by John Corwin
Max led us down a tunnel to a room far from the commotion in the main chamber. Percival sat in a leather divan reading a romance novel, tears in his eyes. "Damn you, Jeffrey. Can't you see Melinda loves you?"
I cleared my throat. Percival jerked his gaze up to us. "Just when I finally find time to catch up on my favorite series, you all burst in here like a pack of wild dogs." He groaned and bookmarked his novel. "I see you and Miss Rax returned safely from your journey to the Glimmer."
"Yes." I nodded. "I just wanted to check on your patients."
"You're wasting your time." Percival jabbed a thumb toward a curtained area. "They're asleep back there and I don't think they'll wake until later today or tomorrow. I suppose it doesn't matter to you that good medicine can't be rushed."
"What exactly was wrong with them?" Cora asked.
Percival blinked a few times as if just seeing her for the first time. "And you are?"
Ambria smiled wickedly. "The Glimmer Queen."
Percival paled. "Oh, goodness." He glared at me. "Why didn't you tell me I was in the presence of royalty?" Before I could answer, he bowed to Cora. "Greetings, Your Highness."
Cora frowned uncertainly. "Greetings, healer. What can you tell me?"
Percival straightened. "Well, Your Highness, their memories were blocked by magical manipulation of neurons. It also inhibited them from channeling magic." He picked up a small vial. "This potion repairs the damaged neurons and removes the blocks."
Cora bit her lower lip. "Do you think it could repair memory loss incurred from death and resurrection?"
The healer blinked several times, a blank expression on his face. "I have no idea." He stood and paced for a few moments then faced Cora. "Tell me the exact circumstances."
"I do not remember exactly," Cora said.
I knew the details from Naeve, so I told him. "When Cora first left the Glimmer, she used the reflected world to escape. Her reflection caught her and stole part of her soul. Cora died of cancer in Eden, but since she wore a piece of the anchor stone on a necklace, her soul went to the Soul Tree in the Glimmer."
"Yes, makes perfect sense," Percival said in a tone that indicated it sounded like complete nonsense.
"We captured Naeve and took her to the Soul Tree. I used the Heart of Jura to mend the soul back together within Naeve's body." My voice filled with emotion as I recalled the instant my dear Cora came back to me. "When her soul reunited, it erased Naeve and restored Cora."
"Simple," Percival said. "Our reflections in the reflected world are exact reverse copies of us, but without souls. You brought this woman back into a body that is the mirror image of herself. Her memories are completely out of alignment."
"So her body is backward?" Max asked.
"It's reversed." Percival held up his hands. "In other words, her neurological pathways need minor adjustments so her soul can align with it."
"In other words, your potion won't work," Max said.
"For once, Mr. Tiberius, you are correct." Percival bowed slightly to Cora. "If you would allow me to run some diagnostics, I will see if I can help."
Cora's eyes glistened. "I would be very grateful."
I left her with Percival so I could catch up Kanaan with our latest adventure. I told him about my conversation with Moses and my new relationship with the guardians. I also described the destruction in the Glimmer and the demon portal Victus used to send his troops through.
"This is momentous," Kanaan said in his understated manner. "Once you have recovered, you must overexert yourself again. It is imperative you tap your true potential."
"Is that wise?" Ambria asked. "He needs to conserve his strength in case Victus's monster army finds us."
Kanaan silently stroked his beard for a moment. "In truth, even with Cora and Evadora, Ivy and Nightliss, there is little hope we can defeat his forces."
Chapter 32
My stomach knotted. "We risked our lives to go to the Glimmer for nothing?"
Kanaan shook his head. "I had hoped Cora would bring her own army of creatures to even the odds."
"Hang on a minute," Max said. "Ivy could annihilate all of Victus's monsters."
Ambria rolled her eyes. "Max, you need to take her down off that pedestal and get realistic." She turned to Kanaan. "Can we use that demon portal you stole to our advantage?"
"Out of the question." Kanaan's expression grew grim. "The portal opens a tunnel through Haedaemos. It allows physical beings to travel through the realm of spirits. But without the protection of a powerful demon, any who go through would be at great risk."
"How did Victus use it to reach the Glimmer, then?" I asked.
"I think we know the answer," Ambria replied. "He's a heavy user of demon magic. Surely he has friends in the netherworld."
"A demon lord at the very least," Kanaan said. "Considering the complex design of the last foundry, I suspect a demon overlord."
"Is that the highest rank?" Max asked.
He shook his head. "Baal is the grand overlord of Haedaemos. Few approach him in power." His eyes narrowed. "Even a single overlord might struggle to keep an entire army safe during its passage through Haedaemos. He may have more than one working with him."
"Would Baal have any problems moving an army?" I asked.
Kanaan pursed his lips. "None at all."
"Hold on." Ambria snapped her fingers. "This demon portal can go anywhere in any realm? Could we reach Seraphina through it?"
"As with an omniarch, we would need a clear image of the destination." The magitsu master folded his arms across his chest. "And then we would need to make it through the demon tunnel with our souls intact."
"Have you ever used a demon portal before?" Ambria asked.
Kanaan waved aside the question. "It is not worth the risk."
"Then how are we supposed to win?" I threw out another possibility. "Maybe it's worth the risk to at least try to reach Justin Slade. He's Daemos. Maybe he can negotiate passage through Haedaemos."
"Daemos are not the same as demons," Kanaan said.
Max shuddered. "Yeah, we'd die for sure."
"Then what's the point of all this?" I ran a hand down my face. "If we don't have a chance, then maybe we should just go to Bermuda and wait on Voltis to align with Eden."
"Meanwhile, Victus spawns more monsters, rebuilds the foundry, clones more people, and entrenches himself," Ambria said. "And if we reach Seraphina and find Aerianas in control instead of Justin Slade, our chances of victory will be zero."
Ambria was right. Kanaan was right. Only one other variable remained. "Kanaan, if I'm able to use the first power, will that give us a chance?"
"In truth, I do not know," Kanaan said.
A man screamed. Shouts thundered through the tunnels. We raced toward the source and found several professors standing around the charred remains of a cobalt spider.
"It came from nowhere," Gilbert said.
Horace Moon clenched his wand as if the dead arachnid might awaken at any moment. "There was another one but it got away."
"Which direction?" Kanaan said.
The food director pointed down one of the many tunnels leading out of the chamber. Several of us followed it through a honeycomb of chambers. Most were dead-ends, but some continued on seemingly forever.
Kanaan called a halt after a while. "There is too much to search." He headed back to the main chamber.
I was glad he knew which turns to take because I felt completely lost. "Shushiel told us these tunnels went on for miles."
Cora put a hand on the tunnel wall. "So much dead rock and no place to plant a seed."
"You cannot grow vines here?" Kanaan said. "We may need defenses soon."
"Unless you can crush this stone to dirt, no." Cora brushed off her hands. "Once the roots take hold, they can burrow into the rock. We would have to import dirt from aboveground."
The ruby spiders were on full alert when we returned. Shushiel scurried over to us. "The cobalts must have found anothe
r entrance to the network of tunnels. Now that they have found us, it will not take long for more to come."
Any spark of hope I'd had puffed out like a candle in the ocean depths. "Should we evacuate?"
"We have no choice," Shushiel said. "It may already be too late."
"Maybe we could retreat into the underground forest," Ambria said.
My forehead tightened. "The one with the giant insects? That would be suicide."
"No one told me about an underground forest," Max said. "Does it really have giant bugs?"
"Retreating into the Dark Forest would be suicide," Horace said. "At least here we have bottlenecks and wouldn't have to face the entire army."
Kanaan nodded. "A wise observation against a conventional enemy. Victus has an omniarch. If the escaped cobalt can give him an image of the cavern, they can open a portal anywhere."
I turned to Shushiel. "Is that possible?"
"Spiders have eight eyes and excellent memory." She sagged. "The cobalt spider is capable of opening a portal with the omniarch."
"Then we're doomed." Max leaned against the wall. Eaten by giant insects or murdered by giant spiders. What a choice."
"Hold on." I took Cora's hand and led her into the main cavern with the glowing lake and the chasm leading to the underground forest. "Can you sense the bugs down there?"
She narrowed her eyes in concentration. Shook her head. "There is only dead rock between us and the place below. I cannot grow a vine down the side because of the rock."
"There's glowing fungus growing all over this place," I said. "If it found a place to take root, can't a vine?"
"I will try." Cora pursed her lips. "Do you wish me to request help from the insect kingdom?"
"Yes. Can you?"
Cora walked to the lake and put a hand in it. A school of bright green fish swam up and nibbled on her fingers. She laughed. "Oh, you are too kind."
I looked over the side at the pinpoint of glowing water far below. "Maybe you could drop a seed into the lake down there and it'll grow."
"Fungus can cling to bare rock and flourish," Cora said. "A vine needs soil to take root. I cannot tether myself to the forest below without a direct connection." She removed some seeds from her pouch and gave it to a fish. The school darted away and leapt over the side into the chasm. "My new friends promised to drop the seeds where they can grow."
"Can those purple vines grow that long?" I asked.
She smiled. "Oh, this is a special sort of vine."
Kanaan stood at the edge of the lake watching silently. I wondered if his stomach clenched like mine at the thought of Victus's army pouring in here.
"Hey, guys." Max ran over to us, pulling a giggling Evadora after him. "I came up with another idea."
Ambria looked at him expectantly. "Well, spit it out Max!"
"The tragon!"
Evadora jumped up and down, giggling. "I'm going to find the biggest monster of them all!"
"Can you actually talk to that thing?" I said.
"I can try." She twirled around. "Oh, may I, Mother?"
Cora nodded. "Yes, but be—"
Evadora blurred away before she could finish her sentence.
"Careful." Cora sighed. "She was so much easier to handle without emotion."
"Max, are you insane?" Ambria broke into a smile. "Because that idea is crazy good."
"Huh?" Max scratched his head. "Was that a compliment?"
"I just hope Evadora can control it." Ambria turned to me. "Do you have any of Victus's memories of the tragon?"
"Probably. I'll take a look." I closed my eyes and searched for references to the tragon. The memories came in flashes.
Victus discovers the preserved flesh of an earth dragon killed in an ancient war. Using science and magic, he molds it with the DNA of a Tyrannosaurus Rex. He nurses the fetus to life in a birthing chamber. The tiny tragon is born. Pride swells in Victus's chest.
"You are my greatest creation," he says.
The tragon grows exponentially. Despite Victus's best efforts, the creature will not bond to him. It will not obey. When it is barely a month old and six feet tall, the tragon attacks Victus because it is out of food.
"I freed you of instinct and gave you intelligence!" Victus shouts at the caged beast. "Or did I fail even at that?"
The tragon hisses and lunges at him. It strikes against the bars over and over again, almost as if it doesn't understand that it cannot reach its prey. Ego bruised, choking on disappointment, Victus sedates the beast and banishes it to the Dark Forest. Perhaps one day he will try to tame it again.
"I will learn from this mistake and persevere." Victus stares at his marvelous creation for a long time before turning and heading back to the university.
I snapped from the memories. "Victus tried to make it intelligent, but it didn't work. He was never able to control it."
"Let's hope Evadora can woo it to our side," Ambria said.
A distant rumbling shook loose chips of rock from overhead. I grabbed Ambria and pulled her away from the edge of the chasm. "What's happening?"
Kanaan raised an eyebrow. "Interesting."
Unafraid, Cora peered over the lip into the pit. "Ah, my little fishies did their job."
Stalactites broke free from the cave roof and plunged into the lake. Fish scattered and confused cries rose from the people in the cave beyond. Within minutes, a monstrous black stalk sprouted from within the chasm and rammed into the rocky ceiling. Dust and gravel showered down. Smaller vines spread in all directions, roots burrowing into the rock. Stems reached from the trunk, arcing out to bridge it to the cave floor.
I stared in awe at the giant vine. Reached out a finger and touched the smooth bark of one of the stems. "I never saw one of these in the Glimmer."
"Giant beanstalks were a staple crop in the Glimmer at one time." Cora stroked a leafy stem. "I have not grown one in centuries."
Max recovered his wits. "Did you ever give one to a fellow named Jack?"
Cora frowned. "I do not remember."
"Can you sense the bugs now?" I asked.
She pressed a hand to a vine bridge. Her eyes flared. "There are so many, I can hardly discern which is which."
Ambria tapped my shoulder. "I can tell you that frogres will have no problems fighting giant crickets. We need something a bit deadlier."
"I cannot do this from here." Cora walked across a vine bridge to the beanstalk. "I must go below."
I tried to grab her and missed. "But we need something now!"
"I know, son." Cora blew me a kiss, gripped a vine, and leapt over the side. She vanished into the darkness a heartbeat later.
Shushiel rubbed a foreleg on my arm. "Galfandor led the professors to block off the tunnels just beyond their chambers. That should keep out other scouts."
"It won't stop a portal though." I imagined the cobalt spider scurrying through the forest to reach Victus. "How long would it take you to reach the underground mansion if you ran as fast as you could from here?"
"Nearly three hours," she replied. "I could not run the entire way, so it would take longer."
"Victus would have to get his troops to the omniarch in the first place," Ambria said. "I can't imagine him moving that many monsters very quickly."
Kanaan stroked his beard. "Even now, I suspect more cobalt spiders search for other ways in. They will discover tracks leading to the hidden entrance. Victus will march his forces here and break inside. Battle mages will portal within while the frogres attack from without. We will be crushed in between."
Ambria's mouth fell open. "That's horrific."
"The hilltop with the secret entrance is defensible," Kanaan said. "I believe the ruby spiders can defend it while Galfandor and the professors set up wards in here to prevent an internal assault."
"What if Cora fails?" Max said. "What if Evadora doesn't come back with the tragon?"
A flash of blond hair blurred into the cave. Ivy Slade slid to a halt in front of us, a fierce grin on he
r face. "Look who's back." Sizzling white orbs formed in her hands. "I'm ready to blow up some bad guys."
Max pumped a fist in the air. "Yes!"
Ivy grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him close for a long kiss. When she let go, Max staggered on his feet like a drunk. She smirked. "You're my hero, Max."
"M-me?" He rubbed his eyes. "What did I do?"
She nodded and me and Ambria. "All of you are my heroes. Thank you for saving me, and thanks for getting me back to normal."
"It was a team effort," Ambria said. "Kanaan, Percival"—she waved a hand around the room—"all of us had a hand in it."
"How do you feel?" Max asked.
Ivy spread her hands and summoned a miniature sun between her palms. "Amazing."
I backed away from the intense heat washing over me. "Well, that looks amazing."
Ivy dropped her hands and the sphere faded. She looked at me. "I remember fighting your dad and his monsters. I remember seeing his body and thinking it was all over. I started looking for a way to get my brother back from Seraphina, but no one knew how to repair the Grand Nexus." Her shoulders drooped. "A stranger contacted me and told me he had information." Her eyes glowed white. "A man named Cumberbatch."
Max groaned. "Is that how they got you?"
She nodded. "I don't know how he did it, but he knocked me out. The next thing I remember is waking up to you guys."
"Is Nightliss recovered yet?" I asked.
Ivy shook her head. "Percival says it'll take longer for her."
"Well, we need you now," Max said. He caught her up on the events of the past few hours. "We've got to hold off the bad guys until Evadora and Cora get back, hopefully with reinforcements."
Ivy looked with wonder at the huge beanstalk. "Cora grew that thing in just a few minutes?"
"Yep." Max tested one of the vine bridges with a foot. "Seems pretty sturdy."
I turned to talk to Kanaan but he'd vanished. He emerged from a tunnel with Shushiel and the soldier spiders a moment later, and they headed up the corridor to the secret entrance. I walked toward him. "Let's find out where we're needed."
Kanaan saw us approaching and waited for us to reach him. He nodded at Ivy. "I see you are back on your feet."