Gates of Thread and Stone(18)

He didn’t, of course. He was probably passed out and wouldn’t wake even if a herd of Grays ripped through the shop.

Avan lit a lantern sitting on a crate against the wall. The light shone across a cramped space filled with barrels, boxes, and a cart connected to a Gray. The creature had been crafted in the form of a horse, the same shape as most of the North District’s Grays. The glow from the lantern caught the curves of its body, burnishing the drab metal.

“I didn’t know you had a Gray,” I said. I’d never been this close to a resting one before. There were plenty of North District Grays, but no one would risk leaving theirs out in the open when it wasn’t in use.

Avan’s lay on the dusty floor, its legs curled beneath, looking unnervingly like it was sleeping.

Avan reached behind the Gray and unlatched the cart. “I bought this to deliver packages,” he said. “It needed a lot of work, so I got it cheap. I don’t use it much, but it’s nice to have when I do need it.”

He pushed the Gray onto its side before opening a panel in its chest. A red energy stone about the size of my fist was fitted into a metal bed. I didn’t know much about how the Grays worked, only that no smithy could make the creature run without the magic of an energy stone.

“Won’t your dad need this?”


“I’m the one who takes and fills orders. Dad won’t even notice it’s missing.” Avan poked the stone, which flickered red briefly, highlighting the bridge of his nose and the curve of his lips. “This isn’t going to last if we’re going to the Void.”

According to the map, the Outlands stretched a solid five hundred miles east to the forest. Depending on how fast the Gray was, it could take us a full day or longer to reach the Void.

“Is this going to outrun the gargoyles?” Considering our school texts claimed the gargoyles had either eaten the rest of the native wildlife or driven them into hiding in the forest, speed was a pressing concern.

“Won’t matter if it doesn’t even make it halfway across the Outlands.”

“We should take the energy stone from the Raging Bull,” I said. “I’m sure Joss could afford another one with the credits he got selling Reev.” I wanted to do a lot worse than steal his energy stone, but those dark, violent urges scared me. And they would disappoint Reev.

“Would you really do that?” Avan asked without looking up. Shadows carved deep lines into his face where the light from the lantern didn’t reach.

“No,” I admitted. “There are a lot of workers in the building. Joss would make all of them pay for it.”

Avan shut the panel. “Come on.”

He dropped his bag into a compartment behind the saddle and pushed the controls along the Gray’s neck. I flinched when the creature rose to its feet. Sheets of overlapping metal made up its body, and despite the rust and scratches, they rippled smoothly in eerie mimicry of muscles shifting under skin.

I stepped back as it trotted out of the shed and came to a stop in front of me. I glanced at Avan uncertainly.

After locking the shed, he gripped the saddle and pulled himself onto the Gray. He held out his hand to me.

“I’ve never ridden one before,” I said. Reev didn’t think they were safe. Before my job with the DMC, he never let me go too far from the Labyrinth on my own.

“You don’t have to do anything except hold on,” Avan said.

This didn’t reassure me in the least. With a deep breath, I put my bag alongside his and took his hand. My other hand grabbed the saddle as he pulled me up, and I swung my leg over the creature. The angle of the seat forced me flush against Avan. My pulse fluttered wildly beneath my skin. Good thing the darkness hid my blushing. Avan leaned over to position my feet on notches built into the Gray’s flanks. I could feel the strength in his fingers even through my flimsy boots.

Stop it. Telling my body to shut up worked until Avan reached back to snag my hands and wrap them around his waist. He was so warm, his stomach firm against my palms. I tried to remember to breathe.

He flicked something else along the creature’s head, and the energy stone lit up. The Gray’s chest glowed red, the light escaping through the vents to illuminate the ground in front of us. I clutched Avan as he gripped the handles on either side of the Gray’s neck and leaned forward.

Every muscle in my body clenched tight as the Gray took off. Avan laughed. We were so close that I could feel the vibrations in his chest.

We weren’t going very fast, really. A slow gallop at most. Scouts—military Grays reserved only for sentinels—were the fastest because they were built specifically to outrun a gargoyle. I wished we could steal one of those, but scouts were stored in the White Court.

Traffic was light in the North District because Grays were expensive to maintain. The few blacksmiths in the Alley with the expertise to repair them had fallen under city control and charged more than the average person could afford. As far as I knew, most of the riders went the illegal route and bought services from the street smithies.

On the Gray, it took us less than five minutes to reach Avan’s place. He cut the power, and the energy stone went dark. The sky was almost pitch-black without the city’s lampposts.

“Stay here,” he said, hopping off the saddle. “I’ll be right back.”

I shivered in the cool night. Without Avan in front of me, I felt unsteady. I leaned forward, resting my hands on the seat. It was warm. I drew away, flustered.