by Brandon Mull
“I wouldn’t mind forgetting a lot of my life,” Jace said.
“It might feel that way sometimes,” Violet said. “I promise you it isn’t very fun.”
“Should we go to Creon so we can remember?” Twitch asked.
“There is one stop I want to make first,” Cole said. “While I still speak for the king. Before news spreads that he’s gone.”
“Where?” Mira asked.
“The slave trader Ansel is at Five Roads,” Cole said. “I can use my authority to find out where all the kids from my neighborhood ended up.”
“That could take some time, Cole,” Jace said. “And the slaver might not cooperate.”
“He for sure won’t cooperate if people think I kidnapped the king,” Cole said. “This could be my best chance.”
“Your best chance is stopping the end of the world,” Jace said. “If you find out where your friends are and the world ends, what was the point? If we stop Ramarro, you’ll have all kinds of help finding those kids.”
“Jace is right,” Mira said. “You have lots of people on your side, Cole. We’ll find your friends together.”
Cole wanted to argue. What if they stopped Ramarro, but the order of the kingdoms unraveled? What if the Pemberton family lost the power to help him? What if Ansel moved on, and they never found him again? But Jace’s position was too solid—what was the point of finding the kids from his neighborhood if Ramarro conquered the Outskirts? Locating Ansel and getting the information was risky and could cost precious time.
“I get it,” Cole said. “Ramarro first. Where should we go?”
“We’ll plan better in Creon,” Twitch said. “With our recent memories.”
“I know a place,” Violet said. She reached out a hand, and Cole took it. A wayport shimmered into existence.
“Someplace safe?” Twitch asked.
“Safe as I know,” Violet said.
Cole stepped through, maintaining his connection to Violet until she came through last of all and the wayport closed. They stood in a grove of trees near a huge lawn. A stately complex of buildings stood in the distance.
Memories awakened in Cole’s mind.
“We went into the Iron Fort in the desert,” Jace said.
“It was comfortable inside,” Twitch said. “Except for the strict guards.”
“Elegance isn’t joining us,” Mira said. “At least not for now.”
“Should we go tell the Host about the king and queen?” Cole asked.
“We’ll tell him when it makes sense to go back there,” Jace said. “We’re not his errand boys.”
“Or girls,” Violet added.
“Where are we?” Cole wondered.
“That was my first wayminding school,” Violet said. “I grew up in a quiet region of Creon called Twin Lakes. We should be safe here for a moment.”
Mira held up the rolled parchment. “I can read this now.”
“It’s permission to go back to the Iron Fort,” Jace said.
“I know,” Mira said. “But so weird that it’s now perfectly legible. It looked like nonsense hardly a minute ago.”
“Should we chase down Lorenzo?” Jace said. “Where was he again?”
“North of the forgotten cache at Shepherd’s Grove,” Violet said. “I hope those directions are more specific than they sound. How far north? A hundred paces? A mile north? Ten miles? Fifty? How directly north? Straight north?”
“Hopefully, Lorenzo is close to the cache, or Dandalus would have used a better landmark,” Cole said.
“We should start at the cache and work northward,” Mira suggested.
“What’s the forgotten cache?” Twitch asked.
“Certain Wayminders used to transport merchandise, often from Earth,” Violet said. “Taking shortcuts across wide spaces can be useful in shipping. The items were stored in caches. A lot of the big caches closed down and were abandoned.”
“Did you just say there might be stuff to loot?” Jace asked.
“Old stuff people left behind,” Violet said. “The caches are technically off-limits.”
“I worked for a salvage operation,” Jace said. “Abandoned cargo is fair game.”
Violet shrugged. “In school we were told not to visit them. I’ll take us to the north side of the cache near Shepherd’s Grove. Cole, I’ll need a boost so I can see where we want to go.”
Cole took her hand and energized her power.
Violet gave a small gasp. “With your help I can see so clearly from here! Not clearly inside the cache. It’s shielded. But the borders of the cache are easy to make out. It’s big. There is an empty field toward the center of the north side.”
A wayport appeared.
Jace stepped through the glimmering portal. The others followed. Violet came through last.
Cole first noticed that it was cooler—almost cold enough to wish for a jacket when the frosty breeze slithered over him. Long grass and wild flowers extended before him, sloping up into a series of low hills fringed with evergreens. Turning, Cole found a tall metal fence topped with spikes. Through the fence he could see a stagecoach, a slot machine, a few department-store mannequins in outdated fashions, and an old biplane that made him think of World War I.
“That stuff is from my world,” Cole said.
“I wouldn’t know,” Violet replied.
“Does that fly?” Jace asked, pointing at the plane.
“If you know how,” Cole said. “And if it has fuel. And room to take off.”
“Makes me think of Zeropolis,” Jace said. “Cool tech. Does your world have good weapons?”
“Actually, yeah, we’re pretty good at weapons.”
“We have to go in there,” Jace said. “Violet, how about a way to the other side of the fence? Just a tiny hop?”
“These caches are off-limits,” Violet reminded him. “We’re in Creon! Are you trying to get me penalized?”
“If Owandell is playing this like the world is about to end, why can’t we?” Jace asked.
“In case it doesn’t,” Violet said. “And in case we get detained before we can try to stop Ramarro.”
“How tall is that fence?” Jace asked, looking up.
“About twenty feet,” Twitch said.
“Maybe there’s a gate,” Cole suggested.
Violet shook her head. “We’re in Creon. The caches were built to be secure. No gates. Anybody with permission to be inside would use a wayport.”
“And items would be moved in and out the same way,” Mira said.
Jace held his golden strand out to Cole. “A little help?”
“Is it smart to go in there?” Cole asked. “Dandalus told us Lorenzo Debray was north of here.”
“This was the only place named,” Jace said. “We should check it out. There may be clues.”
“Or awesome weapons from another world,” Twitch said knowingly.
“Is that so bad?” Jace asked. “We’re being hunted by Owandell. We’re trying to stop a powerful torivor. Nobody wants better weapons?”
“Might be worth a look,” Mira said.
Cole touched the golden strand and energized it.
“I need some help,” Twitch said. “The ring that lets me take my true form outside of Elloweer only works in Sambria.”
Cole placed a hand on Twitch’s shoulder. Twitch’s shaping power felt dim—suppressed. Cole brightened it, and suddenly Twitch had grasshopper legs and antennae.
“You’re good,” Twitch said.
“Can you power all of us at the same time?” Mira asked, holding out her Jumping Sword.
Cole touched the flat of the blade and awoke the power inside. He drew his sword and energized it. “No problem. It’ll be a big jump over the fence. Don’t forget to jump again when you land.”
Mira grinned. “Don’t forget who introduced you to Jumping Swords.”
“How does my rope work again?” Jace asked with a smirk. “Twitch? Do you remember how to hop?”
“I ca
n stand guard here,” Violet offered.
“Oh no,” Jace said. “If you’re too nervous to open a way in, I’ll bring you.” He turned his back to her. “Climb on.”
“Away,” Mira said, pointing her sword and leaping well over the fence. “Away,” she said again when she landed, taking a smaller jump forward before coming to a stop. Twitch sprang as well, wings fluttering, and easily cleared the fence.
Cole called out the command and enjoyed the rush of soaring up over the fence, including the brief weightlessness at the apex of his flight. With the added elevation, he glimpsed random objects from his world continuing into the distance. A school bus? A long glittery Chinese dragon? A McDonald’s?
Cole landed with a second little jump to dampen the impact. Jace landed beside him, the coils of his rope slowing his descent. Violet climbed down from his back.
“Now we’re trespassers,” Violet said.
“We’re not exactly burning down shrines or kidnapping royalty,” Jace said.
“I guess if our enemies play dirty, we may need to cross boundaries sometimes,” Violet said.
“You trespassed with us into a sky castle,” Jace reminded her.
“Yeah, but I’m from here,” Violet said. “I know the rules here.”
“How long can you keep me in my true form?” Twitch asked.
“As long as I keep sending power to you,” Cole said.
“Would it be easier to just charge up my ring?”
“I’d have to maintain that connection too,” Cole said.
“And you can hold the connection without touching me,” Twitch said. “Does that mean you could form the connection without touching me?”
“Maybe,” Cole said.
Cole released his connection to Twitch, who reverted to a human appearance. Reaching out with all of his focus, Cole could sense the shaping power within his friend. It was familiar. But could he touch that power without physically touching Twitch? Could he establish a connection from a distance?
Cole became aware of the others watching him. He closed his eyes and focused more intently on Twitch’s power. He could almost feel it. But no matter how hard he pushed, he fell short of connecting to it.
“Not right now,” Cole said. “Maybe if I practice.”
“My rope went limp,” Jace said.
Cole realized that he had broken his connections with Violet and everything else to concentrate on Twitch. “I was giving it my all.”
“It would be great if you could learn to do it,” Mira said.
Cole nodded. “A lot smoother in a fight if I don’t have to touch everything to power it up.”
“It’s already unreal,” Twitch said. “Nobody else can do what you do.”
“I bet Ramarro can,” Cole said. “And so much more.”
“Let’s find an incredible weapon from Cole’s world,” Jace said. “Something undefeatable.” He pointed. “Maybe that?”
“That’s a tuba,” Cole said. “It’s a musical instrument.”
“I get it,” Jace said. “Like a big horn. Who blows that thing? How big are their lungs?”
“Pretty hefty, I guess,” Cole said.
“Who is that guy?” Twitch asked, indicating a large reddish statue.
“I think that’s Buddha,” Cole said. “There are people on my planet who worship him.”
They set off through a jungle of random items. Cole noticed an old-fashioned gas pump, a stone birdbath, a bronze statue of a baseball player, a rickshaw, a simple wooden canoe, a tin washtub, and an Egyptian sarcophagus. He showed the others how to wear the Chinese dragon and tried the door of the McDonald’s, finding it locked. Putting his face to the glass, he could see tables and the counter and the menu. There was nobody inside and no sign of electricity, but otherwise it appeared an entire McDonald’s had been transported to Creon intact.
“This is a restaurant in my world,” Cole explained. “Not a fancy one. It’s for when you’re in a hurry. They serve hamburgers.”
“Dalton showed me a hamburger once,” Jace said. “An illusion.”
“They’re good,” Cole said. “McDonald’s isn’t the ultimate, but they’re popular for a reason. What’s it doing here?”
“Want to break in?” Mira asked.
Cole shook his head. “It must have been here a while. No way is any food inside still good.”
“Let’s keep moving,” Twitch suggested.
They passed more Earth paraphernalia large and small, ancient and modern. Cole noticed that nothing looked quite from his time period. The newest stuff seemed to be from at least thirty years ago. Maybe more.
“What’s that?” Mira asked.
Cole looked ahead to a full carousel with horses and other animals on poles. “It’s a carousel. A ride.”
“Does it turn around?” Twitch asked.
“If it had power,” Cole said. “Probably not here.”
“You can power it,” Jace suggested.
“I don’t think so,” Cole said. “It runs on a different kind of power called electricity.”
They went to the carousel and climbed on. Cole stared at a white horse, head thrown back, motionless mane molded as if blowing in the wind. Fake jewels decorated the fanciful saddle and bridle.
“Your world is strange,” Jace said, standing beside a big frog with a brass pole through it.
“Kind of strange, I guess,” Cole admitted. “But also pretty fun.”
“What do you kids think you’re doing?” called a shrill voice.
Cole whirled to find a bony older woman coming toward them. She had frizzy gray hair and walked with a bouncy sway, almost like she was running in place. Cole glanced at the others in surprise and worry.
“Told you,” Violet muttered.
CHAPTER
15
CACHE
Your ride doesn’t work,” Jace said, yanking on the pole through the frog.
The woman stared at him huffily, hands on her hips. “Shows what you know! Works just fine.”
“It’s supposed to spin around,” Cole said.
Her gaze shifted to Cole. “I know what it does, young man. The question is, why have you hooligans entered uninvited? And with a Wayminder among you? Let me guess—the robes are stolen.”
“It was her idea,” Jace said. “She dared us.”
Violet flushed and opened her mouth, but no words came out.
“We don’t mean any harm,” Mira said.
“Has all order been overthrown?” the old woman asked. “Are laws only meant for people who mean harm now? How exactly is that measured?”
“Turn it on,” Jace said.
“Excuse me?” the woman asked.
“You claim it works,” Jace said. “Prove it. Turn it on.”
“Stop trying to tangle me, young man,” the woman said. “How did you kids get here? There are no settlements nearby. Are you actually a Wayminder?”
Violet turned a shade redder. Cole could tell she wanted to disappear.
“Is she mute?” the woman asked. “I know somebody opened a wayport north of the fence. I’ve seen a few winters, but not all of my senses have fled yet.”
“She’s shy,” Cole said. “We pushed her into coming here.”
“Kidnapped you, did they?” the woman asked.
“I volunteered,” Violet admitted.
“What’s the punishment for trespassing?” Jace asked. “Do you really care? Isn’t this ride going to waste with nobody to play on it? What’s the use of all this junk with nobody here?”
“These artifacts were collected over many years,” the woman said. “That carousel is unique in all the Outskirts.”
“Not as unique where I’m from,” Cole said.
“Am I supposed to believe you’re from Outside?” the woman asked. “Do you think that gives you a claim on this collection?”
“Maybe,” Cole said. “My friends were stolen from our world. How did this stuff get here?”
“The world walkers acquired
these pieces over long years,” the woman said.
“World walkers?” Violet asked.
The woman waved her hands as if swatting away gnats. “Now you’ve got me talking about history better left unmentioned.”
“You should be glad we’re here,” Jace said. “Isn’t a collection meant to be viewed? This place looks abandoned. Does anyone else work here?”
“I’m alone here sometimes,” the woman said. “I have help at times too. I can call security, and they’ll be here in no time. Then you’ll wish I hadn’t.”
“Don’t get us in trouble,” Cole said. “We’re just curious. Does the carousel really work? Wouldn’t it need electricity?”
“We bring it in direct from Earth using—” She placed a hand over her mouth, then removed it. “You kids are good at getting me talking.”
“I bet it doesn’t work,” Jace said. “I know a bluff when I see one.”
The woman pointed at him. “I know what you’re doing, and it won’t work.”
“Jace has a point,” Cole said. “What use is a carousel without people to ride it?”
The woman folded her arms. Then unfolded them. “It is a piece of foreign culture.”
“Meant to have riders,” Cole said.
The woman sighed. “It’s been some time since I let it spin. Okay, how about this arrangement? I let you ride, then you leave and swear to tell nobody you came here.”
“I can live with that,” Mira said.
“Maybe I can as well,” the woman said. “You seem all right. First tell me what prompted your interest in this place? We’ve discouraged interest in the caches enough that few in your generation care they exist.”
Cole decided to take a risk. “We’re looking for somebody.”
All heads turned to him.
“Not me, I take it,” the woman said. “Who could you possibly be looking for here?”
“Lorenzo Debray,” Cole said.
Her face clearly registered worried surprise before she covered the reaction. She forced an awkward chuckle. “Now you’re getting absurd.”
“Are we?” Mira asked. “Creon is in danger, and we need to find him.”
“What sort of danger?” the woman asked.