by Brandon Mull
“I couldn’t show weakness,” Jace said. “If I was going to stand up to him, I had to go for the throat. How would you have handled it?”
Cole sighed. “You saw how I handled it.”
“You would have taken it?” Jace asked.
“Yeah, until Baldy crossed the line, I would have taken it. I did take it.”
The autocoach came to a halt. “Would you like to investigate whether this is the desired destination?” Bertram asked.
“In a second,” Jace said, sizing up Cole. “Twitch can spot the exits. Cole can take the insults. I’ll keep us alive.”
“Cole has saved my life more than once,” Mira said, fire in her tone. “Not just the cyclops. Remember when he came into the common room with his bow? That was the time to act.”
“I didn’t see any arrows in the legionnaires running to get you,” Jace said. “I forget, who took them out?”
“I’m not saying you didn’t help,” Mira said. “I’m saying Cole came to my rescue first. Don’t insult the only people on your side. You could learn a lot from Cole.”
Cole cringed inside. He knew Mira was trying to help, just as he knew she was making it worse.
“Good to know,” Jace said. “I was wondering who I could study for some pointers.”
“One of my secrets is watching for walls,” Cole said, trying to lighten the mood.
Jace smiled knowingly. “Another is staying in the auto-coach when it’s about to be destroyed.”
The truth of it felt like a stab to the gut. “You’re right. I froze.”
“It happens,” Jace said. “Usually it gets you killed.”
“Stop it!” Mira said. “Seriously.”
“It’s okay,” Cole said, angry now. Obviously, Jace didn’t want to pull any punches. “Jace probably saved my life back there. He can teach me a lot. What’s your secret? Practice? Reflexes? True love?”
Jace looked so stunned and terrified that Cole almost regretted the words. Almost.
Twitch laughed really hard. “You guys are hilarious!” Cole could tell it was forced. “We’ve come a really long way to talk to this herb lady. We’re outside her door. And all we can do is squabble.”
“He has a point,” Mira said.
“Of course I do!” Twitch said. “I’m part bug. We have instincts about these things. We all have plenty to think about. If we keep talking, it’ll just get mean. Let’s go see what we can learn.”
“Fine with me,” Jace said. Only a little worry lingered in his glance at Cole. “I’ve never been more bored.”
Cole wanted to get in one more dig, but resisted. “Let me see if I have this straight. When dinosaurs attack the coach, don’t stay inside.”
Jace smirked. “That’s the idea. And I’m not supposed to dump soup on people unless it’s absolutely necessary.” He opened the door and got out of the coach.
“We all learned something,” Twitch said, following.
“Like not to mock Cole,” Mira said privately, with a little smile.
Cole thought she had missed his reference to Jace’s feelings. The ease of her comment hinted she was aware of his crush. It took everything he had to erase his smile as he stepped down from the autocoach.
A wall of fitted stones draped with ivy blocked any view of the cottage until they reached a wrought-iron gate. Testing it, Mira found the gate unlocked. A gravel path bordered by white pebbles led from the gate to a tidy wooden cottage. To either side of the path, plants grew in rich soil, occasionally divided by lesser paths and weathered wooden beams.
Elaborate carvings of vines and birds were embossed on the door. Mira knocked firmly.
“I’m out,” a female voice called from inside.
“We have to talk,” Mira replied.
There came a pause. They heard a bolt slide back and the door opened. An older woman with short, graying hair opened the door halfway. She was quite thin and not much taller than Jace. “Children? I’m out of sweetroot.”
“We don’t want sweetroot,” Mira said.
“Speak for yourself,” Jace grumbled.
“What is it, then?” the woman asked. “Father have a fever? Mother sprain an ankle? Cow not giving milk?”
“You’re Gerta?” Mira asked.
“The crazy old herb woman,” she replied with a small curtsy.
“Declan sent us,” Mira said quietly.
Gerta looked beyond them, surveying the area. “Who’s in the coach?”
“A semblance,” Mira said.
“You’re serious,” Gerta said, opening the door wider. “Come inside.”
She guided them to a parlor with some fancy chairs and many shelves of fragile ceramic figurines. Jace claimed one chair, Twitch another. Cole and Mira used the sofa, reserving the biggest armchair for Gerta.
The herb woman used the armrests and sat down with a weary sigh. “Where is Declan?”
“We can’t tell,” Mira said. “It’s for your good as much as his.”
She smiled, showing imperfect teeth. “You were with him all right. He’s well?”
“Old,” Mira said.
“He was old when I was a girl,” Gerta said.
“He doesn’t get around so well anymore,” Mira said.
Gerta nodded. “He sent you to me for a purpose?”
“I’m looking for . . . ,” Mira began, then seemed unsure how to phrase it.
“A monster that has been tearing apart Sambria,” Cole jumped in. “A really powerful semblance.”
“You can’t mean Carnag,” Gerta said with a gasp.
“That’s what people call it,” Mira said.
“There have been no eyewitnesses,” Gerta said. “I’ve heard tales of the devastation. The ruined towns, the missing people. We’re all worried it’ll head this way.”
“Is it close?” Mira asked.
“Don’t act eager, child. I’ve felt its energy from afar. It’s like nothing we’ve ever known. What does Declan expect you to do?”
“We have to find it,” Mira said.
“No,” Gerta said. “You leave Carnag alone. Try not to let it find you. What did Declan tell you about it?”
“We have to find it,” Mira repeated.
Gerta squinted at Mira. Then her eyes widened. “You’re connected.”
“What?” Mira asked.
Gerta spoke slowly. “You’re connected to Carnag. I wouldn’t have seen if I wasn’t really looking. Same type of energy, much fainter, but pure.”
“Where should we look?” Mira asked.
“Carnag moves erratically,” Gerta said. “This whole region of Sambria has been in awful suspense. We never know where it will strike next. Head southeast. Follow the screaming.”
“Straight southeast?” Mira asked.
“More or less,” Gerta said. “There will be a path of destruction. Ask the people fleeing. I expect you’ll find Carnag sooner than you’d like. What can you possibly hope to accomplish?”
“We probably shouldn’t tell you,” Mira said.
“That might be sensible,” Gerta agreed. “Declan really sent you to me?”
“Really,” Mira said.
“Did he shape the semblance in the autocoach?” Gerta asked.
“Yes,” Mira said.
“Mind if I have a look?” Gerta asked. “It’s not that I doubt you, but times being what they are . . .”
“Feel free,” Mira said.
“I’ll be back,” Gerta announced.
Cole and the others watched from the window.
“Think she’ll try to take something?” Jace asked.
“From the autocoach?” Mira said. “No, but it doesn’t hurt to watch.”
Gerta didn’t spend long at the coach. She returned along the path wearing a small, satisfied smile.
“That’s his work all right,” Gerta said as she reentered the room. “Bertram is a funny old character. He’s very adamant that he’s enjoying the countryside with his grandniece and grandnephews. You poor dears. Yo
u’ve gotten tangled up in something frightful. The whole garrison of legionnaires at Bellum went to fight this thing. Over a hundred men. None returned. If you go bother Carnag, I’m afraid that will be the end of you.”
“We have to try,” Mira said.
“Your connection to the entity is undeniable,” Gerta said. “I could speculate . . . but I better not. I’m glad to hear Declan survives. I’m happy to lend what aid I can. I’ve devoted myself to working with my plants. Vegetation is much easier to shape successfully than animals or even semblances. Given time, I might be able to whip up something powerful. Since you seem to be in a hurry, I’ll give you some of the best of what I have on hand.”
“That’s not necessary,” Mira said.
“I help Sambria little enough,” Gerta said. “I spend most of my time here shaping herbs. I avoid the ugly politics. Nobody wants to antagonize the woman who can help a toothache and cure an upset stomach. Every now and then I get a chance to help people who are still trying to make a real difference for Sambria. I suspect you four fall into that category.”
“We’d appreciate anything you can do,” Cole said.
“I have single carrots that will fill your stomachs for three days,” Gerta said. “Not an illusion, mind you. It will be like you’ve eaten healthy meals throughout. I have pumpkin seeds that will give you extraordinary night vision. The effect lasts four or five hours. You wouldn’t want the extra sensitivity during the day, so eat them with care. And I have many herbal remedies for injuries and illnesses. I’ll provide a full assortment. I’ll even throw in a delicious tea that can induce prolonged slumber.”
“You’re too kind,” Mira said.
“It’s the least I can do for friends of Declan,” Gerta said. “Would you four like to stay the night here?”
“We should be on our way,” Mira said. “There are people after us.”
“At least rest from your troubles while I gather my gifts,” Gerta said. “I’ll bring you some snacks shortly.”
“She’s nice,” Cole said after she had left the room.
Mira sighed. “Yes. And informed. The problem is, the more I learn about my powers, the less I want them back.”
“Maybe we really should go on vacation,” Cole said. “We have money. I bet Bertram would be thrilled.”
They all chuckled.
“I wish I could,” Mira said. “I really do. You all don’t have to join me. But I must face this.”
“We’re with you,” Jace said.
Mira gazed out the window. “I hope it doesn’t mean we’ll all go down together.”
CHAPTER
31
DEVASTATION
The autocoach clomped southeast through the night and into the next day, pausing only to let the occupants get out and freshen up. They passed through pleasant country made up of sparse forests, open fields, meandering streams, and low hills.
Around midday, they spotted a wagon pulled by horses coming along the road from the opposite direction. The wagon slowed to a stop as they approached, and Mira ordered the autocoach to halt. They ended up side by side.
“Good day,” said the driver, a big man with simple clothes and a straw hat. “Are you folks certain you want to head this way?”
“I’m on holiday with my grandniece and grandnephews,” Bertram said, leaning forward to be seen. “We’re out enjoying the countryside.”
The driver squinted back the way he had come. “This may not be the right direction to go for pleasure. The whole area is clearing out. Carnag has been active, and reports have him coming this way.”
“We’ll turn northeast before long,” Mira said.
“You know your affairs,” the man said. “The monster is hard to predict. Comes and goes. But I suggest you choose a new direction sooner rather than later. The towns you’ll reach down this road won’t have their normal services. Springdale got hit hard, and now the whole region is evacuating. Not many are coming northwest like me, since Carnag has shown a recent preference for this direction. You’ll pass many refugees when you head northeast.”
“Thanks for the warning,” Mira said. “I’m sorry for your troubles.”
“Are you sure you won’t just turn around?” the driver asked. “You’re tempting fate going southeast.”
“It’s no crime to see some sights with your relatives,” Bertram said.
The driver raised his eyebrows.
“Uncle is kind of a thrill seeker,” Cole apologized. “We’ll turn up the next good road.”
“Just offering a neighborly warning,” the driver said, shaking his reins. “Take care.”
“Thanks,” Cole said. “Travel safe.”
The next day they passed through an empty town. The area seemed like an abandoned movie set. There was no visible damage to any of the buildings. A few roosters roamed the streets, strutting and pecking.
The silent town drew Cole’s attention to the quietness of the road. The broad lane looked well traveled, but they passed nobody—no autocoaches, no wagons, no horsemen, no one on foot. Uninhabited farms went by on either side. After nightfall, they rolled through another derelict town. No lit windows brightened the darkness. Some cows roamed a fenced field, munching the long grass.
The abandoned countryside heightened Cole’s tension. People didn’t pick up and clear out like this for a minor annoyance. Carnag had panicked the whole area. The possibility that the monster might come their way had convinced people to leave their homes behind and head for the hills.
On the evening of the third day since leaving Middlebranch, with the setting sun coloring the horizon lava red, they reached another town. Upon arrival, Mira called for the autocoach to halt, and they all spilled out.
Cole could hardly decide where to focus his attention first. Ahead of the autocoach, the road disappeared into a bowl-shaped pit that resembled a crater from a meteor strike. Two wagons lay upside down on the roof of a local inn. Several trees were white as snow—leaf, limb, and trunk. One home had no walls or roof, but the floor, chimney, and furniture remained neatly in place.
“What happened here?” Twitch moaned.
“You only get one guess,” Jace said.
“I know it was Carnag,” Twitch said. “But what did it do?”
“Those trees aren’t supposed to be white, are they?” Cole asked.
“No, it’s unnatural,” Mira said. “I also can’t imagine it’s easy to strip away the walls of a house without knocking over any furniture. We better take a good look. We might find some clues about what we’re dealing with.”
She started down the main street of the town. They passed a large tree propped against a sagging building, soil-clotted roots in the air, leafy limbs on the road. A section of the town was a smoldering field of charred rubble. One side of the tallest building still standing was crusted with pink coral. A granite boulder lay in the middle of a shop, having apparently crashed through the wall. For one stretch the street undulated, like a stormy sea that had paused, leaving an abnormal pattern of swells and troughs. Half of one house was gone, sheared off cleanly so as to reveal a perfect cross section of the inside, like a full-size dollhouse.
The street ended at a reedy lake. Drowned buildings poked out of the foul water for another hundred yards.
“The town is totaled,” Cole said. “How big is this thing? It looks like a giant had a temper tantrum. What can’t Carnag do?”
“Some of this might have been done physically,” Mira said. “But a lot of it had to be shaping—the lumps in the road, the coral, the house neatly sliced in half. Maybe all of it was shaping.”
“So it’s a semblance and a shaper,” Jace said.
“Kind of makes sense,” Mira replied. “It’s made out of shaping power.”
“How powerful are you?” Twitch asked.
Mira laughed softly. “I had some talent. Nothing like this. Don’t forget what Declan told us. This is unrestrained shaping energy, free from my limitations. It’s probably much more powerf
ul than I could ever be.”
Cole ran both hands through his hair. “How do we fight something that can blast the ground out from under us, chop us in half, crush us with a boulder, then grow coral on us?”
“And that’s just for starters,” Twitch added.
“I don’t really know,” Mira said. “We use everything we have. We hope my connection to Carnag can be an advantage somehow. Remember, it can’t kill me without killing itself.”
“I still worry Declan could be using us,” Jace said. “He might just want Carnag gone, whatever the cost. He might have purposefully sent us to our deaths. If you get killed, Carnag gets wiped out too, and Sambria has one less problem.”
“Maybe,” Mira said. “But it’s something I have to do. It’s my power.”
“You’re not to blame,” Jace said. “You didn’t turn your power into Carnag. Whoever took your power is responsible. Blame your dad. Let him figure this out.”
Mira took a deep breath. “This may be hard for you to understand. I’m not doing this just because I feel guilty. That power is part of me. Like a lost limb. Worse, even. Like a lost piece of my actual self. I’ve wondered for years if I could ever get it back. I knew it might never happen. But this is my chance. It matters enough to me that I’m willing to die trying. If you want to watch from a distance, that’s fine. This town shows how scary Carnag can be. If you want to run away at top speed, I’ll understand.”
“Sometimes I feel like you’re trying to get rid of us,” Cole said.
“I kind of am,” Mira admitted. “This is my risk to take. Not yours. I can live with getting myself killed.”
“Technically, you can’t live if you get killed,” Jace pointed out.
“You know what I mean!” Mira snapped. “My life is mine to risk. I can’t stand the thought of bringing you all down with me.”
“We volunteered for this,” Jace said. “You didn’t make us.”
“He’s right,” Cole said.
“I know,” Mira said. “But you don’t have to keep volunteering. Sky Raiders run from danger. It’s what we know. It’s how we’ve gotten this far. But this time we’re heading right at the danger. We’re tracking it down on purpose. And I’m not going to run.”