“I have been praying since I followed you, dear,” Father whispered.

  A German soldier shouted something about retreat. Golem immediately launched a blast toward the man. But Golem’s other limb reached out and grabbed the weaponized arm, trying to pull it downward. Metal groaned from within as he struggled against his own body.

  There has to be more I can do!

  “Kateřina!” a voice yelled weakly.

  Josef limped down the street toward her. He was severely beaten, and one of his arms was hardly recognizable from burns. “Josef! Stay back!”

  He halted and almost dropped to his knees. “His mouth! Take it out! He’ll go back to sleep!”

  His mouth? A strange sensation washed over her. She moved forward, stepping past her father and reaching out. “Golem, come now. It’s time to rest. Open your mouth for me.” She couldn’t explain it, but those words felt like the right ones to say.

  Golem shuddered, his eyes still flickering between blue and red. After several failed attempts, he slowly dropped into a sitting position and opened his mouth. Though it was high up, Kateřina could see something in there.

  She carefully climbed up Golem’s leg and onto his chest. From there, she could see inside a simple paper bearing the word Emet. Truth. She removed the paper, the effect immediate as the golem leaned forward, falling limp.

  It worked.

  She started to climb back down, but the world around her faded to gray. Her body became weightless, and everything darkened. She slipped and fell backward, landing with a heavy oof atop her father, who was waiting below.

  After a few moments of catching her breath, her vision cleared. She saw the blazing sun setting perfectly behind Prague Castle. She marveled at it, a hint of nostalgia hitting her as she lay in the ruined street.

  “We saw this once, didn’t we?” she asked her father.

  “Yes.” He chuckled. “I brought you here when you were young. It happens during the solstice. It was your mother’s favorite view in the world.”

  Looking at that, she knew. The golem was finally resting. And the biggest story of her life was coming to an end.

  The world felt deathly quiet as Josef stood beside Kateřina and the now-lifeless Golem. The streets of Prague were ravaged, with tanks and cars torn into shreds. There wasn’t a single soul in sight. Not a civilian or soldier. Josef knew that would not last long. Once they realized the golem was no longer a threat, the streets would swarm with German soldiers once more.

  “Josef, are you alright?” After all that had happened, Kateřina’s voice was the most soothing sound he had ever heard. She inspected his arm, which was severely burned from Rádek’s flames, and the bullet hole just below his shoulder.

  “Those wounds are bad.” A man he didn’t recognize stood next to her.

  “I will live.” Even to Josef, his voice sounded hollow. “I cannot say the same for Rádek. It was not my intention, but we fought. He would not back down, no matter what I said or did.” His eyes flicked past her. “He died.”

  “Then the golem truly will rest forever,” Kateřina said quietly.

  “No, there might be a way someone could revive it.” Josef moved like a machine. He walked toward the golem and climbed onto its leg. He examined its chest cavity. Golem was more than mere machine. Technology couldn’t explain all the things it had done. There had to be a secret within.

  Josef raised his hammer and struck down. A burst of flames enhanced the blow. The casing cracked as he suspected it would. Without the mystical protection, each swing of his hammer broke off a piece of the ceramic covering.

  He kept dismantling his grandfather’s construction until he reached the core. A final compartment sat in the middle of the golem’s chest. Without time to think, he pulled it open to reveal a lump of clay. It was not even that large, only about the size of his fist. He pulled it out and presented it to Kateřina. “This is the key. Clay from Rabbi Loew’s Golem. I suspect it was hidden in his chair in the Old-New Synagogue.”

  Kateřina gasped. “We nearly found it first.”

  He nodded. “Rádek must have taken it out and started the golem alone. Without this, no one can make a golem again. No matter how hard they try.”

  “What are you going to do with it?” Kateřina asked.

  He stared down at the clay heart. His family’s legacy. His grandfather believed it could be used for something greater. That dream had died. And with the world knowing the truth, it wouldn’t be long before those seeking power would try to replicate the work.

  “If someone has this, they might be able to bring it back to life or create something even worse.” Tears built up in his eyes, and he tried to hold them back as best he could. “I need to get rid of it. Destroy it.”

  “Do what you need to do.”

  He looked down the street. As he suspected, German soldiers were already emerging from their hiding places and fortifications. They would resume their destructive path through Prague with nothing holding them back. His people would be rounded up at an unprecedented pace. “We have to find a haven. . .” His words trailed off.

  “But where can we go? Where can we be safe?”

  “Please tell Nikolai I will be in hiding. The Germans will come searching for me. They will also be searching for this.”

  Josef reached into his coat, pulled out his grandfather’s journal, and tossed it to her. “Look in there. I think Samuel had a plan for how to use the golem. Even without it, he might have known where to take everyone he saved. Find a haven of protection for our people, Kateřina. I know you can find it.”

  Josef then put the clay in his coat and started to jog away. “I know you can find the truth,” he called back over his shoulder. “Be quick. Once they find me, they’ll retake control of the city!”

  “You’re trying to draw them away from us, aren’t you?” The worry in her voice was evident. “They’ll find you and kill you.”

  He paused and held his fist to his chest “I need to protect them. It’s my job. I’m a Loew, after all.”

  Kateřina lifted rubble, garbage, and shattered pieces of clocks from Josef’s family clock shop, setting them into piles of what could be saved and what couldn’t. The Germans had torn the shop apart in their search, leaving only a few things undisturbed. Even in Josef’s absence, she wanted to clean this place up. It did not deserve to be left in such a state. Even more, she kept thinking about Josef’s final directive: Find a haven of protection for our people, Kateřina. I know you can find it.

  She had read Samuel’s journal cover-to-cover twice and had not found anything. Her mind drifted to all the people quietly funneling into Nikolai’s warehouse, waiting for salvation born from their old leader’s plans. Her forehead glistened with sweat and dirt, and she wiped it away with her wrist. What if she couldn’t decipher the clues before the warehouse was found? What if nothing was to be discovered, and she had provided nothing but false hope? It wasn’t only Jewish people anymore, either. She had pulled in others, including her father.

  Her heart felt as if boulders were being stacked on it. She wished Josef were here. She needed someone she could confide in. She could still remember the image of his burned, bruised body jogging away, deliberately drawing the attention of the German forces. They would pin the massacre on him. Make him out to be the worst war criminal ever known to man.

  Worried thoughts overwhelmed her, and Kateřina leaned heavily on the counter. “I can’t do this alone.”

  Just then, the front door of the clock shop opened. A woman with bright-red hair peeked inside and waved. “Hello? Are you open?”

  Kateřina jumped, startled. Her cheeks flushed at the foolish mistake of leaving the door unlocked. Kateřina’s mouth dropped open in surprise as she stood to face the woman and recognized her. The woman from the tram stop the day of the assassination. Despite such a fleeting interaction, the woman’s face had fixed in her mind.

  Kateřina recovered her voice quickly. “No, sorry.” She looked around at the wreckage. How could anyone think they were in business right now? “The owner is away.”

  “Are they now?” The woman furrowed her brow. “Well, that’s a shame. I find ticking clocks very relaxing, so I hoped for one for my home during these dark times.”

  Kateřina looked around the walls. Of the few that remained untouched, a couple still had a price tag listed on them. “The shop is currently not open for business.”

  “I understand, but I hoped to purchase that one.” The woman pointed to the silent clock on the wall. It was the one that looked similar to her father’s office clock—the one Josef said his grandfather had never wound. It was an important clock, she knew. Something deep inside told Kateřina she shouldn’t allow this clock to remain in the shop. She couldn’t let the clock to fall into German hands. Yet could this woman be trusted?

  The redheaded woman had been at the tram stop, and here she was now. Kateřina wasn’t sure, but she had a feeling this woman was on their side.

  Kateřina hurried to the clock. Well, a little business won’t upset Josef, right? “I don’t think I should let you come all the way in with the shop in this condition, but I will bring it to you.”

  The woman beamed and accepted the clock. “Why, it’s beautiful! I can tell it was made with great care.” She pulled out an envelope and pressed it into Kateřina’s hands. “This should cover the payment.”

  Kateřina felt no need to count the money. Instead, her smile expanded, pulling against her cheeks. It was a welcome feeling. “I can assure you the owners never miss a detail.”

  “I’ve heard the Loews love leaving their marks in the most interesting ways. I had been meaning to visit this shop for a while, you see. I find the passage of time fascinating. So, a shop owned by a family with a rich history and is also a clock shop? Paradise.”

  The woman’s gaze moved toward a painting on the wall. Kateřina didn’t know how it was possible, but the painting, too, was untouched.

  “That’s him, isn’t it? Rabbi Loew?” the woman asked. “He was an important man. It would be difficult to live in his shadow.”

  Rabbi Loew’s shadow? Kateřina’s eyes moved over to the painting and then back to the woman. Kateřina had a strange sense. Like she had met this woman long ago or had seen her in her dreams. As Kateřina started to open her mouth to question the woman, the redhead waved goodbye.

  “I apologize for intruding like this, and now I am prattling on. Have a good day, Miss Kateřina.” The woman exited through the front door as swiftly as she had appeared.

  “I never told you my name!” Kateřina stepped outside to talk to the woman but didn’t see a trace of her. The street was empty in both directions.

  Who was that?

  She couldn’t shake the oddity of the interaction. But it had given her an idea.

  Kateřina returned inside and locked the door. Then she looked over to the painting of Rabbi Loew, approaching it. She lifted the painting off the wall as carefully as she could. As she did, papers fluttered onto the floor. She glanced down, her breath leaving her. Then she returned the painting to its place and snatched up the papers.

  The map detailed a complex network of ancient tunnels reminiscent of those she and Josef had discovered beneath the Old-New Synagogue. This network, however, was located under a designated area marked by a triangle bisected horizontally—the alchemical symbol for earth or land. Could it be?

  The gardens of Wallenstein Palace were right beneath Prague’s German stronghold! There were multiple entry points, but the closest and most accessible were nearby. If the map was to be trusted, an entrance to these tunnels was just one and a half kilometers away, on the other side of the river. She delicately rolled up the map and concealed it within her coat.

  With quickened steps, Kateřina exited the shop and hurried to a nearby bridge that crossed the Vltava River. The patrols of Germans were sparse, and she only encountered a few casual passersby as she hurried to the other side of the river.

  Is it really so near?

  They would have little trouble moving people between the warehouse and these tunnels without suspicion. She hoped and prayed these tunnels weren’t merely future plans. But as she reached the marked location of the entrance, her heart began to drop. There was no entrance. All she could see was a wall.

  There has to be a button or lever. Find it, Kateřina.

  For a half hour, she meticulously searched the wall. Bit by bit, she noticed oddities. Scuffs and marks that seemed natural at first or even second glance.

  But soon she began to see a pattern. These could be viewed as alchemic symbols if viewed from the right perspective. Two, in particular, stood out the most to her. Earth, the same symbol the gardens were shaped as, and its counterpart, the oppositely shaped air. She touched both at once.

  A section of stone slid into itself, revealing a passageway. Kateřina gasped, then gave a quiet cheer. She rushed in, only to find someone already standing in the doorway. The woman with fiery red hair.

  “You again?” Kateřina’s heartbeat quickened.

  The woman furrowed her brow. She spoke in a whisper. “Tell your allies about this place. They’ll be safe here.” The woman leaned in close. “Be quick about it. Because afterward, you and I have a lot to talk about.”

  The End

  Acknowledgments

  First and foremost, a heartfelt thanks to Nathan, my coauthor and easiest kid I raised. (All my other children will agree this is true.) This novel would not be here without you taking my nugget of an idea and growing a world and plot around it. Thank you writing the first draft when I was sinking under other deadlines. Thank you for not just going along with my ideas but coming up with something far better. Thank you for joining me in all-night writing sprints. This was a fun book to write because of your ability to take my average plot and up the games at every turn.

  I want to extend my deepest gratitude to Janet Grant, a remarkable agent whose belief in my writing career never wavered and who stood steadfastly by my side. To the incredibly talented team at Enclave. Your meticulous attention to detail, insights, and unwavering dedication transformed this manuscript into the masterpiece it is today. To Steve Laube: Look, it only took thirty years for you to publish one of my books. I did it! We did it!

  Lastly, to amazing husband John Goyer. Your belief in my dreams of becoming an author all those years ago has made this possible—all of it. I love you.

  About the Author:

  Tricia Goyer

  Tricia Goyer is a well-known speaker and author who writes compelling historical fiction with a faith-based twist. She is the author of over ninety books, covering a wide variety of topics and styles, although many of her works center on World War II.

  Biblical themes, profound emotion, and meticulous historical research are the hallmarks of Goyer’s work. Set against the background of pivotal moments in history, her stories frequently revolve around characters who, through faith, discover hope and redemption. Her distinctive combination of styles has won her both readers’ and critics’ devotion.

  Tricia Goyer is devoted to her family and homeschooling in addition to her literary career. Speaking publicly about these experiences is a common way she encourages and inspires her listeners. Readers and listeners alike are moved by Goyer’s unwavering dedication to her family and faith, which runs throughout her works.

  Goyer isn’t just a writer. She’s also very involved in mentoring and community service. At church and community events, she is a regular voice for young writers and young mothers. Her considerable volunteer work, which includes mentoring adolescent moms and conducting writing workshops, is a reflection of her love of storytelling and her desire to help others.

  Tricia Goyer has received many nominations and awards in the Christian publishing industry. She also hosts two podcasts: The Tricia Goyer Show and The Daily Bible Podcast. Please connect with Tricia at TriciaGoyer.com.

  About the Author:

  Nathan Goyer

  Nathan Goyer is an upstart designer and science fiction author who has been writing since he was young. He has written the novel Bask: City of Shadows and solo-developed the mobile RPG game Heedless, which has surpassed 30,000 downloads. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science from the University of Arkansas Little Rock, he is now pushing forward with new endeavors, starting with his newest novel, Breath of Bones, which he wrote alongside his fellow author and mother, Tricia Goyer.

 

 

  Tricia Goyer, Breath of Bones

 

 

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