“We?” Maria looked at her mother.
Mrs. Kane nodded. “Your father asked me to lend a hand. Since it’s a weekend I didn’t have any client meetings so I agreed. We would have been here sooner, but we didn’t expect the barrier.”
Maria frowned. “How did you know we needed your help in the first place?”
“Conryu’s ring. It does more than provide protection. I can also monitor his surroundings through it. I sensed the dark energy the moment you entered the grounds. We rushed here as fast as we could.”
“Shizuku,” Terra said.
The tone in her voice grabbed Conryu’s attention. He craned his neck and looked around Maria’s head. Three bodies were shambling toward them in bloodstained clothes. Their eyes were nothing but black pits and faint, echoing moans filled the air around them. He and Maria scrambled to their feet.
“First shadow hounds and now zombies.” Mrs. Kane raised her hands and chanted a spell. A stream of fire shot out toward the undead. The fire struck a barrier of darkness and sputtered to nothing.
The zombies kept coming.
The Department wizard cast a fire spell of her own, stronger than the one Maria’s mother used judging by the amount of heat coming off it. After just a second a sheen of sweat covered Conryu’s chest.
Despite the extra heat the zombies kept coming. The Department wizard jogged over to them and the group backed away, putting more space between them and the undead.
“Magic’s not going to do it, Terra,” Mrs. Kane said. “Their darkness aura’s too strong.”
“We could bury them with earth magic,” Terra said.
“They’d just dig themselves out. We need to force our magic through their barrier.”
“Force it through how?” Maria asked.
“Direct physical contact.” Terra ground her teeth as the zombies continued to advance.
“I can do it,” Conryu said.
“That’s crazy.” Maria grabbed his arm. “You’ll get yourself killed.”
“She’s right.” Mrs. Kane shook her head. “I can’t let you take that kind of a risk.”
“What risk? Those things are so slow I could run circles around them. They’re getting closer and we’re running out of time.”
“He’s got a point, Shizuku,” Terra said. “One spell per fist ought to do it.”
“There are three of them,” Maria said.
“Put one on my right foot.” Conryu clenched his fists and held them out.
The two wizards exchanged looks, raised their hands, and began to cast.
“Mom, no!”
Mrs. Kane ignored Maria and kept chanting. It felt like his hands were in an open oven, hot, but not painful. Terra finished first and began again, this time pointing her hands at his right foot.
When both wizards had finished their spells Terra said, “Make solid contact to the head or chest. The spell will detonate with a one-second delay so in and out fast. Got it?”
“No sweat.”
Conryu rushed the leftmost zombie. It had on greasy overalls and tools dangled half in and half out of its pockets. It moaned louder and shambled toward Conryu.
He darted in, punched it right between the eyes, and leapt back. The zombie exploded into flames. The others ignored their burning comrade and shuffled toward him.
Conryu leapt between them, punching one in the head and kicking the second in the chest as he flew by. They both burst into flames.
He rolled to his feet and spun, ready for another round. He needn’t have bothered. The first zombie was nothing but ash and the others weren’t far behind.
Maria ran over and hugged him. Jonny and Rin had caught up at some point and they joined the group.
“We need some marshmallows,” Jonny said.
“Or chestnuts,” Rin added.
“Chestnuts roasting on an open zombie.” Conryu grinned. “Got a nice ring to it.”
“Are you all crazy?” Maria looked up at him. “You could have been killed. Twice.”
“But I wasn’t. So what now?”
“Now you kids go home and let us handle the rest,” Terra said. Sirens wailed in the distance. “The cavalry will arrive soon. If there are any more zombies the police can shoot them for us.”
Conryu worked himself free of Maria after a minute or two. It wasn’t that he didn’t like having her wrapped around him, but it made it hard to breathe when she squeezed him so tight. Out near the fence the police had set up a cordon and were getting the people out in a semi-orderly fashion. There really didn’t seem to be much for them to do at the moment.
“We need to find the source of that spell,” Terra said.
Mrs. Kane turned to him and Maria. “I trust you two can make your way back to the apartment on your own? I’ve strengthened the wards so you’ll have nothing to fear there.”
“Sure, Mom, no problem,” Maria said.
“We have a great deal to discuss,” Mrs. Kane said. “Perhaps we should all have dinner together tonight. I’m sure your parents would appreciate an explanation, Conryu.”
“I expect they would, and they aren’t the only ones.”
Mrs. Kane nodded. “Our apartment then, as long as Sho and Connie don’t mind.”
“I’ll tell them. Thanks again.” Conryu led Maria off toward the parking lot with Jonny and Rin tagging along behind. “Think we can get out of here before the press arrives?”
“I don’t think so.” Maria pointed at a pair of satellite dishes rising in the distance.
“Damn them all! Am I going to have to dodge those vultures for the rest of my life?”
“Nope. No press allowed at the academy. Only teachers and students.”
Conryu grinned. “Finally something to look forward to. How did you know what those things were? Your mom teach you?”
“About the shadow hounds, yes. A lot of what I know comes from The Basics of Wizardry. All the girls have to take it junior year. It’s a national requirement. Thanks to you, I bet the boys have to take it starting next year.”
“They’re not going to let you come back to the carnival next year, dude,” Jonny said.
Conryu barked a humorless laugh. “I ought to sue. I’ve heard about the danger of carnival rides, but this is ridiculous.”
When the little group reached the exit a mob of reporters had gathered behind a line of yellow tape. A dozen cops attempted to keep them under control. Detective Chang was talking with the woman in the clown outfit and jotting down notes. He noticed Conryu, ended his interview, and headed their way.
“You okay, Conryu?”
“Sure. No ongoing threat, huh?”
Detective Chang looked away then back. “What I should have said was, no ongoing threat from the True Face of God cult. This was clearly something else.”
“How can you be sure?” Conryu asked.
“Because they used magic,” Maria answered for the detective. “The cultists hate all magic and would never have anything to do with it.”
“What she said. I’m still investigating the guy from yesterday. Since you were attacked again I got the call in case it was related.”
“Is it related?” Conryu asked.
“Way too soon to say, but if I was you I’d lie low. You guys want an escort home?”
Conryu shook his head. Regular cops wouldn’t be much use against magical attacks. “I’ll take an escort through the reporters.”
“No problem.” Detective Chang whistled to draw his men’s attention. “Let’s make these kids a path.”
Six officers made a circle around Conryu and his friends then proceeded to push their way through the gathered throng. All manner of questions were shouted, most of which he didn’t know the answer to and wouldn’t have answered if he did.
When they reached the edge of the throng the officers made a gap for Conryu and the others then shifted to block the reporters from following.
“Later, bro.” Jonny broke off to head for his bike, a piece of crap import that Conryu h
“I’ll be going too.” Rin hugged Maria and trotted off to her little car.
“Just you and me,” Conryu said.
Maria took his hand and the pair continued on to where he’d parked his bike. They arrived to find Kat Gabel dressed pretty as you please in black slacks and a crisp white blouse leaning on his handlebars. Conryu frowned, both because she was there in the first place and had the nerve to touch his bike without permission.
“You can’t take a hint, can you?” Conryu asked.
Kat shrugged. “I wouldn’t be much good at my job if I took no for an answer. What happened in there?”
“How should I know?” He grabbed Maria’s helmet and handed it to her. When he reached for his the reporter snatched it first and held it above her head. “Are you kidding me?”
She danced away. “Answer my questions and I’ll give it back.”
A deep spring of anger welled up in Conryu. After everything that had happened over the last three days he didn’t have the patience to deal with this. It was a game to her, nothing but another story. She didn’t care what happened to him, she just wanted a scoop.
He darted forward, leapt, and kicked the helmet out of her hands and straight up into the air. When he landed Conryu immediately gathered himself and jumped again, snatching the helmet out of the air. He turned a flip and landed behind her.
The reporter stared at him, mouth hanging partway open.
“Here’s all I have to say. If you’d pass it along to your colleagues I’d appreciate it. No. Fucking. Comment.”
He jammed the helmet over his head and climbed on in front of Maria. They thundered out of the parking lot, leaving the still-staring reporter in a cloud of dust.
4
Investigation
Shizuku watched Maria and Conryu make their way toward the exit of the carnival grounds. It was an absolute miracle the shadow hounds hadn’t killed anyone, especially Conryu. Even if the beasts hadn’t intended it, a single brush with fang or claw could have seriously injured or even killed someone in the crowd.
And then zombies. Who ever heard of zombies with a dark aura that negated powerful fire magic? If Conryu hadn’t been able to deliver the magic physically they might have been in trouble. He certainly had his father’s skill when it came to fighting. It would be interesting to see what he could accomplish in the realm of magic.
She brushed loose grass off her knees while Terra watched with an impatient frown. Terra hadn’t been thrilled about getting called in on a Sunday, but with a blatant attack on a public venue Orin hadn’t had any choice. The police only had one wizard on their staff, a not especially powerful wind mage. This sort of investigation was definitely a job for the Department.
Shizuku didn’t mind lending a hand considering it was her family—and she certainly considered Conryu a member of her family—being targeted. That she had to work with Terra and not Clair was a relief. Clair had been in her grade at the academy and they’d never gotten along.
Shizuku chanted in the divine tongue, “Reveal the hidden darkness.” The spell should reveal the source of the hounds as well as the dark aura that surrounded the zombies. She repeated the words over and over, gently directing the white mist that served as the spell’s visible manifestation around the area. Soon an inky, insubstantial line appeared.
A wave of her hand sent the mist rushing along in the same direction as the line, following it to its source. Terra fell in behind her as they traced the spell through the grounds. All the visitors had left so they had no trouble making their way to the center of the park.
A gray, stone construct filled an area several hundred yards in diameter. It resembled a small mountain, with a shadowed cave entrance straight ahead. The line went right inside, getting thicker as they drew closer to the source. Beside her Terra muttered a spell of her own, this one in the language of earth. A little quaver ran through the ground in response to the magic.
“It was raised by mundane means,” Terra said. “The exterior only looks like stone, it’s actually some sort of light-weight composite.”
Shizuku nodded. It was hardly likely that the carnival kept a wizard capable of raising such a structure on their payroll.
Terra conjured a ball of flame in her right hand, pushing back the gloom. “Let’s head in.”
“Whoa, hold on there.” A skinny man with a pockmarked face, bald head, and filthy clothes came running toward them waving his hands. “You can’t take open flames into the Haunted Cavern.”
“Who are you and why can’t we?” Terra asked in her official voice, the one that made people who didn’t work for the government cringe.
“For one thing, most of the props inside are flammable, not to mention the hydraulic fluid that runs them and the cart. You go in there carrying that ball of fire and whoosh, I’m out three hundred grand and one star attraction and you’ll be needing to regrow your hair.”
“Is that what happened to you?” Terra asked.
He rubbed his bald pate. “Naw, mine just fell out. There are some flashlights inside you ladies can use. Would that work for you?”
Terra spoke a single, harsh syllable and the flame in her hand vanished. “It will, especially since you’ll be joining us to hold one of them.”
“I will?”
“Yes, you will. You seem a knowledgeable fellow and we may have questions. Just who are you anyway?”
“Beg your pardon, miss. Wilbur Cullen at your service. I own this carnival. It’s been in the Cullen family for over a hundred years. We crisscross the country every year following the island an—”
“That’s fascinating, Mr. Cullen, but we really need to move this investigation along so if you’d direct us to those flashlights, that would be great.” Terra motioned him toward the ride.
Shizuku watched the interaction with silent amusement. She couldn’t speak without ruining her detection spell, but Terra said enough for both of them. Terra herded Wilbur toward the ride like a collie chasing a sheep. Shizuku trusted Terra to keep a look out for any threats while she focused on the line that led ever deeper into the artificial caverns.
Ten feet inside the entrance a track started. Three cars that bore a vague resemblance to mine carts waited for passengers that wouldn’t be arriving that day. Wilbur went to a utility cabinet hanging to one side of the tracks and removed a pair of long flashlights. Terra accepted one and clicked it on.
The flashlight’s beam did little to dispel the cavern’s gloom. The still-functioning darkness spell must be suppressing the light. Shizuku didn’t know why the spell was still active since it had already summoned the shadow hounds and animated the zombies, but it was clearly doing something.
“Which way?” Terra asked.
Shizuku motioned straight ahead. They followed the tracks deeper into the cavern. Plastic demons hung limp from the hydraulic pistons that made them jump out to scare the passengers. The ride looked quite realistic. Whoever had designed the artificial stone had done a good job. No wonder this was a popular ride.
“This is our last carnival until the island returns next year,” Wilbur said. “Do you think we’ll be able to open back up?”
“I wouldn’t count on it,” Terra said. “This is the site of an active investigation. Besides, after what happened this morning I doubt you’d find many people willing to return.”
“Suppose you’re right. We had a good Saturday at least. Everyone wanted to go through the Haunted Cavern. Food sales were good too. We should at least break even on this stop.”
“I’m thrilled for you,” Terra said. “Please stop talking now.”
“Sorry. I talk when I’m nervous.”
The black line turned off the main tracks a little ways ahead, where there was a shadowed recess in the wall. Shizuku stopped, grabbed Terra’s robe, and pointed at the spot where it disappeared.
“Through there?” Terra turned to Wilbur. “What’s in there?”
“It’s a maintenance access so we can service the machinery and disassemble the ride.”
Both flashlights swung in, illuminating the interior of the maintenance space. In the largest open area a corpse wearing a polka dot dress floated above a spell circle inscribed with dark energy that sparked with red light.
Shizuku released her spell. “Now I see why the spell is still operating. The corpse is maintaining a necromantic loop.”
“Aw, Gerty.” Wilbur moaned softly.
“Do you know her?” Terra asked with surprising gentleness.
“Gerty’s our bookkeeper. I hadn’t seen her all day today. Thought she was sick. Her stomach never has worked just right.”
“Did she have family?” Shizuku asked.
“We were all her family, but no kids or husband if that’s what you mean. She was devoted to the carnival. Gerty worked here since she was fourteen.” Wilbur sniffed and wiped his eyes.
“Perhaps you’d like to wait outside?” Terra said. “It won’t take us long to deal with this. I’m afraid the police will want to examine your friend’s body.”
“I understand. And I think I will take you up on your offer and wait outside. Be gentle. Gerty was a good girl.” Wilbur fled the maintenance room.
When Wilbur had made himself scarce the two wizards shared a look. “This isn’t going to be easy,” Shizuku said. “The dark magic has latched on to the body. Whoever set this trap did a poor job of it.”
“It’s an ugly casting, no doubt, but it did what the wizard wanted it to so you can’t call it a complete failure. Whoever is responsible probably didn’t care what happened after the hounds were summoned and the zombies raised.”
“Maybe not.” Shizuku pursed her lips. “But if we don’t break the spell and dissipate the necromantic energy properly the body will explode and release a lethal miasma over a square mile at least. It could kill thousands.”
“Well, we’ll just have to do the job right. How do you want to handle it?” Terra asked.
“I’m weakest in dark magic so you should disable the spell circle. I’ll craft a siphon of wind and light to disperse the gathered energy well above the city. Worst case we end up with a few dead birds and acid rain.”
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