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.A searing pain stabbed me in the thigh, and I clenched my teeth to keep from screaming, knowing one of theacidic drops had just hit me.Somewhere behind us, Puck yelped in shock and surprise.My stomach churned,and I could no longer see the cat in the darkness and rising wind.“Grimalkin!” I yel ed in desperation.“This way!” The cat’s yowl cut through the growing storm, and two glowing eyes suddenly appeared at themouth of a cave in the side of a cliff.The cave was so wel hidden, blending perfectly into the landscape, thathad Grimalkin not been there I never would’ve seen it.Another drop hit my forehead, sliding down my cheek, and this time I did scream as a line of fire slasheddown my skin.I could hear the hiss of the rain striking all around us, and I threw myself into the cave, followed by Ash and Puck, just as the sky opened with a roar and the rain poured down.Gasping, I lay on my back on the sandy floor, watching the storm sweep the land, while Ash and Puck leanedagainst the cave wall, panting.“Well, that was…different,” Puck gasped.“What the hell is that anyway?”“Acid rain,” I said, not having the wil to push myself off the floor just yet.My face throbbed, and the sand was cool against my cheek.“We ran into it on our first trip here, too.Not fun.”“Welcome to the wonders of the Iron Kingdom,” Ash muttered, and pushed himself off the wall, coming tokneel beside me.I took his hand and let him pull me into a sitting position.“Are you all right?” he asked, brushing the hair from my face, lifting it away from the burn.His fingers hovered over the wound, and I flinched despite myself, causing him to sigh.I saw Puck watching us over Ash’sshoulder, and blushed self-consciously, suddenly desperate to break the tension.“So, tel me the truth,” I said, only half joking.“Will it scar? Will I have to wear a mask like the Phantom of the Opera, to hide my hideous face?”Ash shrugged off his pack, and a moment later a cool, familiar-smel ing salve touched my cheek, soothing thefiery pain.“I think you’ll be fine,” he said, smiling faintly.“No battle scars for you, at least not today.” His hand lingered on my face a moment more before he rose, drawing me to my feet.Puck snorted and walked away,pretending to examine the cave.Grimalkin strutted by, tail in the air, oblivious to the rising tension.“The rain will not let up anytime soon,” he said as he passed, “so I suggest you get some rest while you can.I also suggest one of you take watch.Wedo not want to be surprised if the owner of this cave returns while we are asleep.”“Good idea,” Puck echoed from the back of the cave.“Why don’t you take first watch, prince? You couldactual y be doing something that doesn’t make me want to gouge my eyes out with a spork.”Ash’s lips curled in a smirk.“I would think you’re better suited to the task, Goodfellow,” he said without turning around.“After all, that’s what you’re best at, isn’t it? Watching?”“Oh, keep it up, ice-boy.You’re gonna have to sleep sometime.”I rolled my eyes at them.“Fine.You two fight it out—I’m going to try to get some sleep.” Unshouldering mypack, I stalked to a corner, dumped out the contents, and unrolled my sleeping bag.Lying on the sandy floor, Ilistened to Ash and Puck’s back-and-forth banter as they set up camp, throwing out insults and chal enges.Strangely, it seemed more normal than it had been until now, and I fel asleep to their voices and the sound ofthe rain.HE WAS WAITING FOR ME in my dreams again.I sighed.“Machina,” I said, facing the Iron King, my voice nearly lost in the surrounding void, “why are youhere? I thought I told you to leave me alone.I don’t need you.”“No,” he murmured, smiling as his cables cloaked him in a cage of glimmering steel.“That is not true.You’vecome far, but you’re still not there yet, Meghan Chase.You stil need me.”“I don’t.” I didn’t move as he approached, the cables reaching out to snake around me.“I’m stronger now thanwhen we first met.I’m learning to control the magic you left me with.” With a thought, I pushed the cables away, causing them to rear back in surprise.“You stil don’t understand.” Machina withdrew his extensions, folding them like shimmery wings behind hisback.“You use the magic like a tool, like a sword that you swing in awkward circles, cutting wildly at thosearound you.If you are to win, you must embrace it ful y, make it a part of you.If you would only let me show you how
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