by Joshua Roots
“Where are we?” I asked, removing my goggles and nearly kissing the ground.
“Visitor center just shy of Bristol, Virginia,” Pip replied. “Great little city, too. You know they have a racetrack? We should come back here during NASCAR season.”
“Let’s worry about the Minotaurs first,” I replied.
“Of course, but when this is all over, we’re gonna talk racing. Gotta pee,” he added, and jogged toward the brick building. Some people backed away. Others watched in awe.
Trixie and Carl followed. The girl spun on her heels. “I’m getting a soda. Want anything?”
I shook my head, swallowing air like a drowning man. She shrugged and trotted after Carl.
“That’s a hell of a thing,” Steve said, wiping the tears from his eyes. We couldn’t find goggles big enough to fit him, so he’d opted to just tough it out. “I’ve never traveled by Bookworm. Way more efficient than driving or flying.”
Grateful to have changed out of my robes and into a practical outfit of jeans, thick sweater and undamaged heavy jacket, I plopped onto a nearby bench. “Personally, I’m glad they can’t mass-produce whatever power they use. No way could I handle that as my daily commute.”
Quinn sat next to me, goggles dangling in her hands. “But think about the possibilities. New York to DC in a couple hours rather than half a day.”
“Tied to the back of a Bookworm? No, thank you.”
“Give it another generation and you might be surprised what will happen.”
I patted Quinn on the knee. “We’ll let our kids worry about that.”
Quinn’s eyebrows shot up and I reddened.
Steve smirked, apparently enjoying my embarrassment.
Thankfully, Pip reappeared before I had to deal with any awkward questions.
“So, how long till we reach the Bookworm camp?” I asked quickly, desperate to change the subject.
He cracked the top of a brightly colored bottle of soda. “Another hour or two, depending on traffic and the weather condition of the Smokies.”
“That’ll put us in around late afternoon, early evening. We’ll set up shop to the east of your homeland and wait until dark to move in. And before you ask,” I added, holding up a hand when he opened his mouth, “darkness will make it easier to avoid detection.”
Steve huffed.
“Okay, it’ll make it slightly easier.”
Pip took another swig, then wiped his beak-like mouth. “What about our friendly forces?”
“The Troll army should be through the Nashville node of the Underground later today. If they move at top speed, they’ll hit the Bookworm camp a little after nightfall.”
“Still can’t believe we got sent on this milk run instead of joining the real fight,” Steve grumbled.
I still couldn’t believe the Council had divided their limited forces. Personally, I’d have picked a juicy target, like the Centaur camp, and thrown everything we could muster at it. But seeing as how I’d chosen to visit Quinn at the Homestead over the mission planning, I didn’t have a lot of room to gripe. Devon and Company had made their decision.
The plan was surprisingly simple: all available troops were given sectors of the enemy’s last known locations. The majority of Council forces, to include the bulk of the Dwarf troops, were already marching north to the Centaur camp to engage Makha’s main army. Several smaller units of Skilled and paranormals had been sent to the other targeted homelands in places like Florida, Ireland and Australia.
Steve, Quinn, Pip, his two kinfolk and I were headed to the Smoky Mountains in east Tennessee. Our mission: sneak into the Bookworm camp, find the super-secret great library and obtain a magical solution to deal with whatever power the Minotaurs were using to knock out the paranormal barriers. Then we were to get the hell out of Dodge before the massive Troll army arrived to pound the occupation force.
“Trust me, I’d much prefer being involved in a direct assault as well, but the Council is adamant that the historical texts in the Bookworm library are a higher priority. Once the Council has what they need, we can link up with the attacks either back here or in Florida.”
“Not Maine?” Quinn asked.
I shook my head. “Maine is pretty well covered. Tennessee and Florida, however, will need all the bodies they can get.”
Pip frowned. “Not exactly the best choice of words.”
“No, but also not inaccurate. We’re at war, man, and war is an ugly, bloody thing.”
The group fell silent.
“Do you really think your people have a solution?” Quinn finally asked Pip.
“If it’s ever been written down, we’ve recorded it. Get us to the library and we’ll find it.”
“Thanks for agreeing to help us,” I said. “We need any advantage we can get.”
“You bet. Bookworms don’t like bullies, so it’s the least we can do.”
“Anyway,” I added, “as much as I hate to say this, let’s get on the road.”
The Bookworms chugged their drinks, lined up and waved us over to them. I donned my goggles, then gripped Trixie’s shoulders. Closing my eyes, I sent up a small prayer for safety, then yelped as I was yanked forward. There was a slight pop and wind whipped my face.
The countryside raced by in a brown and green blur as we tore down the I-81 corridor. The farmland of southern Virginia soon gave way to the large forests inside the Tennessee border. Clouds covered the tops of the Smoky Mountains in the distance, smothering them in the gray blanket that gave the range its name.
Trixie made a hard turn, jerking me from my reverie. We left the wide, busy pavement for smaller roads, blasting past towns with names like Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg.
“Clingmans Dome,” Trixie shouted over her shoulder, pointing at a gray mountain that disappeared into the clouds.
The elevation began to rise sharply, taking us directly into the thick haze. We punched into it like a rocket, losing ourselves in the swirling moisture. The air smelled of wood and rain and, for a moment, I was lost to the dominant pull of the nature that surrounded us. Raw elements pulsed with a vibrancy that was severely muted in cities like DC. And while my hometown certainly wasn’t lacking in energy, my Skill burst with excitement at being surrounded by so much fresh power. I longed to tap into it, to sense the eons of forces flowing along the spine of the great mountain range.
Trixie made another sharp move and we plowed directly into the trees lining the road. I gasped as the woods became a rush of plants, praying we didn’t pancake against a trunk like a speederbike on Endor. But surefooted Trixie simply vaulted and maneuvered through the maze of bark and bush without breaking stride.
She hit the brakes a moment later, sending up a cloud of dirt. “Top floor: housewares, lingerie and motor oil.”
I wobbled over to a fallen trunk, then slid to the ground.
Quinn and Steve zipped into existence. “So, this is Tennessee?” the latter asked. He sucked in a huge lungful of air. “Yeah, I could get used to this. You okay?” he added, glancing down at me.
“I miss the Gray Ghost,” I muttered.
“Wuss.”
I scowled at him, then slowed my breathing, letting the sturdy bedrock of the mountain seep into my soul. My heart rate decelerated and my nerves calmed. The unseasonably warm temperatures, especially at our altitude, helped.
“Most of the year is pretty nice,” Pip offered. “But the summers can be brutal. When it’s hot and humid, it’s like living in a steam bath.”
“Why’d you all set up shop here?” Quinn asked.
Pip grinned. “Actually, we started off in Arizona, but moved because this area was better for our skin. Also, it was harder for bad guys to get to us.” His smile faded. “Until recently.”
I heaved to my feet. “We’ll do
what we can to help.”
“Thanks.” He stared at the ground, lost in his thoughts. My heart went out to the guy.
I patted him. “Let’s go over the layout of your camp once again.”
Pip snapped a long stick, drew several circles in the dirt, then put an x to the east of the first one. “We’re here, far enough outside the perimeter that we shouldn’t have to worry about any foot patrols.”
“Good thinking.”
He beamed. “Anyway, our home is comprised of two parts: the actual Bookworm compound near us—” he pointed to the first circle “—and the library in the caves to the west.” He pointed to the second one.
Steve frowned. “You put thousands of years’ worth of historical tomes inside a bunch of caves?”
“Yeah, why?”
“They tend to be dark and damp.”
“Usually, but we figured out how to maintain the internal environment to optimize the longevity of our books.”
“Is there any way for us to avoid the camp and access the caves directly?” Quinn asked.
Pip shook his head. “The living area butts up directly against the entrances. There is literally no way for us to get in there without going into the camp. The other downside is that there’s no secondary exit from the library, so we have to leave the way we enter. If we’re spotted, we’re screwed. Our only hope is to lose the Minotaurs in the maze of caverns.”
Steve huffed. “No offense, but Minotaurs are pretty good with mazes.”
“Which is why I’m concerned. We don’t know if they’re already in there, nor what kind of damage they may have already done.”
“They wouldn’t destroy the tomes, would they?” I asked, looking to Steve.
“Makha is a lover of history, so my inclination is no. But he’d also willingly strike at the heart of the Bookworms if it meant crippling them.”
Which was exactly what he’d done to the Fae and Satyrs.
Pip smiled weakly. “There is some good news. Bookworms prefer living within and among the trees, so the interior of the camp isn’t much different than what we’re seeing around us at the moment. We should have plenty of cover once we’re over the wall. With any luck, the Minotaurs will be busy looting our food stores or whatever you idiots do when you’ve conquered a people.”
Steve growled.
“I have to warn you all,” Pip continued, ignoring my buddy, “standard protocol for a crisis like this is for the senior librarians to escape to the caves and defend our tomes to the death. Assuming anyone is still alive, we may have to deal with some edgy Bookworms once we get inside the tunnels. So be on the prepared, but please don’t kill any of my family.”
“We’ll try not to,” I said.
“This is smelling pretty crappy,” Trixie interjected. “Minotaurs in our camp doing who-knows-what. Our own people fighting and dying. And for what? What purpose could there possibly be for attacking us?”
“Sometimes in war there are no good answers.”
Steve grunted. “Ain’t that the truth?”
Quinn inclined her head. “Then it’s about time we try and find one.”
“Agreed,” I replied, “and the sooner, the better. Steve, we’ll need your uber-senses to spot enemy patrols. Pip, you get us to the best possible location along your perimeter. With any luck, we will be long gone before the Minotaurs know we were here. Check your gear one last time, then give me a thumbs-up when you’re ready.”
Everyone busied themselves with their equipment. Steve messed with the fanny pack he so dearly loved while Quinn drew her jewel-handled scimitar. The blade had been in the Shifter family vault until the attack at the Homestead last year. The sword had “chosen” her like all family swords tend to do, claiming her as the one to carry it until her demise. At the time I’d taken that as a sign that she was Shifter-approved, but now, with everything that had gone on between us, I realized that perhaps the steel had known something long before I had.
My own sword was looking pretty rough. I hadn’t polished the blade in a long time and the athletic tape on the hilt was getting threadbare. But the poor little guy was still capable of doing some serious damage. Same with my Glock, which was finally reloaded. I’d even brought along a few extra magazines just in case.
The Bookworms carried small knives that seemed better suited for carving fancy designs in fruit than in flesh. Still, with their speed, these guys could likely find a vulnerable spot before the average Joe could react. And that made them deadly. Whether or not they were willing and able to kill someone was still unknown. Hopefully, we wouldn’t have to find out.
While the gang completed their final preparations, I moved over to Quinn.
“How’s the leg?” I asked softly.
“Pretty good, actually. Jenkins is a master. How’s the shoulder?”
I rolled it. “Better than it should be. You sure you’re okay?”
She placed a hand on mine. “I love that you worry about me.”
I started to respond, but Pip and his crew signaled they were all set. Then Steve.
Quinn gave me a smile. “I’m ready.”
I turned to Steve. “Take us in.”
He nodded and led us deeper into the misty woods of the Smoky Mountains.
At first, travel was relatively easy, our footsteps masked by the soft ground. But as the sky shifted from light to dark gray, the forest became a minefield of trip hazards. I nearly broke my ankle a few times before Quinn’s hand found mine.
“I got you, babe,” she whispered, tugging me forward.
Her ability for Shadow Dancing, to move within the darkness and see like it was daylight, was something I both hated and adored. The latter because it gave her an edge over me, which was extremely sexy. The former because the spell was still considered dark magic and the Council wasn’t known for its forgiveness or understanding.
But with all the recent changes, who knew what would happen down the road?
First, we needed to get over this massive, bloody speed bump.
Clinging to her like a life-preserver, we weaved through the trees toward the Bookworm compound. I stifled a nervous chuckle. In all my years of travel, I’d never visited another species’ home, yet here I was, about to visit my third in several weeks. So far, each encounter had resulted in fleeing for our lives. I prayed that, for once, we didn’t have to face mortal terror.
I kept my senses on high alert as we moved cautiously through the forest. Not only was I straining to listen for any noise that might indicate a patrol, but also reaching out with my Skill for booby traps. I’d been suckered in the past and my lack of caution had cost a man his life. I wasn’t about to risk my friends or my girl.
Inch by agonizingly slow inch, we moved deeper into the black abyss that surrounded us.
In the distance, a low shadowy blob took shape, slowly forming into a long stone wall. Pip halted us just shy of the shoulder-high stack of flat rock, and we crouched. I reached out with my Skill, testing for the barrier that should have been there. I found nothing but cool mountain air.
“Not much of a perimeter, dude,” Steve whispered.
“That’s because your moronic species blew the fuse. This whole mountainside used to be protected.”
Holy crap. To sense a destroyed barrier up close was unnerving. The fact that the Minotaurs had done it not just once, but to three different paranormal species, each with their own unique forms of magical defenses, made me sick to my stomach. Either our enemy knew something the rest of the world didn’t or they were willing to sacrifice enough pawns to accomplish the task. Both possibilities were troubling because, no matter what, some awful tactics were in play and I had no idea how to deal with them.
I squeezed Quinn’s hand. “Can you give us an idea of what it looks like on the other side?”
“Sure. One sec.” She faded into a hazy shadow, virtually disappearing from sight. A moment later she reemerged. “All clear as far as I can tell. No movement. No fires. Nothing.”
Finally, a break. But one that also made my skin crawl. Why hadn’t we seen patrols and where was the occupation force?
I forced my mind back to the mission. “Pip, talk us through this.”
“Once over the wall, the caves will be about a hundred meters to our right. When we reach them, I’ll do a quick recon of the tunnels, then Trixie, Carl and I will lead you all into the library. It’s a friggin’ maze in there, so do not get lost. Also, humans, and certainly Minotaurs at the moment, aren’t allowed inside. Like ever. But these are dire circumstances, so I’m sure our senior librarians won’t mind. Once we convince them you’re not a threat, that is. Lastly, you’re more than welcome to touch stuff, but if you break it, you have to re-transcribe it. Understood?”
“Understood,” I replied with a slight grin. Quinn and Steve echoed their agreement. “And guys,” I added, “just a reminder that until the Trolls show up, anything we run into that isn’t us or a Bookworm dies.”
Everyone agreed.
“Good. Pip, it’s your show.”
“Quietly now,” he said, and jumped to grip the edge of the wall. His little feet kicked, so I grabbed him around his waist and hoisted him on top.
“Thanks,” he whispered and dropped over the side. Steve hauled Carl and Trixie, then the rest of us followed. Quinn and I didn’t have to put much effort into scaling the wall. Steve could almost step over it.
Once safely inside the Bookworm compound, we moved low and quick toward the enormous stone face of the mountain. My breathing was fast and I kept glancing over my shoulders for any signs of the enemy. Thankfully, we reached the cave entrances without incident. Pip disappeared into a crevice, reappearing a second later and giving a thumbs-up to his compatriots. Each Bookworm grabbed one of our hands, then pulled us into the cold stone fissure.
Unlike the woods, which were just an uncomfortable dark, the interior of the caverns was a terror-inducing black. I literally could not see a thing. Not the walls, not the ground, not even Trixie, who was hauling me forward. The inky void pressed against me and the stale air was heavy. It was like the underground river all over again. I fought the panic rising in my chest, swallowing the fear, but rapidly losing grip on my calm.
