Page 52 of Poison Sun

But I, of course, haven’t told him anything about her.

“And who’s that?” he asks.

“Doesn’t matter.” I shrug, hoping he’ll drop it. “Anyway, I also can’t travel through realms. I’m not sure anyone can.”

He studies me, as if he wants to press further. Luckily, he doesn’t.

I’m glad of it. Because I don’t want to lie to him.

Not when I’m already keeping so much from him.

I can’t bring myself to look at him as we continue walking. But eventually, the path narrows, and the air shifts, cooler and denser.

We turn a corner and stop in our tracks.

Because there it is.

A bridge as rickety and ancient as promised in the book, its wooden planks weathered by time. Its lack of railings make it look scarily easy to fall into the river rushing below, but it’s not the bridge that stops us.

It’s the monster blocking the bridge’s entrance.

Terror—and doubt—falls on me as I take in the sight of the hideous creature.

He stands twice our size, his earthy skin scarred and mottled, and his eyes glow with fierce intelligence, despite his tattered clothing.

He grins at us with long, sharp teeth that look capable of tearing through armor and flesh alike, and I take a step back.

Last night, Blaze told me about a creature that guards bridges. We anticipated the possibility of facing one here.

A kobold.

“They’re neither good nor evil,” he explained. “But they’re fond of riddles and tricks, and they’re fiercely protective of their domain.”

The monster before us bears no resemblance to the playful sprites of fairy tales.

He’s evil. Pure, bone-chillingly evil. Like a giant troll from Hell.

I glance at Blaze, searching his face for any sign of the confidence he always wears like armor. But his eyes, usually so full of fire and determination, hold a hint of uncertainty.

At the thought of fire, I reach inside myself for my magic. As usual, it warms my soul, its flames ready to surface in a moment’s notice.

But I rein it in. So far, this monster isn’t attacking. Provoking him might not be the best move.

Still, I’m ready, just in case.

From the way Blaze widens his stance, grounding himself, he’s on the same page as me.

The monster stares at us, appearing to be waiting for us to speak first.

“You’re a kobold?” Blaze sounds unfazed, even though this monster could likely shred us to ribbons with a slash of his claws.

The monster releases a low, gravelly chuckle that seems to resonate from the depths of the earth itself.

“Yes, I am the Kobold. The guardian of this path,” he says. “Many have tried to cross, and few have succeeded. Those who do never return the same.”

His words suck all the air from my lungs, and I swallow hard, as if I can push down the fear.

It doesn’t work.

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