by Brandon Mull
“What if you need somebody to stuff into a Quiet Box? Or to serve as eel bait?”
“I can’t argue with that.”
“We have to get Seth back,” Knox said. “If that means being guinea pigs, oink oink.”
“I don’t think guinea pigs oink.”
“Maybe the underwater kind do,” Knox said. “We’ll know soon enough.”
Kendra ate quickly, filled up on water, and got to the beach before the others. She found the cyclopses wading in the shallows of the lagoon.
“Any sign of Calvin?” she asked.
“No nipsie sightings as of yet,” Tal said.
“We are enjoying the lagoon until the rain comes,” Hobar said.
“You are preparing to venture down to the depths,” Baroi said. “But you will not feel the water as we do.”
“Is a storm coming?” Kendra asked.
“A ten-minute downpour,” Tal said. “Then some minor showers off and on.”
Kendra looked at the sky. The only clouds were to the north.
“Not for two hours,” Hobar said.
“Will we find the compass down there?” Kendra asked.
“The merfolk know how to guide you to the demon you seek,” Baroi said. “Be courteous. And helpful.”
“If you will excuse us, we are removing invasive sea slugs from the shallows,” Tal said.
“Sure,” Kendra said, taking the hint to leave. She felt disappointed they still had no view of Calvin. Maybe Tanu was right, and Calvin had convinced a bird to take him to another island. He had a way with animals, and he liked to scout around. Maybe he had gone too far for the cyclopses to see him. Or maybe he was just too small.
Knox came down to the beach and plopped on the sand beside Kendra. “I keep trying to imagine this elixir working. It’s hard.”
“We’ll see soon enough,” Kendra said, staring at the ocean, wondering what lurked beneath the choppy surface.
“I’ve been wanting to ask you something,” Knox said. “I’ve been wondering this ever since I learned Fablehaven was magical.”
“Okay,” Kendra replied.
“Do you know what really happened to Grandma and Grandpa Larsen?” Knox asked. “When we all thought they died a few years back?”
“Oh, wow,” Kendra said. “That’s a good question. You wouldn’t have known.”
“The story we heard was almost unbelievable,” Knox said. “Supposedly they had to go into the witness protection program until some trial was over, and so their funeral was staged with wax figures. Even after they got back in touch, we weren’t allowed to know any specifics—for our protection, they said. At least they apologized for making us think they were dead.”
“Their story isn’t too far from the truth,” Kendra said. “The bodies were fakes. Stingbulbs, like Patton. Staging their deaths helped with the cover they needed to work as spies against an evil group called the Society of the Evening Star.”
“So it was magical stuff,” Knox said.
“Yes,” Kendra said.
“I wonder what they’ll tell our parents?” Knox asked. “To explain us being gone.”
“My parents know the truth about Fablehaven,” Kendra said. “Maybe Grandma and Grandpa Larsen will have to let your parents in on the secret too. I guess it partly depends on how long we’re gone.”
“Also depends on if we survive,” Knox said.
“I guess so,” Kendra said. “I hope I can give them better news about Seth than we have right now.” She felt tears coming but held them back.
“Me too,” Knox said.
Tanu and the others had begun gathering on the beach. Two menehune struggled to push Uma’s wheelchair through the sand, the wheels digging furrows more than rotating. A third menehune shaded her with an umbrella.
Tess came up to Kendra and Knox. “You’re going in the water?” she asked.
“Yes,” Kendra said. “Hiking, not swimming.”
“I heard a rumor you’ll see mermaids,” Tess said.
“Yes,” Kendra said. “We’ll be visiting the merfolk.”
“If you see Gracie or Lila, tell them hello,” Tess said.
“What?” Kendra asked.
“They sometimes come up to those boulders by the shore,” Tess said, pointing. “They sing me songs.”
Kendra realized Tess had been spending a fair amount of time around Crescent Lagoon on her own. “Gracie and Lila?” Kendra asked.
“Lila is the blonde one,” Tess said. “Be careful. Savani warned me not to let them touch me.”
Tanu approached Kendra. He held a pouch on a belt. “I thought you might want your unicorn horn. And probably the sack of gales, in case it could be useful.”
“Would it work underwater?” Kendra asked.
“It might,” Tanu said. “That would be a lot of bubbles. Of course, if it isn’t designed to function underwater, it could send you flying all over the sea. But the sack of gales is small, and precious, so I thought you might want to keep it with you, along with the horn.”
Kendra belted on the pouch. She placed the sack of gales and the unicorn horn inside.
Tanu was handing out elixirs. With each he included a small capsule.
“The antidote is in the capsule,” Tanu announced. “Only use it at the surface. Or very near. The capsule is waterproof. Carry it in a pocket.”
Savani was passing out simple necklaces with a crystal attached to each. “These crystals draw light from sister crystals exposed to the sun. They will brighten your way in the deep.”
“Should we drink?” Knox asked.
“Down the hatch,” Tanu said, tipping his vial back into his mouth.
Kendra studied the little vial. It held a smaller dose than most of Tanu’s potions, the fluid a pale purple. She raised the vial to her lips and drank. The liquid tasted of tropical fruits with a citrus tang and was a little salty, with a slightly bitter aftertaste.
“Did it work?” Knox asked.
“We’ll know when we get in the water,” Tanu said.
“I have some items for you,” Savani said. “First, a message of introduction to the merfolk, along with a copy of the map you discovered at Desperation Beach.”
“Thank you,” Tanu said, accepting them.
“For Hako, the loyal harpoon,” Savani said.
Grady stepped forward and presented Hako a seven-foot harpoon with a barbed tip. Hako accepted the weapon solemnly.
“We will also loan you Seaslayer,” Savani said. “The blade moves unhindered in the water and has an edge sharp enough for a clean shave. Your best swordsman should wield it.”
“Warren,” Tanu said without hesitation.
“It might be Vanessa,” Warren said.
“You take it,” Vanessa told him.
Warren accepted the blade from Grady.
“We have extra harpoons for any who want them,” Savani said.
Grady helped Kendra choose a harpoon, slim and light, not quite as long as she was tall. Knox, Vanessa, and Tanu selected harpoons as well.
Warren swished his gleaming sword in the air. “This is a beautiful weapon,” he said.
“May it serve you well,” Savani said. “Our hopes go with you.”
“Time to get wet?” Knox asked.
“Nope,” Kendra said. “Time to stay dry.”
Hako gave a nod. “I will take the lead. Tanu, perhaps you could stay near me with the map? Warren, I suggest you guard the rear. Keep your harpoons ready. Once we pass beyond the lagoon, we could encounter a wide variety of trouble. Remember, just as on land, the underwater boundaries are down. Provoke no creatures, but stay poised to defend yourselves.”
The warnings helped remind Kendra that they were not just going into the ocean—they were descending into the sea at a sanctuary for magical creatu
res. Predators much larger and more dangerous than sharks might prowl the depths below.
Hako and Tanu stepped into the lagoon. It was strange to see the two men wading deep into the water without causing a ripple.
When Kendra entered the water, she felt nothing except the sandy bottom, as if the water were an illusion. That didn’t change as she went deeper. In front of her, Tanu and Warren disappeared under the water, showing no propensity to float.
As the insubstantial water reached Kendra’s neck, she stared across the surface from a low angle, feeling a natural inclination to hold her breath. Then she crouched down, ducking her head under the water. The coloring looked like she was underwater, though the water seemed unusually clear—she could discern crisp outlines for a long distance in all directions. For a moment, all she could do was marvel at the panorama of sand, shells, kelp, coral reefs, sponges, sea fans, and brilliant tropical fish. It was weird not to feel like a clumsy intruder underwater. Though she could see water all around her, she felt no pressure from it, no hint of wetness. Breathing out produced no bubbles, and since exhaling felt normal, she took a small, experimental breath. Inhaling felt exactly like breathing air.
Closing her eyes and taking another breath, Kendra felt like she could have been anywhere. Her last guess would have been underwater. The only hint of dampness was the gumminess of the sand beneath her feet.
“Isn’t this great?” Knox asked, grinning.
“Interesting,” Kendra said. “I hear you just fine. It feels perfectly normal to speak. It shouldn’t, but it does.”
Knox ran over to a coral colony, scattering a school of yellow fish with dark blue stripes. He chased after some of the fish, and they darted in several directions to avoid him.
“If you want to indulge your curiosity, this is the place,” Hako called back to the others. “Once we leave the lagoon, we will have to be on guard.”
Kendra appreciated the permission to explore. Wandering into deeper water, she marveled at the fish floating around and above her. Her freedom of movement created the illusion that the fish were flying. After stooping to pick up a shell, Kendra found it lighter than she expected, but she could feel the resistance of the water as she moved it, letting her indirectly perceive that she was, in fact, underwater. Kendra released the shell and watched it slowly drop to the seabed.
Using the butt of her harpoon like a walking stick, Kendra caught up to Hako and Tanu. Hako pointed out an iridescent crab the size of a toaster.
“Charm crab,” Hako said. “Don’t stare too long or you might get mesmerized. Try to harm the crab and it will leave you stupefied.”
“Stupified?” Knox asked, joining them.
“In a state of deep confusion,” Hako said. “In this lagoon, it’s hard to predict what might be magical. Treat everything you encounter with extra respect.”
“This is the best playground ever,” Knox said.
“It’s a wonderland,” Hako said. “I’ve spent my life exploring these islands, but I’ve never experienced the water like this either. Unfortunately, we do have a mission.”
Kendra nodded. First they needed to deal with the merfolk, then take a prize from a demon. All without getting devoured by sea dragons. “Lead the way,” she said.
The lagoon was deeper toward the middle, then got shallower again as they marched toward the open ocean. Hako led them around a jagged barricade of reefs until they stood at the brink of a high cliff. Kendra stayed a few steps back from the edge, staring in amazement at how far the ocean descended and how dark the depths became.
“That would be a serious fall,” Knox murmured.
“Keep still,” Hako whispered, putting a finger to his lips.
Beyond the edge of the cliff, in the open ocean, a hammerhead shark the size of a school bus was swimming by, tail swishing smoothly. Kendra stared in awe as the tremendous shark traveled across her field of view, eventually swimming out of sight. She was relieved it had not turned toward them.
“That shark was unreal,” Knox said. “Like megalodon huge.”
“We’re sharing this ocean with all sorts of aquatic monsters,” Hako said. “The map indicates a trail this way.” Hako started moving along the underwater cliff, parallel to its edge. “Keep those harpoons handy.”
“I have a feeling I’m going to miss the kiddie pool,” Knox said, glancing back toward the lagoon.
“Let’s just try not to get eaten,” Kendra replied. “Come on.”
The longer Kendra walked, the more she appreciated that the island of Timbuli was merely the top of an underwater mountain, and that going deeper into the ocean meant climbing down it. Not all of the mountain was as steep as the cliffs just beyond the lagoon, and there really was something of a path that wound down the less precipitous slopes, occasionally twisting into switchbacks.
“Who makes a path underwater?” Knox asked quietly. “Fish with feet?”
“We’re at an enchanted sanctuary,” Kendra said. “Might be magic.”
“Or left over from old times when our elixir was in greater use,” Tanu said.
“Could also be the people of the deep,” Hako said.
“Merfolk?” Knox asked.
“No,” Hako said. “The people of the deep are the drowned undead who serve the Underking. I’ve explored underwater all around these islands, and I sometimes see paths. Occasionally on those paths I have spotted shambling wanderers.”
“Like zombies?” Kendra asked.
“More powerful and deliberate than typical zombies,” Hako said. “We’ll keep watch for them—and for a thousand other dangers.”
The path they followed curved and dipped and occasionally rose but mostly descended. The light dimmed the deeper they hiked, making the crystals they wore shine more distinctly. Noon faded to twilight as the shimmer of the sunlit surface passed out of view.
Reefs and fish became scarce as they descended deeper. When they reached a flat, sandy shelf crowded with clams the size of trampolines, Hako carefully led them around the huge bivalves.
“Shouldn’t we check for pearls?” Knox asked.
“Never bother the grand clams,” Hako said. “They summon predators when disturbed.”
They all trod more lightly after the warning. The mountainside became less steep for a time, allowing for easier passage. Hako had them drop and hold still, then pointed out a long sea serpent swooping and corkscrewing in the distance. Without ever coming near, it fluttered away like a ribbon in the wind.
“Are sea serpents dragons?” Kendra asked.
“They are related to the serpentine dragons,” Hako said. “Sea serpents have no legs and no breath weapons, but the largest are the longest of all magical creatures.”
The talk of dragons made Kendra think about Celebrant. Where was he now? What preserve was he trying to topple next? She hoped the members of Dragonwatch were finding ways to resist him. She really hoped they could find the Sunset Pearl. If she could help secure Crescent Lagoon from falling, it would be a measure of payback for losing Wyrmroost to him.
Just as the underwater half-light was fading to black because of the depth, the path came to the brink of a steep drop-off. The trail continued down in a series of switchbacks until it reached an underwater valley. Several dozen enormous shells rested on the sand, shedding luminance. The diverse shapes and colors made Kendra recall seeing Las Vegas from a distance at night on a family road trip.
“Shield your lights,” Hako said, placing a hand over his chest as they peered off the brink.
Kendra hastily covered the crystal she wore around her neck.
“What’s making those lights down there?” Knox asked quietly. “Glowing crabs?”
“Merfolk village,” Hako said. “Their structures are grown rather than built.”
“But they glow,” Knox said.
“Bioluminescent microbes
inhabit them,” Hako said. “Enough to brighten the whole valley. If we dip much below the merfolk village, we enter the endless night of deep sea.”
Kendra reconsidered the shells as buildings, impressed by their organic design. She could see little swimming figures silhouetted against some of the luminous structures. “I see some merpeople,” she said.
“You’re looking at Alluvia Minor,” Hako said. “One of the last known merfolk villages.”
“Are there many unknown ones?” Knox asked.
“Hard to say for sure, if you consider the question,” Warren said.
“We suspect that larger merfolk settlements survive in some unmapped depths,” Hako said. “Over the years, a few of the merfolk have alluded to secret cities.”
“What are those people doing on the outskirts of the village?” Vanessa asked.
“Sharp eyes,” Hako said. “You’ll notice they are all over the valley floor.”
Now that Kendra focused her attention, she saw many figures milling about in the shadows beyond the vibrant illumination of the giant shells. “Dozens,” Kendra said. “Maybe hundreds.”
“People of the deep,” Hako said. “Hundreds of them. A full horde of the zombies. Magical barriers protect the village, but it is besieged.”
“Can we get through the barriers?” Knox asked.
“Mortals can cross any of the village barriers at this sanctuary,” Hako said.
“Look at the whale,” Tanu remarked, pointing.
Kendra followed his finger to see a half-devoured carcass of a whale in the shadows beyond the village, a large portion of the skeleton exposed. People of the deep swarmed the remains, tearing at the blubbery flesh with hands and teeth.
“How fast are these zombies?” Warren asked.
“Faster than you might think,” Hako said. “They’re more skilled and alert than most zombies.”
“We didn’t time this very well,” Warren said. “Is it zombie season?”
“I wonder if the Underking is aware of our intent,” Vanessa said.
“Who knows how long the siege has been going?” Hako said. “It may have started when the preserve fell.”