Lilitha gave me a narrowed look. “Either way, what’s done is done. As long as you’ve mixed your blood with the clay, that’s all that really matters.”
“Of course.” I glanced down at my hands subconsciously. There were no longer prick marks there, but I could still feel the ghost of the wounds I’d made each and every time I’d sculpted and formed the creature before me, mixing my blood with his clay, creating a blood golem—a creature that's only purpose was to serve and protect me— and Cassie. Though I hadn’t told my mother, I’d asked Cassie to assist me several times so that she could command him as well.
A thrill of excitement mixed with trepidation churned in my stomach. He’d been ready to awaken for months now. I’d just been too afraid to do it.
“Good,” Lilitha said, crossing the small workroom that had been mine for the past five years. She headed for the back door that led to the kilns and rest of the clay master’s studio. “Before you awaken him, I’ll let you practice on a few of the regular golems, just to make sure you get it right.”
I gulped, giving Judex one last glance before following my mother and sister out the door; Ryker trailed a pace behind. I did my best to ignore his presence and came to a stop beside Cassie against the far wall, enjoying the view. Row upon row of golems filled the bustling room, all in different stages of completion. Some were little more than massive blocks of clay, a limb or a head half-shaped out, like a creature desperate to escape its confines. Others were as near to being done as they would get, just crude forms with empty eye sockets as their only defining features.How sad.
“Alright, let us begin,” the empress declared, returning from across the room where she’d removed a book from the master’s work table. Several curious eyes watched us, and my nerves tightened. The last thing I wanted was an audience to witness my first awakening.
“You remember the divine word for life?” Lilitha pointed to a familiar looking symbol as she held the book out for me to see.
“I do.” Of course. I’d spent endless hours of my life practicing my calligraphy on the divine language and symbols in preparation for this very moment.
“Good. The golem you’ll be awakening will be a guard and will receive the defender symbol to complete its command insignia.” She pointed to another mark on the page.
I took a shuddering breath. I’d seen hundreds of golems awaken, yet I had never been the one to do it myself. To stand before an inanimate object and use my blood to imbue it with the gift of life…
A chill crawled up my spine. It wasn’t a power I was sure I wanted.
“It’ll be okay,” Cassie murmured, resting her hand on my arm and offering me a reassuring smile. “You’ve got this.”
I nodded and, clenching my hands so they wouldn’t shake, approached my mother’s side. “I’m ready.”
Lilitha’s lip pulled into a pleased grin, and she ducked her head in the direction of my first victim. One of the servants rushed forward, bringing a runged platform with him. He placed it before the clay golem, and I stepped onto it, rising to take my place.
Eye level with the creature, I fidgeted with my hands, trying to stay calm. I glanced around the room. Everyone had stopped what they were doing, their eyes glued to me—including Ryker, who leaned forward, watching intently.
“Your Majesty.” An older, bald gentleman stood beside my mother. The Clay Master. He held out a beautiful knife, its hilt glistening with jewels.
I gulped. It was more than just a pretty ornament; it was a ceremonial knife, and it was sharp. I’d seen others use it before. Forcing my hands not to shake, I accepted the hilt, and before I could chicken out, ran its edge along the tip of my pointer finger.
Pain jolted through the cut, and I dropped the knife with a hiss. The sound of it hitting the floor rang around the quiet room, and heat seared across my face. A few fake coughs echoed around me, hiding laughter. I looked up to my mother frowning as the Clay Master bent to pick up the knife—thankfully, it was still in one piece.
My mother sighed and met my gaze. “Remember, Kaleah, the divinity running through your veins is a gift. It gives you power mere mortals could barely even fathom. Do not fear it, nor underestimate it. You’re more powerful than you know.”
She held out the book, pointing to the symbol of life. Exhaling, I reached out and traced the symbol on the golem’s forehead. My blood smeared slightly, and the shape wasn’t perfect, but as I completed it, the golem shuddered under my touch. A white glow filled his empty eye sockets, and I gasped, unnerved to see him looking back at me.
“Good, now give the golem its directive,” Lilitha instructed, pointing to another symbol. It was familiar, a symbol I could have painted in my sleep.
My hand trembling, I ran my still bleeding digit over the clay beside my earlier mark, doing my best to copy the signal in my mind's eye. Something clattered in the distance and I jumped, smearing the bloody mark.
The Clay Master inhaled sharply. “Wait, Princess, don’t—”
I removed my touch, completing the command insignia, and the light in the golem’s eyes faded into a deep red. The clay lower down cracked open into a jagged maw.
What the—His arm shot out, throwing me from the platform. I hit the ground in an explosion of pain as all breath left my lungs and a loud roar filled the room, followed by shouts and screaming.
The floor reverberated, and my head throbbed. The golem charged, his glowing red eyes honed on me.
“No!” Cassie shrieked.
Still fighting to refill my lungs, I struggled backward with a whimper—arms hoisted me into the air, jerking me away as the golem lunged past, trampling the floor were I’d just been. The monster pivoted and swung out again, but my rescuer turned into the hit, taking the brunt of the force. We flew back, coming to a jarring halt when we met the wall. Something crunched, and the arms holding me became vice-like as my rescuer went rigid, sucking in a sharp breath.
The golem howled and charged again. I folded into my savior's arms, burying my face in their chest, anticipating the painful end.
Boom!A voluminous sound—like that of two mountains colliding—echoed around the room. I covered my ears with my hands and ripped my attention forward. The newly awakened golem battled with its armored covered brother—one with a griffin feather hanging from his neck—Rocky.