swung at him with one buzzing fist. Saul ducked the blow. A leg snaked out to trip him. Saul caught the blow on the shin and held firm. Insects began to crawl up his leg. He thrust the oven rod into the mass of bugs in the servant’s chest and activated it with a flicker of his spark.

  Bugs burned. The servant screamed, all too humanly. He fell backward and landed hard. He writhed on the dome’s peak.

  Saul turned to assess the battle. Tori and her people had overwhelmed the fire-wielding servant, who lay collapsed on the dome. The lord of the city was backing away, reading rapidly through his black book in a low mutter. Lightning bolts jagged into the gang. Leel caught most of the bolts, but one of the others fell with a shriek. Thunder rolled.

  Behind Lord Dao, Luther and his team were boarding the hovering blade vessel, now level with the far side of the dome. Rufus and William were already on board. Luther stood on a gangway with Irene on the dome nearby. Irene looked up at Saul. Olivia was sneaking up behind Irene on the dome in the shadow of the hovering vessel. She held her taser in both hands now.

  The lord bellowed at the completion of a greater incantation. Rult ran to Saul’s side, no worse for wear despite the lightning and fire and bugs. “Maker, there are gern climbing the tower.”

  Saul looked down at the tiny lion-child. “Stay close. Don’t get left behind.” He turned to the wing boat perched on the tower top.

  A blast of lightning from the world gate struck the boat where Una was the sole member of the gang still on board. The boat heaved and as its wing caught ablaze. Una leapt from the boat to the dome of the tower. She landed in a crouch. The winged boat tumbled from the air behind her.

  Tori caught up with Lord Dao. Her extended black sleeves wrapped around his neck.

  Saul turned in her direction. “Gern are below.”

  She nodded to him. Then she dragged the lord to his knees. The book fell from his hand. She picked it up.

  Saul looked down the slope at Irene. “Please. Look what’s happening here. Irene you’ve got to see the light.”

  Irene’s dark gaze met Saul’s eyes. “Don’t follow me, Saul.” She stepped onto the gangway.

  Olivia’s taser shot flew toward Irene from behind. A bird called from overhead. Hush, Irene’s red eagle snatched the shot out of the air.

  Irene looked back at Olivia. “You know, Saul’s only using you. Don’t prove yourself as foolish as the other earth born.” Hush circled over Irene’s head, apparently unworried about lighting.

  The bladed vessel shifted away from the dome, taking Irene with it.

  A din of gern roars and hisses came from below. Tori’s gang formed up at the top of the ramp, facing down the way Saul and the others had come up. Tori dragged the city lord over to

  Saul and the winged boat, but he kept his eyes on Irene.

  The gang leader opened the city lord’s book. “I don’t know how to keep the gate open.”

  “Neither do I,” said Saul.

  She motioned to the winged boat beside them. “Then you’d better get going.”

  The bladed vessel ascended toward the open portal. Irene walked back down the gangway, where Hush alighted beside her. Saul tore his eyes away. “What about the gern?”

  “If I can’t handle a few gern, I’m the wrong person to try to save this city.” Tori smiled at him, a small expression compared to her usual wide grins. “Make sure that hilt never comes back our way, got it?”

  “Will do.”

  “Saul, you are the strangest guy to want to be a worldmaker.”

  “Why is that?”

  “You don’t need a whole new world to be happy.”

  He shrugged. “Don’t know why you say that.”

  She kissed him on the forehead. He felt is face get hot. She stepped back. “Never mind.”

  Tori turned toward her gang. “We are gonna save this city,” she shouted. “But that means first we gotta save ourselves.” The gang cheered in reply. She started down the dome toward the ramp.

  “Good luck,” Saul said to her retreating back.

  Olivia caught up with him on the peak of the dome. She looked up at he boat beside them. “Ready to fly?”

  “Just don’t crash land us this time.”

  She shook her head. “I watched Una earlier. No problem.”

  Saul bent down and picked up Rult. He set the leonine child on top of his pack, then climbed the ladder on the back of the winged boat and dropped down into the hull. Olivia’s cattle prod clattered down beside him, then she climbed onto the deck herself. Immediately she went to the helm and the boat spread its wings.

  He glanced up and saw the bladed ship vanish completely into the world gate above. “We don’t have much time.”

  Olivia turned the wheel. “I got it.”

  Mortressa burned beneath them. The winged boat lifted off the tower and climbed toward the crackling, twisting gate. Saul could not see through it. He had no idea where it would take them.

  He walked to the front of the boat and sat down on a seat just behind Olivia. The stone circle of the world gate beamed with reflected multicolored light. Saul rubbed his grumbling stomach. “I hope there’s something to eat on the other side,” he muttered.

  They passed through the gate. And Hidria was gone.