The Iron Realm (The Iron Soul Book 1)

by J. M. Briggs

  Stepping outside the cell, Alex checked that there was nothing in view before locking the door and slipping the keys into her bag. She returned to the table and picked up one of the longer Sídhe daggers. Bracing herself, Alex raised it to the cut on her arm and pressed it down to aggravate the wound. Blood oozed out around the dagger blade, giving it a light coating of blood. Alex checked the sword, noting with a frown that the blood on the blade seemed to be seeping into the metal, giving it a reddish tint with small cracks appearing on the surface. She sheathed the sword and adjusted it on the belt as best she could before picking the blood coated dagger from the table. The dagger was light in her hand and more comfortable than the larger sword, not inferring with her movement as she pulled out her phone and turned on the light. Taking a deep breath, she began to walk into the tunnel following the dim light of her cell phone.

  The dark hallway stretched out before Alex with a gradual curve. Her right hand, holding the dagger, reached up and brushed a finger along the wall. It felt solid even as Alex told herself to wake up. She knew she wouldn't, that this time it wasn't a dream, but the tunnel was just like the one she had walked through so many times. Far away, she could hear the musical voice whispering and singing, echoing through the tunnel to her ears. The air was thick with a chill and far too stale to breathe comfortably. Glancing down at her feet, Alex watched for a moment as her sneakers stepped over the black stone floor. Every detail was like she had dreamed, except for the sudden branch in the tunnel up ahead.

  Coming to a stop, Alex glanced carefully down the long black tunnel that her path intersected with. To the left, it sloped down slowly and Alex could hear the voices more clearly. A sudden burst of fresh air made Alex turn to the right and breathe in gratefully. Snarls echoed down the right tunnel and Alex tensed up, bringing up her dagger. She lowered her cell phone as she drew back against black wall. Light began to fill the tunnel, making Alex slip further back the way she'd come.

  Turning off the flashlight, Alex shoved the phone into her pocket. She transferred the dagger into her left hand and placed her right hand on the hilt of the sword. Blood was pumping through her ears, but Alex managed to take slow breaths as footfalls came closer and closer. They were slow and punctuated with only the occasional bestial growl. As slowly as she could manage, Alex drew the sword from the scabbard, flinching every time the metallic sound reached her ears.

  But the pace of those coming closer did not change and more light filled the tunnel, spilling into the intersection. Holding her breath, Alex pressed herself against the wall more tightly and waited. A few moments later a Síd in golden armor, much lighter and less elaborate than the Rider's, walked past with a Hound at his side. The Hound stopped and sniffed the air with a low growl, drawing the attention of the Síd.

  Leaping forward, Alex slashed the sword at the Hound and brought the dagger down awkwardly in the Síd's back. The Hound whelped in pain, turning sharply towards Alex as the Síd collapsed to his knees. Stumbling back, Alex brought the sword up in front of her, watching as the wound in the Hound's side widened and the flesh began to dissolve. Gripping the sword with both hands, Alex raised it high, glaring at the beast. It lunged and Alex brought the sword down as hard as she could. The blade sliced into the Hound's skull, the head dissolving in an instant. Bits of red tinted metal fell from the sword as small flakes leaving a jagged edge.

  Just ahead of Alex, the Síd was raising a horn of some kind to his lips. Reacting, Alex jumped toward and swung the sword down at his unarmored neck. There was only a moment of resistance and Alex slammed her eyes shut. Taking a shaky breath, Alex heard the horn and armor fall to the ground before she opened her eyes.

  The armor was in a pile along with a horn and sword. There was no golden cord with this Síd, but just ahead of the armor pile was a small glowing stone that was illuminating the tunnel. Stepped over the armor and glancing down the tunnels, Alex sheathed the damaged sword and reached for the stone. She touched it with one finger before quickly drawing it back and studying it. There didn't seem to be any affect to touching it. Carefully, she tried again, touching it a little longer before checking her hand. Alex repeated the process twice before she finally picked up the rock and held it carefully in her hand.

  Alex breathed in the sweet air coming into the tunnels behind her, but looked off towards the direction of the voices. She was waiting, she realized. Another gust of wind brought more fresh air into the tunnels from the surface; the opening she'd dreamt about was close. There were guards clearly, but she could get to it. She was armed and strangely, she knew the way. Still, she waited.

  Then she heard it, a scream echoing down the tunnel followed by the musical laughter of a Síd. The scream died down, replaced with muffled sobbing. The whispers in the distance were louder than ever, words like: kill, slave, iron childe and blood resonating down the tunnel. Tightening her grip on the stone and the dagger, Alex straightened up and took a deep breath. Her hands shook and her mouth was dry as she took her first step down the left passage, following the crying of the children, just like she always had.

  32

  Rebirth

  Alex's hand shook as she crept down the sloping tunnel, using the glowing rock to light her way. She kept the light dimmed with her hands, fearful that at any moment another intersection was going to appear and a Síd would attack her from behind as she had done to the guard. Up ahead the musical voices of the Sídhe changed as some of the distinct voices vanished from the flow of words. She could hear them more clearly now: several Sídhe were arguing about ages. It made little sense to Alex, but the gradual reduction in the number of voices made her hopeful that an army wasn't waiting down the tunnel.

  Around her, the rock color was beginning to slowly lighten from the dark black to a softer gray. The floor was no longer a worn down solid piece of rock, but instead carefully fitted pieces of ever lightening gray stone with swirls of white. Above her were more of the glowing orbs of light, hanging in the air every few feet and filling the tunnels with a golden glow.

  Slowing down, Alex tried to listen for any more sounds from the children, but the crying was barely audible now. Alex both hoped the child kept crying to let Alex know they were still alive and fearing that it would anger the Sídhe. Yet she also conceded that surely after so long without stolen children, perhaps the Sídhe would be more careful with the ones they now had. Yet the memory of the Rider's almost gleeful and crazed eyes filled her with dread.

  The stone was almost completely white around her now and the tunnel made a sudden sharp turn up ahead. Pressing up against the wall, Alex careful sidestepped to the corner and peaked around, the dagger at the ready. She slid the light stone into her bag and placed her hand on the hilt of the sword.

  Just ahead was a pair of guards in golden armor standing on either side of an arch doorway of carefully fitted white stones. The walls around the doorway were white and shimmering with flashes of colors and images that Alex ignored. She could now hear the words of the Sídhe clearly and stayed as still as she could to listen without them discovering her.

  “It is against the laws,” a female voice insisted. “The boy is no more than five years old.”

  “I make the law!” A male voice snapped, sounding harsh and gruff despite the natural smooth quality of his voice. “I want them both!”

  “Milord,” the female voice replied more softly. “Please think on the reason for the seven years law. Iron folk are so fragile. These are the first we have had in thousands of years; damaging them due to impatience would not sit well with the rest of the princes.”

  There was a growl in the room and both guards straightened up a little, making Alex creep back around the corner a bit more.

  “I want the boy,” the male voice repeated. “I want him now, not in two years! Give him to me Lady Eolande or you may find yourself stripped of your title.”

  “Milord, please,” the female voice argued. “There are still more Riders out, these were brought by only the
first two to return. Surely there will be at least a few more to come tonight.”

  The growling eased only a little at the words, while Alex's stomach turned at the thought of more Riders in Ravenslake. She silently wished that Merlin and Morgana could stop the others.

  “Yes I heard,” the male managed to say, the temperature dropping at his tone. “In fact I heard that an iron folk killed one of them with iron.”

  “I was not aware,” Eolande told him, “I only take the children; adults are untrainable.”

  “This adult isn't marked for training,” the male growled again. “The Riders claimed her under the Spilt Blood law for torture. It is a waste! There are plenty of mine who would take a dangerous Iron folk over none at all; some would even enjoy breaking it.”

  “That is not for me to say milord,” Eolande responded once again. “But please my prince, I cannot violate the laws nor can I aid another in their violation. Perhaps after the Riders return and report, you and the other princes will evaluate the laws.”

  “Very well,” the male huffed, his voice regaining a hint of courtesy. “I leave you to your new arrivals, Lady Eolande. Prove that I've allowed you to live for a reason.”

  Alex glimpsed a tall Síd dressed in elegant rich blue and golden clothing that looked like it was from the Renaissance period stride from the room as she ducked back behind the corner. Listening carefully, Alex stayed still and didn't breathe as the man and at least one other moved away from the doorway. Alex cautiously peered around the corner and smiled. Both guards were gone and the footfalls of the three Sídhe were fading in the distance. She heard a heavy thump down the tunnel like something heavy being put down and waited.

  Stepping out slowly, Alex scanned the rest of the tunnel quickly for any signs of another Síd, but there was nothing. Ahead of her, the tunnels turned again sharply out of her sight making her nervous, but also assuring her of some privacy. As she moved towards the door, Alex's hands started shaking again and she fought to keep her breathing under control.

  Reaching the doorway, Alex leaned to the side and glanced in quickly. There was only one Síd, dressed in a long pale blue gown and carrying the baby towards the side of the room. The little boy was watching the Síd carefully with wide eyes and hiccupping around his soft sobs. The Síd, Lady Eolande, Alex gathered paid him no mind and set the infant down in a small cradle. Alex pulled back when the Síd turned towards the boy and started to move towards him.

  “That is enough crying,” the woman commanded coolly, sounding uninterested. “You must learn to behave yourself or there will be consequences.”

  “I want my Mommy,” the boy hiccupped. “Where is Mommy?”

  “I suspect that she is dead,” Eolande informed him. “The Riders are not known to leave survivors and if she was alive I have no doubt they would have brought her here to serve as a breeder. You and your sister will not be fulfilling that role for some time.”

  Anger threatened to overwhelm Alex, but she fought it down, trying to think of a plan. It would be simple to enter the room and kill the Síd, but the child made her hesitate. There would be no body, but still the thought of killing the Síd in front of him made her feel ill. Taking a deep breath, Alex knocked her foot against the stone wall, just enough to make a noise.

  “More Riders,” Eolande announced. “Now be silent, you may have company soon and I will not have you encouraging bad behavior. I am finally reclaiming my position,” the Síd muttered as she moved towards the door.

  Raising the dagger, Alex exhaled slowly and waited. Her heartbeat echoed in her ears, but her palms weren't sweaty like she thought they would have been. Instead the fear was being replaced with a calm for which she was both grateful and found frightening. Eolande stepped into the tunnel and Alex moved in one smooth action, driving the dagger into her throat, shoving her against the far wall and covering her mouth. A brief cry was muffled as Alex stared up into shocked purple eyes. A moment later the Síd dissolved and her gown fluttered to the floor.

  Stepping back, Alex took a deep breath and checked down the tunnel. She heard nothing and scooped up the dress, shoes and jewelry as one bundle. Alex stepped into the room and held up a finger to sign quiet to the little boy as she tossed the bundle to the side.

  “Who are you?” the little boy asked, climbing to her feet and wiping his eyes. “You look normal.”

  “I'm a human,” Alex assured him quickly; uncertain of how much the five year old would understand. “I'm going to take you home.”

  The boy hesitated, a frown on his face. “Not supposed to talk with strangers,” he muttered.

  “I'm Alex,” she said gently, moving forward slowly and crouching down, trying to remember her babysitting days in early high school. “I know you don't know me, but I'm one of the good guys. You don't want to stay here.”

  “What about my sister?” the boy asked pointing towards the infant.

  “Her too,” Alex promised, “But I'll need your help in getting her out of here.”

  “Okay,” he agreed softly.

  “What's your name?”

  “Ryan,” he answered softly, his voice gaining a little more strength.

  “Nice to meet you Ryan,” Alex told him, standing up and moving over to the side of the room to collect his sister.

  The infant stared up at her with little teary blue eyes. She was wrapped in a blue fleece blanket with stars that made Alex smile softly. Glancing over her shoulder, she checked Ryan over. He didn't look injured and had normal clothing on, his right shoe was untied.

  Alex returned over to Ryan and handed his sister to him before retying both of his shoes with double knots.

  “What is your sister's name?” Alex asked gently.

  “Amy,” he replied, rocking her slowly which seemed to calm him down.

  “Ryan do you have a coat?” Alex asked him as she glanced around the room. It was domed with small beds lining one side and cradles on another with a large table in the center. A chest stood near the door with a heavy lock on it.

  “They took it,” Ryan informed her, looking down at his shoes. “Sorry.”

  “That's not your fault,” Alex told him before reaching for Amy. “Ryan, I'm going to carry Amy for a little bit, we may have to run. If I give her to you in a hurry then take her quickly.” The boy nodded and gently handed his sister over. “And if I tell you to do something then you need to do it right away,” Alex added seriously.

  Ryan nodded again and Alex hoped that he really understood. She drew the dagger from her bag with her right hand, carrying Amy clutching to her chest with her left. Checking the hallway, Alex breathed a little easier at the silence and set a slow pace back the way she had come, mindful of Ryan's small strides.

  They soon left the brightly lit section of white stone, sliding into the gray area without a word spoken between them. Alex carefully balanced the dagger in her left hand, careful not to touch Amy in order to pull the light stone from her pocket. Hesitant to put the weight of the infant on the small boy, Alex handed Ryan the light stone and relaxed as his eyes widened with excitement. It was comforting to know that some childlike wonder had survived the night. Ryan followed Alex's instructions, keeping the stone partially covered in his hands and holding it low. Due to his height most of the light was focused on the ground as they began to slowly climb the sloping tunnel floor.

  A sudden growl up ahead made Alex freeze in her tracks and hold her breath. Bending down quickly, she handed Amy to Ryan and snatched the light stone from his hand without speaking. Alex raised the dagger and stepped forward slowly in front of the boy.

  “Stay quiet,” Alex ordered in a low voice as they crept forward.

  The curve of the tunnel meant that Alex didn't see the Síd guard until he and his Hound were almost on them. Light filled the corridor as the guard's light stone illuminated the tunnel as he came around the bend. The Hound leapt for her, Ryan screamed behind her and Alex drove the dagger forward into the Hound's chest as it impacted with her b
ody. Crashing backgrounds to the ground, her head colliding with the stone, Alex grunted in pain. Her eyesight blurred and she gasped for breath as the Hound dissolved above her.

  “Alex!” Ryan cried, his terror and desperation piercing the haze.

  Rolling to the side, Alex focused on the small boy as the guard turned his attention to him. There was a ball of light in the Síd's hand, Alex realized, followed by the certainty that it wasn't a good thing. Her eyes moved to Ryan, his face was pale and he was clutching a bundle tightly to his chest. Amy, the name registered in her mind.

  The guard threw the ball of light towards Ryan and Alex raised her hand towards it. She might have shouted no or stop, but she wasn't certain. There was a tug in her stomach and her heart suddenly beat faster; she couldn't breathe. The ball of light stopped in the air inches from Ryan.