Malik was suddenly tripping over himself grabbing at books scattered throughout the side tables and floor. He thrust several at Cannac’s face, their pages opened to spells that he’d been studying.
“What does this one do?” he asked. “I cannot ascertain its function from context alone, and it’s driven me mad.”
Cannac looked pleasantly intrigued, and he detailed the spell, one for granting wishes in a mental, imaginary form. Tommy listened to them talk while standing awkwardly in the center of the room. Just like that, Tommy felt like he ceased to exist. Was that it? He’d been gone several days, his life in danger, and after a brief greeting, Malik had turned his focus to other matters?
“I need to leave,” Tommy interrupted. “I need to make sure Devin and Adria are safe.”
“Of course, of course,” Malik said. His hand raced over the lines in one of the tomes he held. He didn’t even bother to look Tommy’s way when he answered. “Go on. We’ll be fine here. So Cannac, the initial declaration of Gloam at a spell’s initiation, is this necessary for all spells, or only ones with significant power requirements?”
Tommy hurried out the door, berating himself even as he hurt. Well, what had he expected from his mentor? A kiss and a welcome-back snuggle? Malik had made clear their relationship, and Tommy felt stupid for hoping for something more to emerge.
“Are you all right, Tommy?” Tesmarie asked as he closed the tower door behind him. Immediately the dreamlike feeling of the tower faded. The cold, dreary reality of Londheim greeted him with the gentleness of a brick to the face.
“Huh? Oh. Yes, I’m fine. Really.” He wiped at his eyes, then smiled up at the faery. “Come on, I bet Devin’s been just flabbergasted without us around to solve his problems, so let’s hurry along!”
It was late afternoon by the time Tommy knocked on his brother-in-law’s door, but already the city was hunkered down as if to weather a terrible storm. Several times Tesmarie pointed to a man or woman hurrying down the street, insisting something was significantly wrong with them, but Tommy saw no difference between them and any other random passerby. Still, it put a chill into his bones that could not be explained by the biting wind, and he stomped his feet impatiently as he waited. The boards nailed over the lower floor windows of the houses on either side of Devin’s didn’t help, either.
“Yes?” Devin said when he flung the door open. A half second later he realized who had come, and a smile spread across his tired face from ear to ear. He wrapped Tommy in a warm hug. “You’re back.”
“I’ve got about ten stories to tell when we have the time,” Tommy said. “But from what I gather, you’ve got a few to tell yourself.”
His smile flickered but a moment before returning.
“You could say that.” He smiled to Tesmarie. “Did you make sure Tommy behaved while he was gone?”
“As well as one my size could,” she said. A soft buzz of her wings catapulted her from Tommy’s shoulder to Devin’s, and she planted a kiss on his cheek. “I’m happy to be home.”
They stepped inside from the cold. Jacaranda sat on the couch facing the fire, and her smile was a salve to Tommy’s wriggling nerves. He approached for a hug, and when Puffy flickered from the hearth in greeting, he waved back. The pleasantries didn’t last long. Tommy sat on the couch, and he brought up the bizarre curse that had besieged the city in his absence.
“Malik told me a little bit about what’s going on,” he said. “I was hoping you could fill me in about the rest. Something about insane cannibals attacking at night?”
“That’s one way to put it,” Devin said. His easy smile faded into nothing. “This is gruesome stuff, Tommy, but I’ll do my best to explain.”
Tommy listened in horror as Devin described the nighttime attacks. It sounded too macabre to be real. People attacking others to eat them? What in the world was going on?
“It happens only at night?” Tesmarie asked. She sat upon Devin’s shoulder, a look of worry etched onto her onyx face.
“Seems so,” Devin said. “The moment the sun rises, the attacks stop. Guards have captured men and women suffering the same deranged symptoms, and when daylight comes, they immediately collapse into a deep sleep. If they’re forced awake, they remember nothing of the previous night. It’s baffling.”
“No,” Tesmarie said. “Not baffling. I—I think I know what is happening to them.”
Devin bolted upright in his chair.
“You do? How? What is going on?”
Tesmarie fluttered to the center of the room so she could address them all.
“Tommy, do you remember that mushroom I gave you so you didn’t need to sleep while we looked for Adria?”
“Sure, the timeshroom,” he said. It’d been the weirdest thing when he ate it. Tesmarie had told him to lie down as if to nap, and though he felt like he’d slept for a full night’s rest, he’d been keenly aware that the sleep happened during a single blink of his eyelids.
“They’re called chronimi mushrooms,” she gently corrected. “They were meant as a gift to humans to remove their need for sleep.”
“Remove it how?” Devin asked.
“By… um, how do I put this? By making the person momentarily unstuck in time so they could sleep for a full eight hours or so, but to everyone else, it’d appear they slept only a moment. Does that make any sense?”
“I think so,” Tommy said. “When I ate the time… chronimi, it felt like hours of sleep passed in the blink of an eye.”
“This is fascinating,” Jacaranda said. “But Tommy didn’t become a maniac and attempt to eat all of us. How does this explain what’s happening to Londheim?”
“That’s because he wasn’t allergic,” Tesmarie said. “Some people are extremely susceptible to the mushroom’s effects, and it causes everything to go wrong. They still become unstuck, but they don’t sleep. Hours pass for their bodies, but they get no rest. Worse, it happens continuously, and at random amounts and lengths.”
“They’re sleep deprived,” Tommy blurted out. His excitement had him leaping off the couch, and he sheepishly sat back down before continuing. “If they’re experiencing hours, and even days, in the blink of an eye without rest and without food, it must take its toll on their bodies and minds. I’ve read about the effects of extreme sleep deprivation. It can get quite ugly.”
“But why eat people?” Jacaranda asked.
“Are they eating only people?” Tesmarie asked.
“No, they’re not,” Devin said. He frowned in thought. “They’ve broken into bakeries and stores searching for food. They’re always hungry, though, and if their mind finally cracks under the strain…”
“They go for whatever food they can find,” Jacaranda finished. She shivered. “These poor people. I wonder if they’re even aware of what’s going on around them. It sounds awful. But why does it only affect them at night? And why isn’t everyone else having a normal reaction to this mushroom?”
Tesmarie shrugged.
“You must not be getting enough of the mushroom to notice. As for when, the chronimi was designed to activate upon nightfall and then disperse from the body upon morning in an attempt to prevent, well, what’s happening right now. Once daylight touches their bodies, the activated spores destroy themselves, which is why those suffering can finally sleep. Only activated spores, though. Newly ingested ones will wait until nightfall. Somehow, the people of Londheim must be continuously taking in low amounts of the chronimi.”
Now it was Devin’s turn to rise from his chair. He hurried to the door and began strapping on his thick belt for his sword and pistol.
“Tes, I think you’ve changed everything,” he said. “All of you, come with me. We’ve work to do.”
Adria’s room was a small fit, but everyone did their best to cram inside. The firekin hopped into the fireplace and settled in, its warmth welcome in the cold room.
“I—I didn’t know what to do,” Adria said. She leaned against the wall, her porcelain mask h
eld in her hands. Her eyes were red, from tears or exhaustion, Tommy couldn’t tell. “It’s daytime now, so she should be safe, but…”
Her voice trailed off. Tommy grabbed her hand and squeezed it.
“I’m sure you did the right thing,” he said. “Trust Tes to fix it, all right?”
“That’s right,” Tesmarie said, trying to sound chipper. “Everything’s fine. I’ll make her better, I promise!”
Faithkeeper Sena sat perfectly still upon Adria’s bed. Her hands rested on her lap, and her eyes gazed into nothing. It was the calm look of a soulless, for hovering in the air beside her was the pure white shimmering star that was her own soul. Adria had removed it the night before, rendering Sena’s newly soulless body unwilling to act on any of its impulses.
“It won’t take but a moment,” Tesmarie added as she landed atop Sena’s shoulder and pressed her hands upon the dark skin of her neck. The faery’s eyes closed, and she murmured something quietly. A few seconds later she buzzed back into the air and let out a long, satisfied sigh.
“Her time’s properly set now, promise,” she said. “You can, um, give her back her soul.”
Adria beckoned the soul back into her body with a simple gesture of her hand. The gleaming orb sank through Sena’s forehead, darkening the room in its absence. For a long moment it seemed all there held their breath, and then Sena gasped in air.
“Adria?” she murmured, but her eyelids were so heavy. Her body slumped to the side, sleep immediately overtaking her. Tommy smiled, thrilled to see the cure worked.
“See, I told you to trust her,” he said, clasping Adria’s hand in his. His sister-in-law joined Sena on the bed, and finally the long-held tears broke free. Adria wept with relief over her friend, planting several kisses on her forehead before closing her eyes and recollecting herself. The intimate moment left Tommy feeling uneasy, and he turned to give them privacy. Devin snapped his fingers to grab his attention and beckoned him to the door.
“This changes everything,” Devin said, keeping his voice low. “We know the cause of this plague, which means we know how to end it. These mushrooms, where do they grow?”
“Somewhere always wet and dark,” Tesmarie said, having flown back over to sit atop Tommy’s shoulder. “I found the one I gave Tommy growing in a little tunnel you humans built near the river.”
“An underground tunnel,” Tommy said. “The timeshrooms must be growing in the water. That’s how it’s affecting everyone all across the city! If we figure out where is being hit the worst, then we can narrow our search down.”
“Southeast Londheim,” Devin said. “Low Dock in particular.”
“Where does Low Dock get its water?” Tesmarie asked.
“An underground cistern. The chronimi mushrooms must be growing down there, and their spores are entering the water. It’s the only explanation that works. If we find them, and destroy them, we’ll save all of Londheim.”
“Destroying the mushrooms will prevent another attack from happening tomorrow,” Jacaranda said. “But it won’t help those suffering tonight. It’s already in their blood.”
“I can help the people who are reacting poorly,” Tesmarie offered. “If someone can keep them still and from eating me, that is.”
“Then we split in two groups,” Devin said. “Jacaranda and I will check the cistern. Tommy, you and Tesmarie will patrol Low Dock for people suffering the effects of a chronimi.” A burst of fire from Adria’s fireplace caused Devin to quickly reassess. “Sorry, Jacaranda, Puffy, and I will check the cistern. Sound good?”
“Sure,” Tesmarie said. She gave Tommy a worried smile. “Are you ready to keep me safe as I do my magic?”
Tommy gulped down a giant knot of worry.
“Sure,” he said, his voice cracking. “Using my magic to hold crazy time-unstuck sleep-deprived ravenous cannibals at bay so you can cure them? I’ve never felt more confident in my entire life.”
CHAPTER 10
Before heading underground, Devin needed to address one detail that brought him to the steps of Anwyn’s Gate outside the cathedral.
“Ready to kick more ass tonight?” Lyssa asked Devin as he approached. The sun had begun its descent, and it painted an orange hue across the old stone of the city.
“I actually need to talk to you about that,” he said. Several other Soulkeepers lingered nearby, and he gestured for her to walk with him. Once they were at the very bottom step, he lowered his voice to just above a whisper. “I won’t be accompanying you tonight, but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t mention this to Vikar Forrest.”
Her left eyebrow arced high up into her forehead.
“Explanation, please?”
Devin debated for the twelfth time whether or not to tell Lyssa his plan. She was a skilled shot, and had proven herself capable of thinking on her feet over the past weeks. How might she react to Puffy’s existence? And what of Jacaranda? Would Lyssa keep silent if she noticed the chains tattooed across her throat? He wanted to believe her trustworthy, but he dealt with matters that allowed no margin of error.
“I think I’ve discovered the reason for the nightly attacks,” he said. “If I’m right, tonight should be the last time we deal with this threat.”
“What? Devin, that’s great! Where is it? How can I help?”
This was his chance. All he had to do was ask her along…
“I can’t say. I’m sorry. You’ll have to trust me.”
He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t risk Jacaranda’s safety. All they were doing was clearing out some mushrooms underneath the city. There was no need for the risk.
Lyssa stepped back, and she shoved her hands into the pockets of her coat.
“Sure,” she said. There was no hiding the upset in her voice. “I trust you, Devin. Good luck with… whatever it is you’re doing. Don’t worry about me. I’ll find a squad of city guards to patrol with instead.”
She trotted up the steps without another word. Devin sighed. Had he made the right choice? Only the Goddesses knew at this point, but the one thing he did know was that Lyssa was hurt by his lack of trust. Damn it all, what he’d give for Jacaranda’s condition to be known and understood by the church. She was a miracle, and yet he had to keep her hidden like a criminal.
Jacaranda waited for him two blocks south of the cathedral, short sword in one hand and a blazing torch in the other for Puffy to travel upon.
“Everything good?” she asked.
“As well as can be expected,” he said. “Come on. The cistern entrance is a good half mile from here, and I’d like to be down there before the sun sets.”
From what information Tommy had gleaned from the Wise tower as they prepared for their excursion, the underground cistern should be a small room about the size of a house, with several cramped tunnels leading to multiple wells throughout Low Dock and the neighboring Tradeway District. So far as Tommy knew, it was the only cistern in Londheim, with the rest of the city using wells dug deep into the soil.
The moment Devin stepped off the ladder into one of those tunnels, he knew Tommy’s information was woefully incorrect.
“Where are we?” Jacaranda asked as she quickly followed. “Are you sure this is it?”
The entrance had been a small shed with a broken lock that covered a hole in the ground. A metal ladder was bolted into the stone at the top, and it’d rattled from their weight. The shoddy work seemed completely opposite to the grand sight before him. The tunnel was fifteen feet across, with stone walkways on either side. Between them flowed a veritable river of water. There were no bricks, no chip marks, no signs of any working of the stone to create the arched ceiling above them and the perfectly smooth walkways below. It was as if the stone had simply formed into such a shape. Mushrooms grew in four strict, unending lines across the ceiling, their heads glowing a bright cyan so that they had no need for Puffy’s light.
“Humans didn’t build this,” Devin said as he leaned closer to the wall. It wasn’t perfectly flat as he�
��d first thought. Little grooves ran throughout the stone, curling and rolling like waves of the Gentle Ocean. Carved figures decorated with sapphires danced amid the waves, strikingly similar in appearance to Puffy when it ran about on two legs. Devin had expected the tunnel to be cramped and smell of mold. Instead the roof was at least five feet above his head, well lit, and if he inhaled strongly enough, he caught the scent of open fields.
“How could something like this go unnoticed for so long?” Jacaranda asked.
“Maybe it changed when the old world returned,” Devin said. “Or maybe it’s always been like this and our eyes could not see it.”
Puffy elongated to see better and glanced in both directions, then pointed.
“Follow the firekin’s lead,” Devin said.
Tesmarie had described the chronimi as resembling the cabbage-shaped sheepshead mushrooms, only instead of a light brown, they were stark white. Devin kept an eye on the water as they walked alongside it. A layer of deep green moss completely covered the walls where the water flowed.
“This feels like it was built for a reason,” Jacaranda whispered as they walked. Something about the tunnel and its bluish glow lent it a somber air. “And it wasn’t as a cistern.”
“Not at first anyway,” Devin agreed.
They followed the tunnel for several minutes, traveling upstream to the river that flowed beside them. It contained few curves or turns, and Devin did his best to map their progress in his head compared to the above ground. They were steadily traveling away from the Septen River and toward Tradeway. Twice they passed ladders he was tempted to climb. Where did they exit? Were they forgotten like so much else from centuries ago was forgotten, buried beneath a sheen of illusion by the hands of the Sisters?
Splashing up ahead pulled Devin from his thoughts. He readied his sword and pistol, fearful of what monster might emerge from the water’s flow. Jacaranda lowered to a crouch. Puffy shook its arms to grab their attention from atop the torch.
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