The patrol ship was half the size of the Daedalus, with smooth lines and painted in blue and gold, the colors of the House of Lords. Instead of a cabin extending below a balloon, the ship was directly attached to the ivory gasbag, with a pair of wings spreading across the front of the balloon like the old-time figureheads once used on maritime ships. Twin turbine engines graced both sides of it, filling the air with the steady whoosh as the ship drew near.
Bert brought the Daedalus to a pause, then ordered Jeremiah to prepare the plank.
“Why is there a patrol way out here?” one of the crew complained.
“The House of Lords recently made this a no-fly zone,” Will told him.
“Why?”
“No clue.”
The sailor glanced at him suspiciously. “Must be something valuable below. Or something dangerous. What exactly are we retrieving?”
“A family heirloom,” Will told him.
“Strange.”
The patrol ship shut off its motor and let the airship gently coast close to the Daedalus. Once the two ships were near each other, ropes and boards were brought out to tether them together, but keep their balloons apart. Cass watched the proceedings with fascination. The crew of the patrol ship were dressed in uniforms similar to bluecoats, with gold tassels along their shoulders and bright brass buttons along the fronts of their jackets.
Once the main plank was set between the vessels and the rope railing up, Bert and Theo went over to the other ship. The captain greeted them, then led the two men below the top deck.
After they disappeared, Cass let out a sigh, and her body relaxed. She hadn’t realized how tense she had been. Before she could get back to work, she caught a glint of gold out of the corner of her eye.
Murmuring spread across the deck of the Daedalus. On the patrol ship, a man as tall as Theo stepped out from a doorway and onto the deck. His face was covered by a golden oval mask with slits where eyes, nose, and mouth should be. He was dressed like a gentleman, complete with a top hat, jacket, and cravat.
He paused and stared at the Daedalus. Or at least that’s what it looked like to Cass. She couldn’t see his eyes.
“Is that an automaton?” Will asked in a hushed tone.
“I don’t know.” It looked like an automaton, but the way it moved, and the feeling she got from it, was that it was more human than machine.
Then her eyes widened. Had she seen this same metal-man in Decadenn? Her mind churned as she thought back to that night, before she ran into the thugs. She was sure of it. He had been the distraction that caused her to be careless.
What was he doing in Decadenn? Was he following them?
The thought gave her an uneasy feeling as the figure turned and went back through the doorway. But his strange appearance left the crew abuzz.
A half hour later, Bert and Theo returned. Cass was cleaning oil from her fingers when they stepped onto the ship. Bert gave orders for the crew to commence their voyage, then headed to the upper deck. Cass pocketed the cloth as she walked over to Theo.
“So how did you convince the patrol ship to let us through?”
“I had a letter from one of the Families from the House of Lords,” he told her.
Her eyebrows shot up. “You did?”
“Yes. That was my errand when we were docked in Decadenn.”
“But how?”
Theo smiled. “I know the Atwoods. They agreed to help with my mission.”
He went past her and headed for the doorway beneath the upper deck. Cass caught up to him. “You know the Atwoods?”
“I do. Enough to help me with my cause.”
“Which means better research.”
Theo paused inside the dark corridor. “Yes, something like that.” The clanging of pots and pans from the galley echoed along the hallway. “At least I hope what I find will bring me closer to a cure.” He excused himself, leaving Cass standing, imagining a world where there was no more Mist. Where people could live wherever they wanted. No Purges, no fear of Turning. Her thoughts shifted. But where would that leave her? There would be no more need for divers or airships.
She swallowed the lump in her throat as she gazed at the doorway. What would become of her then?
As the sun began to set, Bert rang the ship’s bell to alert them that they had arrived above Voxhollow. The crew gathered along the deck and waited for instructions.
Cas was struggling with a subtle feeling of nausea that had grown in the past few hours, accompanied with thoughts of everything that could go wrong, that did go wrong on the last dive there. And instead of five skilled divers, there would only be Bert and herself, with the newly trained Theo and Cyrus. Her hands were cold and numb as she stood on the deck listening to Bert explain what would happen in the next couple of days.
Tomorrow they would do an exploratory dive to get the lay of the land, since this was a new area. The next day, if the weather continued to prove fair, they would begin searching for their client’s object.
It was all business, like every other dive before. The profession of diving was all about the unknown, being prepared, and taking the risks for the reward at the end.
Cass watched as the crew dispersed and Jeremiah set about lighting the lamps around the ship. They could soon be free. Debts would be paid, and the Daedalus would belong to the crew. And if Theo proved to be correct, the possible eradication of the Mist. This could be history in the making.
She fingered the thin silver chain around her neck, then pulled out the locket. The small oval was smooth and cool in her hand. A tender smile came to her lips. What would Mama and Papa think if they were here? “Thank you for saving me,” she whispered. She looked up at the night sky. A dozen stars twinkled across the expanse, and more appeared every second. She thought of Captain Gresley who had saved her, too.
“We’ll finish this mission,” she said to them silently. “And who knows, we might change the world doing it.” The thought didn’t sweep away her uneasy feelings, but it did calm them.
Just a little.
The moment her glider broke through the Mist, Cass took in a filtered gasp through her gas mask. The world below was unlike any she had ever seen before. In past dives, the land appeared dull and colorless despite its vegetation, as if time had stopped the moment the Mist covered the area.
But the land here was different. A powdering of white covered everything, from the old oak trees that dotted the hills to the overgrown grass and weeds along dirt roads to the numerous rooftops and chimneys that made up the ruined city of Voxhollow. It wasn’t snow or ash, but more like a fine, hazy dust, with thin threads waving in the breeze. On second glance, they appeared almost like spider webs.
Cass cringed at the thought. Spiders?
As they vectored toward Voxhollow, the expanse and size of the city filled her with dread. How would they find this heirloom amongst all the wreckage and crumbling buildings? Yes, they a few clues to go by: the west end, near where one river converged with another, and it was a home, not a factory or one of the larger buildings. But still, this was not going to be easy.
They drifted over the narrow, crumbling roofs, past streets where tree roots had upturned the cobblestone, past the heart of Voxhollow where a large city square was surrounded by whitewashed buildings, towering oak trees, and followed the main river just north of the square toward the point where it converged with a second, smaller river.
In another time and another place, Voxhollow was probably a beautiful city bustling with life and color. Cass could almost imagine the sounds and imagery as she gazed down. Like Belhold, only better. But now, death and shadows lived amongst the ruins.
Bert led the way, their descent bringing them closer and closer to the surface. Soon they would need to land. As the ground drew near, Bert steered them just right of the river toward a narrow road near the edge of the city, where there were clusters of red brick houses, tiny yards enclosed by low stone walls, and the second river converged with the main one. Th
e dusting almost appeared like snow on the first day of winter. Except that it was approaching summer, and the air was warm and muggy.
It was a pretty little district, but hardly extravagant. She couldn’t envision any family like Theo’s dwelling in such a common place. Then again, they had retrieved an item for the Staggs family from a small town, and the Staggses were part of the House of Lords.
Bert landed first in the middle of the street with Theo following. As Cass pulled up on her own glider to stall, she couldn’t help but be impressed with how fast Theo had caught on. Good thing, too. She couldn’t imagine continuing to tandem glide. There was a loss of freedom with the extra weight.
Cyrus came down nearby and let out a cry. Cass could tell the way he crumpled to the ground that he had landed wrong. Bert reached him first while she quickly stowed away her glider. Gales, they couldn’t afford to lose a diver this early into their mission, not without knowing how many Turned infested this area.
With that thought, Cass brushed the revolver at her side and pushed her goggles back. She scanned the first few buildings while Bert attended to Cyrus. Hopefully Cyrus’s injury wasn’t anything serious.
“See anything?” Theo asked, coming to her side.
“No.”
“Is that good or bad?”
“I’m not sure,” she said as she did another pass with her gaze. She had half expected the area to be crawling with Turned like Magmire, but there wasn’t a body in sight.
Theo moved away and bent down. He fingered the cobblestone. “Interesting.”
“Interesting how?”
“This white fuzz is a thick clustering of spores.” He surveyed the area while still down on his haunches. “I’ve never seen Mist spores so thick in an area.” He looked over his shoulder at Cass. “Have you seen anything like this during any of your dives?”
She shook her head. “No. What are the threads flying in the air? Are they also spores?”
“I’m not sure. I haven’t seen those before, either.” He pulled out a small glass vial from his pocket and reached for a tiny wisp of thread hanging from the edge of an overgrown weed that had made its way through the cobblestones. He pinched the thread, then placed it in the vial and corked it shut. “I’ll take a look at it once we’re back on the Daedalus.”
“It’s not from spiders, is it?” Cass asked, trying not to shudder.
He laughed. “I don’t think so. But you never know. Who knows what we might discover here?”
Cass heard her name and turned to see Bert assisting Cyrus as the young man limped on one leg. “It looks like Cyrus twisted his ankle when he landed, and since he won’t be able to run with a glider, I need to tandem glide him back up to the Daedalus.”
Oh, no. “Will you be coming back down?”
“Most definitely. I don’t want to leave you alone down here. But it’ll be over an hour before I return, if not longer.” He looked at her intently. “Do you feel comfortable scouting this area of Voxhollow?”
A sick feeling pooled inside her at the thought of being left with just Theo. He was still inexperienced, and this place . . . Her eyes roved across the rows of brick houses and the shadowed silhouette of Voxhollow behind Bert. There was something eerie about it. “Yes,” she responded before she could change her mind. But she didn’t want to waste any time here. The faster they found what Theo was looking for, the faster they could leave.
“You’re sure?”
“Yes,” Cass repeated firmly.
“I’ll be back, then. Watch for me.”
“All right.”
Bert began pulling out the extra cord for tandem flying, and Cass turned to Theo, who had been listening to the exchange. “Ready?”
“Certainly.” She wondered if he meant to sound so encouraging.
Taking a stale breath through the gas mask, she pulled out her revolver. “Then let’s go.”
First, they would check out this section of Voxhollow. Given its location, it was the best place to start. With Bert gone, it would be up to her to mentally catalog what they found, how this particular locality was laid out, and anything remarkable about the area. At the same time, she would work with Theo and look for clues as to where this family heirloom might be. On their way down, she hadn’t spotted any opulent homes near the river convergence, and every house here looked pretty much the same. She eyed Theo as they started along the street. Did that mean his family was not one of means before the Plague Wars?
The Mist rolled along the streets like a fog on an autumn morning, greenish grey, with pockets of pale sunlight from the sky above. It was almost enchanting, save for the constant need to listen and watch for any Turned. They crossed over the stone bridge that spanned the second, smaller river. So quiet. Not even a bird sang, and no animal rustled in the overgrown weeds.
Cass gripped her revolver as they passed the first row of brick houses, spreading her senses out as far as she could. More of the strange threads wafted in the gentle breeze that moved along the street. Theo said they weren’t spider webs, but she wasn’t convinced and jumped as one reached out and brushed her arm.
“Did you say something?” Theo asked.
“No, I just don’t like those threads,” she said. “Or spiders,” she added under her breath.
After a few more steps, Theo looked around. “Should we go into any of these houses?”
“We will. But first I want to scout out this area. We don’t want to be caught unaware by any Turned.”
“The city seems strangely quiet. Is that odd to you?”
Cass paused. “Yes. Usually there are animals or birds, even in places that were once occupied by humans. But this place doesn’t seem disturbed.”
Theo narrowed his eyes. “I wonder . . .” he muttered.
“Wonder what?” Cass inquired, every muscle tight in her body as they ventured further into the district. There were no footprints in the dust, no disturbance.
“I’m wondering if this was the epicenter of the Plague Wars.”
“What?” Cass stared at Theo. “What makes you think that?”
“Because . . .” He hesitated. “Because my family helped create the spores that eventually became the plague. The history books say the spores were let loose along the western mountains south of here. But perhaps this is where it really happened.”
Cass gasped. “Your family caused the Plague Wars?”
“No, no.” He raised his hands. “An ancestor tried to stop the war peacefully. But his plan backfired. I want to find his writings or something related to his work.”
This sudden knowledge knocked the breath out of her. All the grief, the pain, the poverty. If it wasn’t for the spores, her parents would still be alive. Captain Gresley and Oliver would still be alive. Her childhood would have been very different, more stable, instead of living in the shadows of Belhold. “Why wasn’t anything done?” she asked sharply, walking faster, her hand clasped tightly around her revolver.
“It’s a long story.”
“I can’t imagine a story long enough to justify any of this.”
“You’re right,” Theo assented. “Cass, when we get back to the ship, I promise I’ll tell you everything I know—”
She halted, cutting him off with an upraised fist. There was a soft rustle from inside the house on their right. The door was shut, but the window beside it was open.
Cass kept her eyes on the window, slowly approaching with her revolver ready. The interior was dark, with a fine filament of white dust covering two overstuffed chairs next to a small fireplace.
A figure moved in one of the chairs, causing a cloud of spores to rise into the air.
Cass stumbled back, choking down a scream. “Turned,” she whispered.
The door behind them opened with a creak. Cass swung around as a body shambled out of another house, pale with white spores. As it moved, the white dust drifted off, exposing a strange-looking Turned unlike any Cass had ever seen. Most had bodies in various states of decay, but thi
s one appeared almost whole, except for leathery skin, sunken hazy eyes, and shriveled fingers. Like dried fruit.
It tilted its head toward Theo and Cass.
“Run!” Cass yanked Theo’s arm and sprinted down the street. They needed a chokepoint, somewhere they could hole up so she could take out any Turned while assessing their situation. But as they ran, more and more doors opened and the strange-looking Turned poured into the street as if suddenly awakened from a deep sleep.
She breathed heavily through her mask as her heart beat madly inside her chest. Would they find anywhere that was safe? What was wrong with these Turned? What was wrong with this place?
Near the end of the block, she went left and opened the door of the nearest house. Three Turned stood in the hallway at the bottom of the stairs.
Cass slammed the door shut and ran for the next one.
“Cass,” Theo yelled. “Let me help,” He ran across the street and started looking inside houses. The Turned behind them drew closer. Out of the corner of her eye, she scoured the mass. There were at least twenty or thirty of them now.
She began hyperventilating as she rushed for the next house. We’re not going to make it. There’s too many of them! Captain Gresley’s face popped into her mind, the way his eyes rolled up into his head as the spores took over his body. No one was safe from the Mist. Her free hand reached for her neck. I’m going to die! I’m going to die! Elaeros, if you are real, help me!
The last thought came unbidden as she drew near the end of the district.
Please, I don’t want to die.
Tears now streamed down her face. I don’t know what’s on the other side, and I’m not ready to face it. Not like Captain Gresley. He knew you. But I don’t. She stumbled up against the last house, her whole body shaking and drenched in sweat.
Please . . . save me.
“Cass! I found a house!”
Cass spun around and wiped her eyes with her free hand. Theo was on the other side of the street, beside an open door of a two-story brick structure.
Secrets in the Mist Page 19