Page 53 of Poison Sun

Blaze shifts beside me, and I can feel the heat of his fire as he gathers it inside himself.

“What do you want from us?” he asks.

The Kobold tilts his head, considering.

“A simple trade,” he finally says. “Answer my riddle correctly, and I’ll grant you safe passage. Fail, and well...” He lets the threat hang in the air, his grin widening to reveal those sharp, menacing teeth again.

The forest animals quiet, the tension in the air thickening. I can feel Blaze’s energy, coiled and ready to strike—but physical strength isn’t the right way to approach this battle.

Luckily, he seems to know that as well, since he makes no move to attack.

“Tell us your riddle.” I lift my head and stare straight up into the monster’s beady glowing eyes, stepping forward slightly.

I have no idea where I’m drawing this confidence from, but it feels like a better approach than trembling in terror.

The Kobold nods, seemingly pleased. “Very well,” he begins, his voice taking on a rhythmic quality that feels almost enchanting. “I watch over the land, both day and night, never moving, standing tall with might. In daylight, I touch the sky; under the moon, shadows lie. What am I?”

Blaze and I stand in silence, the riddle echoing in the space between us and the Kobold, who’s watching us with an expectant gleam in his eyes.

I’m terrible at riddles. Back in the subway—the Minotaur’s Labyrinth—we had to solve that riddle in the train, and let’s just say that I didn’t carry the team with that one.

I could try using blood magic to scry for the answer. But I’m pretty sure the Kobold would accuse me of cheating.

I do not want to make this monster angry by cheating.

There’s also the fact that I’ve never been able to scry for anything that specific.

On top of all that, it would involve revealing my secret to Blaze.

Looks like we’re going to have to do this the old-fashioned way—with some good, solid brainstorming.

“What are you thinking?” Blaze asks me.

I still, frozen in place. There’s no way I’m telling him anything that just went through my head.

“The riddle?” he prods. “It looks like you’re thinking hard about it.”

Right. Of course he thought I was thinking about the riddle, and not about the consequences of using blood magic to scry for the answer.

“I’m terrible at riddles,” I admit. “What do you think it is?”

The Kobold looks back and forth between us, his lips curled up in amusement.

“Five minutes,” the monster says.

“You didn’t say there was a time limit,” I snap.

A low growl rumbles from his throat. “I’m telling you now,” he says. “I don’t have all day here.”

Given that his only job seems to be guarding this bridge, he likely does have all day. But I hold myself back from saying it. No point in poking the beast.

At least, not right now.

I return my attention to Blaze, whose brow is furrowed in so much concentration that I can practically see the gears moving in his head.

“It’s something that touches the sky, right? Standing tall with might...” He trails off, and then, his eyes light up. “A lighthouse? They stand tall, they don’t move, they guide ships at night...”

I bite my lip, skeptical, but not wanting to dismiss his idea. “A lighthouse doesn’t really ‘watch over the land,’ does it?” I ask, although it’s better than any idea I’ve thought of—since I haven’t thought of any ideas at all. “It’s more for the sea.”

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