by R. G. Thomas
“Oh?” Thaddeus asked. “How so?”
“It felt kind of forgotten, you know? Even though the brush had been cut back, weeds had sprouted up between most of the flat stones. And there are signs that explain about the springs and the trail, but weeds have grown up around and over them. I don’t think anyone’s been up there for a long time.”
Thaddeus nodded and thought about how nice it would be to have time with Teofil on their own. The hot springs sounded like a natural version of a hot tub. They’d lived in a mobile home park once where their rowdy neighbors had a hot tub and used it pretty much every night. That had been in Florida, he thought. Or maybe Texas. One of those southern states where it was warm pretty much all year long, and he never really understood why they wanted to sit in a tub of hot water and drink. Maybe going to the hot springs with Teofil would help erase the memory of the hot tubbing neighbors.
When the dishes were done, he and Teofil stepped out into the backyard and carried lawn chairs to a far corner, where they sat side by side to talk in low voices.
“Hannah hasn’t eaten with us for a few days,” Teofil said.
“I’ve noticed that too,” Thaddeus replied. “She makes her own meals before us and eats in her room.”
“She seems afraid of something,” Teofil said. “I wish I knew how to help her out.”
“Maybe she’s afraid of us?” Thaddeus suggested.
“Us?”
“Think about it. A group of people traveling together, dirty and exhausted when we showed up, with no money and no way to pay for our rooms. Sure, we’re doing work for her around the house, but that doesn’t mean anything. We outnumber her, and she could be scared we’ll rob her or try to murder her or something.”
“Why would we want to do that?” Teofil asked, sounding shocked Thaddeus could even suggest such an idea.
“It’s a little crazy out in the real world,” Thaddeus said. “People are mean, and evil runs deep in some of them.”
Teofil was quiet, and in the low light of dusk, Thaddeus studied his handsome profile. Sometimes Thaddeus had to remind himself that Teofil had grown up even more alone than Thaddeus himself, so he didn’t understand much of the world, either that of the ungifteds or that of the magical community.
“I guess evil runs deep in some of the magic community as well,” Teofil said at last. “Take Isadora, for example, and all of her accomplices.”
“Yeah, she’s pretty much the worst,” Thaddeus agreed.
A comfortable silence stretched out for a time, and then Teofil said in a quiet voice, “I never really got to know my brothers and sisters because I was so young when I went to live with Leopold. Astrid and Fetter were really the only siblings I knew because they were older than me. When Mum and Dad came to visit, they’d bring a younger sibling now and then, but they always brought Astrid and Fetter with them. It was probably more to help with whatever little one they had decided to bring that time, but I liked to think Astrid and Fetter would have come along on their own. I now know that Fetter—well, Isadora, actually—only wanted to discover Leopold’s secret. I know that Fetter wasn’t my true brother all these years, but it still hurts to think that way, you know?”
Thaddeus put his arm around Teofil’s shoulders and pulled him in close for a soft kiss.
“I’m sorry about Fetter,” he said. “That’s really messed up.”
“And my father doesn’t even know yet,” Teofil whispered. “It will hurt him so much, and us all over again as well.”
“I know. I’m sorry.” Thaddeus could think of nothing else to say. “I wish I could do something.”
“You already have,” Teofil said, and put his head on Thaddeus’s shoulder.
Thaddeus sighed and looked up at the mountain, silhouetted by the orange and red light of the setting sun. Somewhere up there his mother was waiting for them to rescue her. He sent encouraging thoughts her way, assuring her it would be just a little longer.
THE NEXT morning, Thaddeus and the other kids put off working on their chores to explore the town. They set out from the inn right after breakfast. Thaddeus’s ankle felt fine, but they all strolled slowly along the sidewalk anyway, taking in the details of the houses they passed. The street on which the inn was situated was all residential, made up of houses of many different styles, all with spacious yards. They only saw a few people outside, working in yards or on their way to run errands or go to work.
“Not many people around,” Teofil said.
Thaddeus nodded. “I noticed that too.”
“Where are they all?” Astrid asked. “A lot of the lawns are overgrown and the bushes need to be trimmed. Did they just leave their houses?”
“Maybe they just packed up clothes and drove off?” Thaddeus suggested.
Astrid shivered and reached back to take Dulindir’s hand. “Makes me think of the village by the Well of Tears.”
“Bower’s Grotto,” Dulindir said, and nodded. “I see what you mean.”
Thaddeus was surprised Dulindir wasn’t more affected by the vacant feel of the town, given how they had found the village where he’d been born and raised—and eventually cast out—in ruins. He did have to agree with Astrid, though. Iron Gulch felt, if not dead already, at least well on its way to that end.
Ruby stood in the front yard of a house near the end of the street, clipboard in hand as she looked over the exterior. She turned and smiled brightly when she saw them.
“Well, it’s our newest young residents!”
“Hi, Ruby,” Thaddeus said, and they all gave a wave.
Ruby approached and stood blocking the sidewalk, more or less forcing them to stop and talk with her.
“Out seeing the sights?” she asked.
“Just checking out the town a bit,” Thaddeus replied.
“I saw your father got a job over at Heap’s General Store.” Ruby’s smile brightened even more, and Thaddeus wondered where she got her energy. “Should I expect him to come visit me at my office soon in search of a more permanent place for you all to live?”
“Oh, um, I don’t think that’s what we’ve got planned,” Thaddeus said, wishing someone else would pick up the conversation and run with it. “We needed some money for supplies and things for the next part of our trip.”
“Ah, I see.” Ruby nodded. “Well, it never hurts to ask, does it? Enjoy your walk, and don’t be strangers.”
At least the others said good-bye along with Thaddeus before they walked on.
When they’d moved out of Ruby’s earshot, Teofil whispered, “Did you notice the flowers?”
“Yes,” Dulindir replied immediately.
“Flowers?” Thaddeus looked between them. “What do you mean? What about the flowers?”
“Nacht macabre,” Dulindir said. “Planted all around the front porch of that house.”
Thaddeus looked over his shoulder. Ruby was looking after them, and when she saw Thaddeus look back she turned away quickly and walked toward the house.
“I don’t think this is something most people understand,” Thaddeus said. “Is it a common flower? My dad and I never really lived anywhere long enough to plant anything.”
“It is not as common as most garden flowers,” Dulindir replied.
Thaddeus glanced at Teofil, worried he might be offended, but Teofil seemed to not be listening.
“You know that sounded kind of mean,” Astrid said.
Dulindir gave her a surprised look. “Mean?” He stopped and turned to face Teofil. “I meant no offense.”
“Oh, don’t worry,” Teofil said with a shrug. “I wasn’t really listening. I was wondering about Ruby.”
“What about her?” Astrid asked, then rolled her eyes. “She’s a little too cheerful for my taste.”
“There’s that, yes, but she sells people houses, right?”
Thaddeus nodded. “Right, she’s a realtor.”
“Oh, that’s what that word means?” Astrid nodded. “I get it now.”
“I won
der if we could get a list somehow of all the houses she’s working on,” Teofil said.
“Why?” Thaddeus asked.
“I’d like to see something.” Teofil looked back the way they had come. “She’s still at that house. Maybe she left her office unlocked?”
Thaddeus widened his eyes and lowered his voice. “Are you suggesting we break into her office? That’s illegal.”
“I will do it,” Dulindir said.
“What?” Thaddeus looked between Dulindir and Teofil. “Wait, this isn’t right. We can’t just break into her office and go through her things.”
A new voice piped in, “Not in the middle of the day, you can’t.”
Thaddeus’s heart jumped, and he started to sweat as guilt swirled within him. He turned and found Aisha standing behind him. She had her eyebrows raised beneath her usual multiple braids and plaid driving cap, and her arms were crossed.
“Where did you come from?” Thaddeus asked.
“I was coming to your house and saw you all leave, so I thought I’d tag along.” She looked at Dulindir. “Are you all talking about breaking into Ruby’s office?”
“What? No!” Thaddeus said, his voice rising as the lie slipped free without a second thought.
“Some kids I went to school with used to break into stores,” Aisha said. “They got caught, and I haven’t seen them since.”
“What happened to them?” Astrid asked, her eyes wide.
Aisha shrugged one shoulder. “Don’t know. Some kids think the Widows killed them.”
“The Widows?” Dulindir asked.
“Yeah, the Widows,” Aisha replied. “The five women that took over the city council when their husbands died. Call themselves the Widows of Iron Gulch.”
“Ruby told my dad and me about the Widows,” Thaddeus said. “Let us know she was one of them. It’s kind of creepy.”
“You’ve got that right,” Aisha said. “Ruby’s all up in everybody’s business around town. She sees everything.”
“See?” Thaddeus said as he looked around at the others. “We can’t break into Ruby’s office.”
“Nighttime would be better,” Dulindir said.
Aisha shook her head. “Bad idea, I’m telling you.”
“See?” Thaddeus waved a hand toward Aisha. “The girl who lives in this town is telling us not to do this. Okay? Can we stop talking about breaking into someplace now? Please?”
“My brothers knew some kids that got arrested for stealing cars,” Aisha said. “This was back before they graduated and then went to work with my dad in the mine. They were all three in the mine when it caved in, that’s why it’s just me and my mom.”
“That’s terrible,” Astrid whispered, and took a step closer to Aisha. “I lost my brother recently too.”
Aisha widened her eyes. “You did?”
Astrid gestured toward Teofil. “We both did. His name was Fetter.”
Aisha made a face. “That’s a funny name.”
“It’s a kind of bush,” Teofil said. “An evergreen.”
“Your name is weird too,” Aisha said.
“Enough with the name definitions!” Thaddeus looked at each of them with wide eyes. “What you’re all talking about is illegal. We could get arrested and go to jail, and we can’t afford to waste any more time than we already have.”
“You’re pretty uptight, aren’t you?” Aisha asked.
“You have no idea,” Astrid said in a low voice, and they laughed together.
Thaddeus grabbed Teofil’s upper arm and met his gaze. “You can’t seriously want to do this.”
“I want to see what houses Ruby has been working to sell,” Teofil replied.
“Oh, is that it?” Aisha made a face and waved her hand at them. “I could show you most of them. She’s got signs up all over town. Lots of them in my neighborhood down past the business district.”
Thaddeus let out a sigh of relief. “There, you see? No need to break the law. Aisha can help us.”
“Can you show us right now?” Teofil asked.
Aisha shrugged. “Sure. Let’s go.”
As they walked, Aisha told them how nice the town had been back when the mine was open. Several empty storefronts were scattered along their route, and she pointed out the Ruby’s Realty signs in the windows of most of them. They all paused to look inside, hands cupped against the glass to help them see the interiors better. Some were completely empty; others still contained desks and chairs.
“Nothing,” Teofil said with a frown, then looked at Aisha. “Are there back entrances?”
“Sure.”
Aisha led them down an alley, which opened up on a parking lot that ran behind the stores. Teofil stopped and pointed, and when Thaddeus looked, he felt a chill go through him. Flower pots filled with nacht macabre stood beside each door with a Ruby’s Realty sign.
“Oh no,” Thaddeus whispered. “What’s that mean?”
“It means she’s calling bad things into town,” Dulindir replied.
“What are you all talking about?” Aisha asked.
“Those plants by the doors,” Thaddeus said.
“Those things?” Aisha shrugged. “They’re all over town, and at least halfway up the mountain. A whole bunch of them by the entrance to the mine too.”
“Is that so?” Dulindir asked. “Interesting.”
“They’ve been around as long as I can remember,” Aisha said. “I don’t know their name, though.”
“Nacht macabre,” Dulindir replied.
Aisha made a face again. “That’s a funny name.”
“It’s a dangerous one,” Thaddeus said. “Do you have any of these flowers by your house, Aisha?”
She shook her head. “Nope. Momma and I prefer rhododendrons and peonies.”
“Hey, that’s our name!” Astrid exclaimed.
“Huh?” Aisha looked between her and Teofil. “That’s your name?”
“It’s our last name,” Astrid said. “Rhododendron is our father’s clan and Peony is the name of our mother’s.”
“Clan?” Aisha frowned.
“She means family,” Thaddeus said quickly, and shot Astrid a warning look. “Those are their family names. Like yours is Hutchins.”
“Okay, sure.” Aisha rolled her eyes as she turned away. “Come on, I’ll show you the houses for sale.”
“Careful, Astrid,” Thaddeus muttered as they fell in step behind Aisha.
“Sorry,” Astrid whispered back. “I got excited.”
“She’s awful at keeping secrets,” Teofil said to Thaddeus.
“I am not,” Astrid said.
“Are too.”
“No I’m not.”
Thaddeus groaned. “Enough! Jeez, I don’t know how your mom keeps you in line.”
“It’s usually Teofil’s fault,” Astrid said, then picked up her pace until she’d caught up with Aisha.
“Sisters,” Teofil grumbled before sharing a smile with Thaddeus.
The houses on the other side of the business district and across a slow-moving river were smaller and had been built closer together. Most were long and narrow, the front wall only large enough to contain a door and one window. Thaddeus and his father had lived in a similar house one year, both of them cramped inside a small back room off the one long hallway. The more affluent kids at his school had laughed and told him it was a “shotgun shack,” because if a gun was fired through the front door, the bullet would go straight through and hit everyone inside.
Several of these houses were well maintained and painted bright colors. Some had small covered porches and flower beds. Most of the houses, however, were empty, with peeling paint and overgrown lawns. All of these houses had For Sale signs from Ruby’s Realty standing in their front yards, and small clusters of nacht macabre growing around the porches.
“All of them,” Astrid said, her voice quiet as she looked up and down the block. “It’s growing at every single one.”
“This is bad,” Dulindir said.
“It’s complicated,” Thaddeus said. He tried to think of a way to explain it so an ungifted would understand the danger of the nacht macabre without needing to understand that magical beings lived alongside her. “I think mostly we’re just really surprised at how many houses are empty and still for sale in your neighborhood after all this time.”
Aisha blew out a breath. “You think that’s bad? You should see my block.”
“We should get back,” Teofil said to Thaddeus, then looked at Aisha. “I’m sorry, but we do need to get back to the inn. We have a lot of chores yet to do.”
Aisha shrugged. “Okay. I don’t blame you. My house isn’t much different from these other houses.”
Thaddeus put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sure it’s a nice place. Maybe another day?”
“Yeah, sure.” Aisha walked away.
“See you tomorrow?” Thaddeus called after her.
Aisha lifted her hand in a wave but didn’t look back.
They returned to town, and Thaddeus found himself counting the number of places he saw the nacht macabre. When he got to thirty, he stopped counting because he was starting to feel afraid. Was Ruby planting all of these flowers around town, or was it someone else? And did any of the residents know the magical purpose for them?
“If someone is planting them on purpose, what would they be trying to call?” Thaddeus asked.
“Could be anything that prefers darkness over light,” Dulindir said.
“Goblins?” Thaddeus asked.
Dulindir nodded. “Yes. That could explain why that one attacked your father out in the field.”
“We haven’t seen any since, though,” Astrid said. “And with all of this nacht macabre around I would have thought they’d be all over.”
“These plants call to all dark creatures,” Dulindir said. “A reaper grub could devastate this town in a short time.”