Kilenya Series Books 1, 2, and 3

by Andrea Pearson

  Chapter 8. Sonda Lake Tunnels

  After dinner, Mom ushered everyone except the kids—who went to Amberly’s room to play—into the large family room. Dad had insisted on adding it to the house several years back, wanting the extra space for watching movies and basketball games. It made Jacob smile now to think of how exciting America would have been to someone like Dad, who’d never seen an NBA game.

  The movie started. After nearly ten minutes of blankly staring at the TV screen, the only thing Jacob knew was that it was an action film of some sort, shot in New York City.

  He couldn’t stop thinking about his “episode.” Why hallucinations? Or were they closer to visions? Obviously, they weren’t night terrors, as his mom had originally believed. And the fact that he’d seen his family in the past had to mean something.

  He thought back on all the times he could remember it happening—whatever it was. The first instance had been while playing basketball in the orange gym. What had been unique about that situation? He remembered being tired—not having gotten much sleep the night before. Then there was the time when he’d woken up in the middle of the night to get a drink of water—maybe the episodes had something to do with sleep. Maybe his body was kicking him into a freakish sort of REM cycle.

  But what about in the tunnel, when he was fighting the Ember Gods? He hadn’t been sleepy then. Exhausted, yes, but not sleepy. And playing basketball earlier—he’d had plenty of rest the night before.

  Jacob thought everything over. Was it the time of day? His temperature? Was he sick?

  What if it had to do with the amount of danger he was in? Or, more concisely, the intensity of the moment? Fighting the Ember Gods was pretty freaky. And he was always super focused while playing basketball. But no—that time when he’d seen the Indians, he was staring out the window, and it didn’t fit.

  It wasn’t due to location, or what he was wearing, or who he was with. Every episode was different from the others. Jacob sighed in frustration.

  Then he decided to single in on the exact moment when the episodes started. Was there something smaller—much smaller—triggering them? He started with earlier that day, while playing basketball in the driveway with everyone. He’d had sweat in his eyes. He’d blinked to clear them, but couldn’t, so he’d just squinted through the haze.

  Jacob sat up in his chair, feeling like he’d just hit on something important. Was it possible? The episodes had something to do with his eyes? With squinting? Before the first hallucination, he’d been tired—tired eyes don’t operate normally. And while in the tunnel with the Ember Gods, he’d been surrounded by fire and smoke, along with having sweat in his eyes. He had squinted in all of those situations. Then . . . while at the window. No squinting. But his eyes had been out of—

  Jacob jumped from the couch when it hit him. His eyes had been out of focus! He’d been staring through the window, not really seeing what was out there, thinking about something else.

  “Hey! Sit down!”

  He didn’t know who’d said it, but he popped back onto the couch, elation pouring over him. That had to be the trigger! Squinting was only a symptom, or a side effect of trying to get his eyes to focus. He’d figured it out. Yes!

  He took several deep breaths, clearing his mind so he could put the theory to the test, then unfocused his eyes, gazing blankly at the TV. Hallucinate, he thought to himself.

  Nothing happened.

  Something wasn’t right. What, though?

  Jacob chuckled and nearly smacked himself on the forehead when he realized what it was. They weren’t hallucinations, and his body wasn’t going to obey an order it didn’t understand.

  He stared at the TV again, recognizing that the main characters were still in New York City, and unfocused his eyes, this time picturing the location where the movie had been filmed.

  Suddenly he stood on that exact same street. The sun was down already, but the road was still full of people. Everyone was wearing coats, but he didn’t feel the cold.

  “Yeah, I heard,” said a sleek-looking woman with tall boots as she walked past Jacob.

  A plump woman nodded emphatically. “And she’s suing him!”

  The two didn’t even notice him.

  Jacob felt a tight pain in his chest and he gasped, losing concentration. The pain dissipated and the scene changed back to the family room.

  It worked! He’d done it!

  He jumped to his feet. “I’ve figured it out! Turn off the movie! I gotta tell everyone something!”

  Mom switched the lights on, and Jacob felt himself flushing when every eye turned to him. He put his embarrassment aside.

  “What is it, son?” Dad asked after he’d paused the show.

  “I’m not hallucinating! I’m seeing other places and people! They’re real, living people! I was sitting here, on the couch, practicing, and I ended up on that street in New York City!” He pointed at the TV.

  Mom raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure, honey?”

  “Of course! Here, let me tell you what’s going on.” He proceeded to explain his theories, along with the questions he’d considered, finally telling them about putting it to the test.

  “Wow,” the Fat Lady said. She turned to Aldo, who was sitting next to her on the last row of couches. “I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised.”

  Aldo shook his head. “No, but I am, just the same.”

  “What are you talking about?” Jacob asked.

  “What you’ve experienced is Time-Seeing,” the Fat Lady said. “And it’s incredibly rare for humans, which is probably why none of us considered it.”

  Dad nodded, putting his cup down. He was sitting in his usual spot—center row, center of the room. “And this is yet another reason you need to work with the Shiengols as soon as possible. They’re also Time-Seers.”

  Jacob grinned. “Great! I can’t wait!”

  “Okay, so now that you’ve got this really super-freakin’ cool ability,” Matt said, “why don’t you do something awesome with it?”

  “Like what?” Jacob asked.

  “Go see the pyramids!”

  A few heads in the room nodded, and he was surprised to see that even the adults looked interested in hearing the outcome.

  “Okay, I can try.” He cleared his thoughts and took a deep breath, then pictured Egypt in his mind. He looked ahead, unfocused his eyes, and concentrated specifically on the Great Pyramid.

  The family room disappeared, replaced by a night-time glimpse of the pyramids. The scene was brief, and just as fast as it had come, left. Jacob found himself slumped on the couch.

  “Dude, you totally fell.”

  “I know. That didn’t last long. Let me go again.”

  He stood, trying to focus harder. This time he felt like he was actually standing there, in front of the huge pyramid. Wow. The pain in his chest returned, he lost concentration, and zipped back home, falling down again.

  “I’m not very good at it.”

  “That’s fine,” Aldo said. “You’ll have plenty of time to practice.”

  “No, he won’t,” Gallus said from the couch on the left side of the room. “This new ability is an extremely powerful one.” He leaned forward. “Don’t you all see? He could use it to spy on the Lorkon to figure out what their next plan will be. He needs to gain control of it, and fast.”

  Jacob glanced at his mom. How would she respond to that? She bit her lip, grimacing, then took a deep breath. “He’s right.” She pressed her hands against her cheeks, glancing apologetically at Jacob. “Honey, don’t stress yourself, but continue practicing.”

  Jacob nodded, trying to keep from smiling. He couldn’t believe Mom had actually agreed—she was always so overprotective! Being something more than an errand boy with a magical key was going to be great. Not only that, but this ability really did have some cool advantages—if he could figure out how to use them.

  He glanced at Kevin and Aloren. He’d nearly forgotten they were there, sitting nex
t to Aldo and the Fat Lady on the last row. Aloren was leaning back in her chair, hands behind her head. She gave Jacob an encouraging smile. Kevin gawked at him as if he’d turned into a new video game—awe, excitement, and a little nervousness flowing in the air around him. Jacob couldn’t help but chuckle, wondering how long it would take for Kevin to adjust to this new knowledge.

  Long after everyone had left, Jacob stayed in the family room, trying to Time-See. The best he did was to get brief glimpses at places around the world, but he had a lot of fun doing even just that. He could travel without going anywhere! It didn’t take long for him to discover, though, that he felt sick if he didn’t wait at least two minutes between tries. He took advantage of that extra time by pulling out some old encyclopedias and reading up on the places he was visiting.

  During one of his breaks, a question popped into his mind. Before he’d known what this ability was, his body had sent him to some really random places. Why? And what had chosen those locations? Maybe nerve firings in his brain? The tunnel while fighting the Ember Gods had been really hot, and he’d gone to a snowy mountainside—perhaps to cool off? ‘Course, that didn’t really explain all the other places he’d been, but there might not be an answer for those occurrences.

  Around one in the morning, his mom came downstairs and told him to get to bed. “You won’t improve if you over-tire yourself.”

  “That might actually make it easier—”

  Mom shook her head and pointed at the door. She waited for him to leave the room first before turning off the light and shutting the door behind them.

  Jacob pulled himself up the stairs to his room. He’d been so excited to practice that he’d ignored his body, and he was surprised to find that he really was tired. As he fell asleep, he smiled to himself. Today, he’d seen some of the coolest places in the world. Turkey, the Great Wall of China, the Pyramids, the Mediterranean, Hawaii, and he’d even visited ruins from the Incas, Aztecs, and Mayas. It was like using the Key to get anywhere, only this wasn’t illegal or off-limits.

  This was going to be great.

  Jacob’s parents decided that he, Matt, and Aloren would stay home from school Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday the following week to help recruit Wurbies. Jacob couldn’t believe they were actually in favor of that, but, after hearing Gallus’s argument that there weren’t many other people who could help in recruiting, it made sense why they’d say yes. Jacob was the only one who could use the Key, Matt was as strong as an adult—none of the Makalos could keep up in that area—and Aloren knew Dusts really well. Apparently they were very similar to Wurbies.

  Gallus was in charge of the trip, so naturally he was also going, along with Sweet Pea and Akeno. Sweet Pea because he was an experienced fighter, and Akeno because he could knock out creatures, light areas up, and sense living things.

  At a meeting right before leaving, Gallus explained they’d be using Aloren’s Minya, Hazel, to keep them in contact with Taga Village. He went on to say there would be a lot of dangers—getting to Ashay Hills wasn’t an easy thing. “And we’ll most definitely run into Eetu fish.”

  “Really?” Matt asked. “They live out of water, too?”

  Gallus shook his head. “No, but to get to the mountains, we have to go through tunnels that run beneath Sonda Lake.”

  “Why can’t we just walk around?”

  “The water is right up against the mountains, and since there isn’t a gradual slope, it’s impossible to get to the canyons of Ashay Hills by doing that. Onyev and the earlier humans and Makalos built tunnels a very long time ago to provide safe passage.”

  Aloren nodded. “And those tunnels will be . . . let’s just say, interesting. I’ve only been to the mouths of them—too creepy.”

  Gallus turned to Akeno. “Your father made more doors, correct?”

  Akeno lifted his bag. “Thirty, at least. We’ll be very well prepared.”

  “Good. Let’s get going. Make sure you have everything you need. We’ll stop by my shop to pick up extra supplies, then head to the castle.”

  Jacob and Matt had already packed their backpacks full of jerky, bread, a couple types of cheese, bacon, flashlights with extra batteries, matches, and anything else they thought they’d need.

  They hefted their bags to their shoulders and Jacob Keyed everyone to the shop in Macaria, ignoring as Matt playfully shoved Aloren, calling her “sis.”

  Gallus didn’t show them what he collected from his shop shelves, but Jacob assumed it had something to do with bribing the Wurbies.

  When they got to the castle, Aloren led them to a different section, away from where Jacob had been last time. She crept around corners, keeping a lookout for Dusts and other dangerous creatures, finally leading them to a large door. It was locked, and Jacob used the Key to open it. On the other side was a set of dark, rickety stairs. Gallus went first, leading the way, and Jacob and Matt took up the rear.

  “My sister is freakin’ cool,” Matt whispered to Jacob.

  Jacob chuckled. “Yeah, she is.”

  “It’s ‘cause we’re related, you know.”

  “Whatever.”

  The group descended several stairs—at least 200. Jacob counted them until Sweet Pea broke through one of the steps and nearly fell. It was so dark, Jacob could barely see the hole the Makalo had created, and he stopped counting so he could concentrate better.

  They finally reached the bottom. The air was musty, damp, and stale, and smelled of something Jacob didn’t recognize. Something almost animal.

  Gallus lit a torch and instructed Akeno and Sweet Pea to light their fingers, and Jacob and Matt turned on their flashlights. Jacob strained to see ahead of Gallus, expecting a long expanse of passageway, but frowned when he saw that the way was rough-hewn and rocky—nothing like any of the tunnels he’d been in previously.

  Gallus turned to face everyone. “From here on, things will be very dangerous. We’re under the lake now, so don’t touch the water or walls—even with your shoes—and do your best not to touch the ceiling. Most everything is moist, and we won’t know which water belongs to an Eetu fish without finding out the hard way.”

  The group nodded.

  “We’ll be fine as long as we’re careful.” He turned to go, then looked back. “Eetu fish aren’t the only pests that live around these tunnels. Keep that in mind.”

  “What else is here?” Matt asked.

  Gallus tilted his head to the side and pursed his lips. “Critters—rats and such.”

  “Great,” Matt grumbled.

  They started slowly, then gradually picked up speed as the individual members of the group adjusted to the rough passage. Parts of the tunnel had broken away, revealing incredible depths of water—sometimes clear, sometimes dark and murky. Even in the clear waters, Jacob couldn’t see the bottom.

  “How deep in the lake are we?” he asked.

  “Several hundred feet by now,” Gallus called back.

  Jacob pulled himself past a big rock in the middle of the way. “How is the tunnel not overflowing with water?”

  “Magic,” Gallus said. “It was built to be a passage, and a passage it will be.”

  Jacob nodded to himself. Makalo magic certainly was strong. How much of this sort of thing would Akeno would be able to do, once he figured out his abilities?

  He paused while Sweet Pea clambered up a huge rock, then grabbed the Makalo’s offered hand and pulled himself up. His shoes slipped on the mucky rock beneath him, and he nearly fell against the wet stone.

  The boys froze.

  Nothing happened.

  “That was close,” Sweet Pea said.

  Jacob nodded and turned to help Matt up.

  During a particularly difficult section, Matt muttered. Jacob chuckled, listening to his older brother.

  “They call this a tunnel? Ridiculous. I’ve seen much better ones before. Heck, I’ve made ‘em better than this. And how did the rock get here, anyway?”

  “The rock isn’t suspen
ded, you know,” Gallus said. Apparently, Jacob wasn’t the only one listening to Matt. “Yes, there’s water below us, but this entire thing is attached to an overhang on the left. Above and to the right is water.”

  Matt sighed in frustration. “How much longer until the end?”

  “No idea.” Gallus grunted in exertion. “Don’t expect it to be soon.”

  The group fell silent again. Jacob’s hands got raw from grabbing the rougher sections of rock.

  He jumped when Aloren’s scream slashed the air, followed by a splash of water. He and Matt scrambled to catch up to her. She’d fallen into a puddle about a foot deep. Gallus and Matt pulled her out of the water, then the group ran forward—climbing and crawling over the rock.

  “Hurry, everyone!” Gallus called back. “If there was Eetu in that water, we need to increase the distance as much as possible.”

  But after a while it became apparent that nothing was chasing them, and they eventually slowed down. Gallus decided they needed to take a break, and he wrapped a blanket around Aloren’s shoulders. Her face was white and she trembled, her teeth chattering. The air around her showed she was afraid—very afraid. Jacob didn’t blame her. Matt approached and offered her his hoodie. She declined, saying he needed it, and Matt put his arm around her instead.

  Jacob watched, helpless, wishing he could also do something to comfort her. He patted her on the shoulder, then ran his fingers through his hair.

  It wasn’t as cold down here as he’d expected. Maybe the Makalos had also set up a magical heating system. When Aloren had calmed down and everyone had the opportunity to eat, Gallus said it was time to start up again.

  The next person who touched water was Jacob, and the group went through the same thing again, rushing forward as fast as possible, then taking a break when it was apparent nothing was following.

  Matt flicked his flashlight on and off several times. “How do we know Aloren and Jacob didn’t actually touch Eetu water? What if the Eetu are underneath us right now, waiting to attack?”

  “If that were the case, we’d know. Eetu are incredibly fast and strong, and aren’t conniving. They don’t wait for the perfect moment to attack—they go in for the easy kill. Their strength and immunity protect them while they do it.”

  “Can we please not talk about this?” Aloren asked.

  Jacob put his hands in his pockets. He thought it was fascinating, but could see why she wouldn’t.

  Something to the left of him scurried and he sprang from the ground, backing up against the other side of the tunnel. “What was that?”

  “Where?” Matt asked.

  Jacob pointed. “It was white and a foot long.”

  A movement at his side caught his attention. The biggest rat he’d ever seen clung to the wall right by his head. Where did it come from?

  Its eyes were milky white, its body slimy and sleek. And hairless. Completely hairless. Jacob backed slowly away, then jumped when the rat leaped for him, landing on his chest. He freaked out, wiping at his shirt, trying to brush the thing off. The little beast clung tight, then squirmed, attempting to burrow itself in his jacket.

  “Get off me!”

  Finally, he grabbed the rat around the midsection. He almost dropped it when his brain registered the texture of the rat’s skin—like a wet mushroom. It took some pulling, but he finally ripped its claws free and threw it away from him. He couldn’t help the impulse to wipe his hands off. The feeling of a squirmy, hairless rat was too much.

  Jacob cringed, wishing he could rid himself of the sensation. He was hit by memories of being in another passage far away, full of lifeless people. He rubbed his hands on his pant legs over and over again.

  He turned to ask why no one had helped him and saw that they were all fighting to get rats off of themselves. The rodents were everywhere—jumping onto the group, climbing up legs, and scurrying around.

  “Get moving, everyone!” Gallus called.

  They bolted forward, shaking off rats as they went. It didn’t take much to discourage the beasts from following, and after a moment, the group reached another wet section. The rats didn’t pursue.

  “Why did they attack us?” Matt asked.

  “I suspect they were going for our clothing,” Gallus said. “They don’t find much material for nesting down here.”

  Aloren grimaced, curling her lip. “They’re disgusting.”

  Jacob had to agree.

  “Why couldn’t Jacob just Key us into the Wurby village?” Matt asked.

  “Because that isn’t polite,” Gallus said. “You don’t just barge into people’s homes without getting permission from them first, especially when no one has talked to them in years and you want them on your side.”

  The group fell silent. They were passing over a part that had many holes, and they had to be careful. At one point, Jacob’s heart nearly stopped beating when, while he hung over a huge gash in the stone, he saw a large, dark creature pass directly under him. He could’ve sworn it looked up at him and smiled. Could fish smile?

  “We shouldn’t be far from the end now,” Gallus said.

  Somewhere along the way, Matt had passed Jacob, and Jacob ended up in the back of the group. He didn’t mind—he just made sure to be extra cautious. The idea that they were almost to the end of the tunnel made him get goose bumps. He couldn’t wait to feel the sun again. It had been at least two hours since they’d last been out in the open.

  He rushed forward, going as quickly as he could, shimmying underneath a large overhang of rock. Once on the other side, he pulled himself up, trying to reach Matt.

  Jacob was crawling across another hole when he misjudged his foot placement and slipped. Crying out, he grabbed at the rock all around him, attempting to stop his fall. He hit his head against the stone, scraped his hands and elbows, and knocked his knee really hard.

  With a splash, he plunged into the dark water below him, wind whooshing out of his lungs. It was so cold! He panicked, flinging himself around. Which way was up? His foot kicked something in the water—something that wasn’t rock. Something fleshy. He splashed around even harder, his fingers finally brushing the stone above him.

  Hands grabbed him, pulling him out of the water. Matt and Sweet Pea.

  He spluttered, coughing and gagging for air, doing his best to increase the distance between himself and the water. His lungs felt like they were on fire, and it was all he could do to control the spasms as his body expelled liquid from his airways.

  “Hurry, Jacob!” Gallus called. “That may have been Eetu water!”

  Jacob nodded, jumping to his feet.

  Then Matt screamed, and without thinking, Jacob looked back.

  The most awful, frightening thing he’d ever seen peered at him from the water. Spikes protruded from the sides of its narrow face. Gills lined a thick neck. Before he could do anything, a pale, webbed hand flashed forward and gripped his leg. Beady eyes intelligently bore into his, and the colors for determination flowed in the air around the creature.

  Jacob tried to jerk away, but the grip was too tight. The Eetu fish shrieked. It opened its fleshy jaws wide and lunged toward him, holding his leg in place. Thousands of teeth lined three rows inside its mouth. Jacob screamed, yanking his leg as hard as he could, scrambling to get away.

  Just then, Gallus jumped down, swung his sword, and struck the fish’s arm. It shrilled loudly and dropped Jacob’s leg, but didn’t appear damaged. It jumped forward again. Gallus was ready. He struck the creature over and over again with his sword, but the fish ignored him.

  Oh, crap.

  Gallus pulled Jacob to his feet and flung him up toward Akeno and Aloren. Matt scrambled to help, and he and Jacob managed to get over a ledge to stand near the Makalos and Aloren.

  Sweet Pea, Aloren, and Akeno pulled out their weapons, joining Gallus in the fight against the Eetu fish.

  Jacob and Matt watched, their mouths open. The Eetu moved so quickly, Jacob could barely focus on it. It lung
ed through openings, trying to get to him, completely ignoring the people who were battering it. Its scales must’ve been made from something nearly indestructible.

  Jacob caught a brief glimpse of the eyes again. They were cold and green, staring into his with an amazing intelligence. It knew what it wanted. Almost mesmerized, Jacob didn’t hear Gallus until Matt shook him.

  “Jacob!”

  He blinked, looking at Gallus.

  “Run!” the black man hollered. “Matt, Akeno, go with him!”

  “But—” Jacob started.

  “We’re not in danger. Jacob, it only wants you! Go! I’ll alert the Makalos you’re on your way.”

  Jacob’s mind cleared, and just as if he were back on the court at school, he jumped into action.

  “Come on!” he called to Matt and Akeno.

  They dashed forward, guided only by the light of Akeno’s finger. Matt and Jacob had both lost their flashlights—Jacob’s was probably somewhere at the bottom of Sonda Lake.

  They raced down the tunnel—scrambling past boulders and cracks in the rock like someone competing in the Olympics. Jacob winced when his wet clothes started chaffing. He forced the discomfort out of his mind, concentrating only on avoiding the water. No sense in having more than one Eetu try to kill him.

  They hadn’t been far from the end, and Jacob nearly collided with a metal ladder when he got there. He skidded to a halt and started climbing.

  Inhuman shrieking and the sound of clanging swords from behind sent Jacob’s hands and feet into frantic motion, and he climbed even more quickly. Akeno and Matt followed him.

  His hands had been bruised and scraped from the rocks before, but now the pain in his hands tripled as he clung to coarse metal. The space around the ladder hadn’t been chopped away very well, and several times Jacob scraped against the walls. He’d probably have scars.

  A distant screaming reached his ears, and he recognized Gallus’s voice. “Hurry, boys! It’s heading your way!”

  Oh, no! Jacob's legs cramped up and he lost his footing, swinging into Akeno. The Makalo nearly fell off the ladder, but Jacob saw Matt grab him and pull him up.

  Must climb faster. Jacob counted rungs, but stopped somewhere around 448. They had to have gone up fourteen or fifteen stories by then.

  He felt it when the Eetu fish reached the ladder. A clang vibrated painfully in his hands and he almost slipped again. The fish shrieked beneath them, and the ladder vibrated even more when the thing started climbing. Jacob pushed himself harder, wishing Hazel could come give him extra strength. He didn’t have the energy or ability to call her, though.

  Finally, long after his hands had begun bleeding, Jacob reached the top. He pushed on the ceiling above him, sliding a slab of stone out of the way. Why couldn’t it have been a door? He would have used the Key to get them out of there faster.

  He jumped through, then pulled out Akeno and Matt. He and Matt dragged the stone back into place, realizing it wouldn’t do much good, but needing something to focus on while Akeno enlarged a door.

  “Ready,” Akeno said.

  The door was barely three feet tall, but that was plenty for Jacob. He dashed forward, pulled the Key from his pocket with some difficulty, and thrust it into the lock that appeared. Turning it to the left, he said, “Akeno’s house.”

  Jacob pushed Akeno and Matt through ahead of him, then stepped across the threshold, turning in time to see the stone barrier fly away from the hole and the Eetu fish jump out. Jacob slammed the door shut right when the Eetu lunged for him, landing just two feet away. It screamed—an awful mix of a human scream and the sound an animal makes when it is in a great deal of pain.

  The shriek was cut off when Jacob closed the portal, but he propped himself against the door just in case the link was still live. Nothing happened.

  He slid to the floor, breathing so heavily he felt his lungs would burst. Ebony rushed over from where she and Kenji had been sitting at the table, Kenji following. They were both shaking.

  Ebony pulled Jacob to his feet, throwing her arms around him. “We didn’t know which door you’d go through, so we’ve been waiting near all those we thought you’d try. Your mom is at your house, Jaegar is waiting by the tree, and the Fat Lady at her place. Gallus and the others will be fine in the tunnel, so long as they don’t touch water.” She quieted long enough to notice the shape the boys were in. “And look at your hands! Thank goodness you came here—let’s get you fixed up.”

  “I’ll grab a Kaede Sap package,” Kenji said, leaving his wife’s side.

  Ebony got to work instantly, assessing the damage. “Broken fingers. You all have at least one broken finger. How’d you manage that?”

  “Ladder,” Matt said, still gasping for air. “My back—scratched up. Can you fix it?”

  “Yes, of course. We’ll get you all in good health.”

  Jacob inspected his arms while Ebony and Kenji mixed the sap. The index and ring fingers on his right hand were bent at weird angles. How’d he not notice the pain? ‘Course, he was completely numb from the elbow down. His fingers were purple and blue with blood oozing from multiple scratches and other places where the skin had worn through. They’d never been this bad before.

  Ebony had them sit at the table then started on Akeno first, working quickly. “Lucky for all of you, we won’t have to set the bones. Kaede Sap puts everything back into its proper form without much assistance.”

  Jacob relaxed against the chair when she worked on him.

  “Hands first, then everything else later. Matt and Jacob, I’ll have you go into a private room. Inspect each other and let me know what needs to be healed.”

  Jacob nodded. Ebony went on to Matt, and Jacob looked at the white cloth strapped to his hands, glad to have the bruises and scratches covered. They’d been so gross.

  Kenji looked out the window. “If they find more water to replenish themselves, Eetu fish can track the scent of their water for twenty-four hours.” He turned back to the room. “I’ll have Early keep an eye on it. She can alert us if it gets close.”

  Jacob didn’t want to hold on to the hope that the Eetu wouldn’t find water on its way to him.

  Ebony showed Jacob and Matt to a room. Luckily, only their backs were really bad, but they had a couple of minor scratches and bruises on their knees and shins, too. She insisted on fixing everything.

  After half an hour, all three boys were at the table, attempting to eat soup. Their bandaged hands made it interesting.

  Hazel flitted into the room, heading straight to Jacob. “Gallus says to send Akeno. The Eetu fish returned to the tunnel and jumped into the water, so we will be safe to continue, but we need Akeno to help set up doors.”

  Jacob nodded. It would only take a couple of seconds to Key Akeno back. And perhaps doing so would confuse the Eetu fish, buying Jacob more time. He and the other two packed up their things and Jacob created the link.

  Gallus waited. He stepped to the side to let Matt and Akeno through, then spoke to Jacob. “Taga Village isn’t far enough away. The Eetu fish won’t take very long to get there. Their magic is related to that of the Minyas—it finds the shortest, fastest distance to their prey as possible, and they run much faster than humans do—”

  With a flash, Early appeared next to Jacob. “It’s coming! Now! It’s coming!”

  Jacob slammed the door shut right as warning bells sounded over Taga Village. He looked at Ebony in shock—it had only been thirty minutes! How on earth did the fish get there that fast?

  Kenji burst through the front door, making Jacob jump.

  “The Eetu is almost to the entrance! It’ll be able to break through your magic, Jacob! Go, quickly! To the Fat Lady’s!”

  Jacob grabbed his coat and bag and Keyed himself to her cabin. He slammed the door behind him, the sound of the bells in Taga cutting off as he did.

  “Who’s there?” the Fat Lady called. She rambled into view from down the hall. “Jacob. I figured it was you. You’re
the only one who has access without my password.”

  “Got a fish on my tail.”

  She nodded. “Those things are fast. Where are you headed next?”

  “I’m thinking somewhere in my country.”

  “Be careful—there are many, many links between the different worlds accessible only to Eetus. Don’t get comfortable in one spot for too long.”

  Jacob sighed in exasperation. How was he supposed to do that when he was absolutely exhausted? “That’s not encouraging.”

  Early flashed next to him. “It’ll be here in fifteen minutes.”

  “You’ve got Early—good. Keep her with you.”

  Jacob still held the Key in his bandaged hands. The numbness was wearing off and they were throbbing. He needed sleep, but wasn’t sure when or how he’d get it. The sap wouldn’t fully heal him until he had some. He put the Key into the Fat Lady’s lock, glad it was attached to his pants with a chain.

  “Guess I’d better get going.”

  “Guess so.”

  He said goodbye, then Keyed himself to the first place that entered his mind—New York City.