"What is it?"

She inspects it. "It looks sorta... steampunk-ish."

Lise was quite for a moment, then gasped like she was realizing something.

Both boys were silent

" I saw one of those back at the seelie court after thr chimera attacked! What if King Machina made the chimera attack?! "

Puck blanched, and Ash looked incredibly disturbed. "If that's true," he murmured, his gray eyes darkening like thunderclouds, "then all fey could be in danger. Not just the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. The Nevernever itself would be affected, the entire fey world."

Puck nodded, looking more serious than they'd ever seen. "This is a war," he said, locking gazes with Ash. "If the Iron King is killing the guardians of the trods, he must be planning to invade. We have to find Machina and destroy him. Perhaps hes the heart of these iron fey. If we kill him, his followers could scatter."

"I agree." Ash sheathed his sword, giving the bug a revolted look. "We will bring the girls to the Iron Court and rescue their brother by killing the ruler of the iron fey."

"Bravo," said Grimalkin, peering down from Cold Toms chest. "The Winter prince and Oberon's jester agreeing on something. The world must be ending."

" what if we can't kill him? "

"Not much of a war honestly." Isiea notes flatly. "If he attacks you're all done for."

"Nobody's immortal," Ash said bluntly.

"You're such a Debbie downer."

The cat sneezed a laugh and hopped down from the body, gazing up at the bug in Isiea's hand. He wrinkled his nose. "Interesting," he mused. "That thing stinks of iron and steel, and yet it does not burn you. I suppose being half-human has perks, after all."

" Isiea does have a point. Considering his name is the iron king, if he attacks, you guys are done. "