Clockwork Kiss

The Clockwork Path

I had to force myself not to rush. It took everything in me not to lift up the skirts of the gown and the cloak and take the stairs two at a time. I was in enemy territory, and I looked like an enemy. Rushing would just make me look suspicious and out of place. I counted the steps in my head to keep myself calm until I reached the third floor.

I spotted the tapestry, and at the same time saw another hooded figure and a drab guard descending the stairs together. They nodded in my direction and I returned the nod. My heart pounded so hard, I was sure they would be able to hear it and know I was a wolf in sheep’s clothing…though it really felt more like a sheep in wolf’s clothing.

I swallowed as they passed, and I waited until they were out of sight to search the tapestry for the clock face. My breath hitched. The threads shimmered like they were made from moonlight, matching the clock face from the pocket watch.

I raised my hand, fingers curled against my palm, and had to will myself to stretch them out. As my hands moved closer, I could feel that magical hum vibrating through my body. It was as if there was a magnetic pull - a magical thread - I was incapable of resisting brought my hand closer to the tapestry until I was finally touching it. My palm was flat against the silk and I felt the rustle in the wind around me, almost imperceptible before the wall behind the tapestry gave way.

I slipped behind it, into the narrow corridor and the steps that wound the rest of the way up the tower. The stone wall glided shut with a dull, echoing thud that I hoped was muffled by the silk. Though, if Morwyn was correct, it wouldn’t matter if anyone else heard it. They had to be of The Guardian’s bloodline. Lucky me.

The air here was drastically different from the grandeur of the Aegis Wing. It was damp, dusty, and cold. There was a strong smell of aged grease and copper - the mechanical scent of a fully colossal clockwork engine.

In the dim light of the maintenance corridor, I could see that the steps were narrow and slick with dust. They wound up and up, and I wondered where the light came from, not seeing any actual source. I paused long enough to pull Torian’s blade free from the folds of the cloak. The blade once again shimmered instantly, glowing a soft, steady blue. The paler light around me seemed to pulse, mixing with the light of the sword as my path became brightly illuminated. The magic seemed to be intuitive, a shared tool rather than something I needed to learn how to master. Which was great since I was running out of time.

I moved quickly, trusting the security of this hidden path. The silence was broken first by the scratching of small creatures. In my world, I would’ve assumed mice. In this world, I wasn’t going to assume anything. Then there was a deep, omnipresent metallic thrumming. The tower was alive around me. The massive clock ticked, echoing through the stairwell, keeping time with each step of my ascent.

The maintenance stairs eventually opened onto a small platform. I stepped through and instantly was assaulted by a disorienting, deafening noise.

I had entered the Bell Chamber.

The room was vast , an open shaft where massive bronze bells hung like sleeping giants. Their surfaces were covered in ancient, swirling elven runes.

The thunderous TOCK-TOCK-TOCK of the main clock’s colossal pendulum dominated the space. It beat, not just through the air, but through my chest, vibrating in my bones.

I realized I couldn’t run. The constant motion and noise were designed to disorient. I pressed my back against the wall, fighting the urge to press my hands over my ears. The light from Torian’s sword dances wildly off the curved bronze surfaces, making everything swim. I moved slowly, using the shadowy recess of the tower’s stone walls for cover. I was careful to avoid the colossal swinging clock parts that sliced through the open air.

The noise, however disorienting, was also a gift. It ensured no one would hear my footsteps, nor the rasp of the sword against stone.

I found another door, smaller and heavily reinforced with iron. It led out of the chamber and into a final, short corridor. I extinguished the sword’s light, trusting the faint cold glow seeping in from the windows. That other pale light still seemed to follow me.

At the end of the corridor, I pressed my ear to the door. The loud thrumming of the bells was finally muffled, and I could hear voices again. They were close, just on the other side. I could even make out Torian’s low, strained voice.

He was here. I crouched low, making sure the hood was secure over my head. I could hear the sound of boots pacing, and the metallic scrape of chains.

“You waste time, Drakemoor.” I didn’t recognize the voice, but I knew it was Valerius. His voice was cold, aristocratic, and dripped with malicious pleasure. “Dawn is nearly upon us, where is the key? Give me the location of the Temporal Key, or the location of your mortal lover, now!”

“Never!” Torian spat out, his voice raw, but unwavering. Something inside my chest swelled at his response. We weren’t lovers, but he didn’t bother to deny that we were…

“Well then…I suppose we just have to wait for her to come running back to her king,” I could hear the sneer in Valerius’s voice. “Her stench is all over you, surely she’ll come out of hiding when she realizes you’re in danger. Then we will have both.”

I could hear a sharp, ragged intake of breath, and I knew that Valerius was torturing him.

I reached out and felt the cold, familiar outline of the door. It wasn’t locked, simply wedged shut. I could slip through, but the noise would betray me. I had to choose the right moment.

The scared human part of me thought that I could just hold out until dawn. If I waited until the alignment was over, Valerius would lose anyways. But then what if he still killed Torian simply out of spite? Not to mention, any hope of going back to Chicago would be gone for good.

I took a final, steadying breath, the Guardian’s resolve lending me strength. I was at the threshold.

Once again, I drew Torian’s sword, letting the blue light glow freely. I held it ready.

Soft, fragile thing.

I pushed against the door.