Thisbe took another deep breath and let it out, collecting her thoughts. “Okay, well. We have to climb down, that’s what. And it would be best to make it down before it’s bright enough out for anyone to see us. Hook your harness to mine.”
While Rohan connected the harnesses, Thisbe got on her hands and knees at the edge of the opening. She assessed the situation, with only shadows to hint at the variations in the wall, then carefully placed four invisible hooks directly to one side of the opening, where she expected she’d need her hands and feet to go in order to swing out of the mouth of the cave.
Thisbe glanced at Rohan. “Are you ready?”
Rohan’s gray face was tinged with green, but he nodded.
Thisbe reached out sideways for the first handhold. She found it and grabbed on. “Watch where I go so you have an idea of where the hooks are. Okay?”
Rohan nodded again and gulped hard.
“And we’ll move one at a time. If one of us falls, the other has to be hanging on tightly if we’re going to have a chance of surviving this.”
“My God,” whispered Rohan. “You don’t seem scared. Why in the world aren’t you petrified? I’m shaking.”
“I’m terrified,” Thisbe admitted. “But we don’t have any choice. Unless you want to go back?”
“No. We need to continue.”
“Okay. Here I go. Watch the harness ropes so we don’t get tangled.” Thisbe sat on the edge and let her feet dangle out. Hanging on to the first hook, she slowly slid out, reaching her foot to find the invisible hook that was there somewhere. She felt the blood drain from her face and tried not to think about the height. She’d done something far worse before with Hux and Fifer and Seth. Now at least she’d remembered this spell.
As she slipped farther and farther off the edge of her seat, she began waving her foot, trying to find the hook. Finally her toe struck it. She relocated the hook and rested her toe on it, then eased her upper body out and started to reach toward the other handhold. “This is the absolute worst thing I’ve ever willingly done in my life,” she muttered, then gasped and swung out. Her foot stayed solid as she pivoted and reached wildly for the other hook, slamming her hand into it hard. Fingers stinging, she found it again and grabbed on, pulling her face and body close to the rock wall. “Phew,” she breathed. Then she found the second foot hook. She rested for a moment, her cheek against the cool rock, then turned her head and looked at Rohan. She blew out a breath from deep in her chest and tried to smile.
He looked back at her, fearful.
With her body frozen in terror, she wasn’t sure if her smile had translated. “Everything’s great,” she assured him. She made another set of hooks next to the first set, and began the process of moving sideways, lifting her line of harness over one of the hooks to help in case either of them fell. “Eventually we’ll go down one below the other, like descending a ladder,” she explained, “but let’s just get you out here first.”
Rohan nodded. He found the first handhold, then began sliding out and searching for the first foothold like Thisbe had done. “This is utterly grim and horrifying,” he muttered. “I’m not sure why I’ve become your friend.”
Thisbe laughed softly, glad he was trying to make a joke. “You’ve really gotten yourself into a mess with me,” she said.
“I had no idea you could do all of this magic,” said Rohan. “You are a goddess, and I am but a mortal boy of no significance who will surely die in moments.” He connected with the foothold a little easier than Thisbe, as he was taller and it wasn’t quite as far of a reach for him.
“You’re fine.” Thisbe watched him and realized the conversation seemed to be helping him cope. “Just wait until you see me make things come alive. I didn’t try it with the bones for obvious reasons.”
Rohan managed a smile before he swung out and dangled precipitously for an instant, then hit the rock wall chest-first. He made a noise and flailed, panicking a little.
“Your handhold is right next to mine,” Thisbe said, trying to stay calm. “You’re doing great.” If he fell, she wasn’t at all certain she could support his weight. The points of the hooks dug into the soles of her shoes a bit, but it wasn’t the most uncomfortable thing Thisbe had ever endured, though it might be by the time they neared the bottom. Rohan found the top hook and gripped it tightly. He was breathing hard. “Was it really necessary to make the hooks invisible? What was the thinking there?”
“Not my spell,” said Thisbe, eyeing him. “Are you doing okay?”
“Yes, for now,” said Rohan, panting. “Tell me more about something. Anything. Your world. I don’t care what.” He pushed his face into the wall and couldn’t slow his breathing. “Help me,” he said.
“Try taking one deep breath,” Thisbe said. “That’s what my friend Seth would suggest. He has trouble breathing sometimes when he panics. It just happens. It’s real, though, and he says it feels awful, but it’s going to be okay. One deep breath, if you can, and blow it out.”
Rohan tried to do what she suggested.
Thisbe told him a little bit more about Seth while she planted two more sets of hooks, one set directly below each of them, equidistant apart like a ladder so it would be easier to find them. “The hardest part is over,” she told Rohan. “You made it out. Still okay?”
Rohan nodded. He took in a couple more breaths and blew them out as slowly as he could. “My arms . . . and legs . . . are rubber.”
“That’s just how they feel on the outside. Inside you have strong muscles from all the work you’ve done. They won’t fail you now.” She watched him for a moment as his breathing evened out. “Your next hooks are just a couple feet directly below the first set. Let’s do this together. Which foot do you want to start with?”
“Left,” said Rohan.
“Okay. Here I go. Did I ever tell you about the Island of Graves? It’s covered in saber-toothed gorillas.” Thisbe found her left foot hook and moved to the right foot.
“No,” said Rohan, copying her when she was solidly in place. “I’m quite sure I’d remember that. Tell me.”
As Thisbe talked about the Island of Graves and how Kaylee had lived there in a tree for a year before Alex, Sky, and Aaron had rescued her, they moved down another set of hooks. Thisbe kept planting new ones directly below the existing ones as they went, and soon both of them became a bit more comfortable.
“How did you stop yourself from being swept down the river back there?” asked Rohan after a while. “I thought you were lost for good and I was stuck forever.”
Thisbe told him about the glass spell and how she’d used it to make walls to push herself back against the current. Then she told him how most people in Artimé could hold their breath for several minutes.
The edge of the sky tinged orange, and while the two of them remained in the shadow of the wall, at least they could see the ground. But their limbs were growing weaker. It became harder for Thisbe to tell stories because it was wearing her out, so she stopped. Every step required concentration on their shaking legs.
By the time they were two-thirds of the way down, they were spent and beginning to really worry they wouldn’t last. Thisbe couldn’t place her hooks properly anymore, and both of them slipped at least once. The bottoms of their feet became tender and painful.
But they couldn’t stop. Eventually, because of how taxing the magic was becoming, Thisbe stopped making double ladders and moved over to Rohan’s ladder. That helped her magic fatigue, but they were exhausted all around. They’d been up all night and hadn’t eaten in ages. At one point, the volcano in the lake erupted with a huge blast of water, scaring them both—they’d never been so close to it when it had gone off before. After the water had slapped the lake, a fireball flew out. The spout spewed lava and a second fireball. Then after some time, the volcano plunged into the water and disappeared. “We have one of those in our world too,” said Thisbe. “Pirates used to live under it in a big glassed-in world.” The image of a pirate
ship flitted into her mind—the same one from when she’d taken the ancestor broth—but it disappeared, and with her exhaustion, she soon forgot about it.
Rohan couldn’t respond. They continued, fighting through pain and weakness.
Finally they made it to the ground. The sun was coming up. They looked around for soldiers but saw no one. Then they crawled on shaky limbs to the edge of the lake to drink some water. Soon they took to the thick foliage beside it and collapsed under some bushes, unable to go any farther without rest.
Before they fell asleep, two giant shadows passed over them, heading straight for the opening to the catacombs. But the brush hid everything from view.
Mass Confusion
The Artiméans had spent a troubled night in the forest, with Talon and Simber keeping careful watch over the others while they slept. They’d all hoped Kitten was safe after the unexpected ruckus and would make it to the elevator sometime during the night. They were comforted by the fact that she was so tiny she wouldn’t be noticed, and even if someone stepped on her, she had more lives left.
Before dawn the first wave of the rescue team set off toward the cave entrance: Talon flying with Alex, and Fifer and Crow in the hammock being carried by the falcons. They rose above the trees and swept over the quiet city and the empty square. Few signs of the previous evening’s fight remained. Talon and Alex headed to the hill beyond the city square, in the direction of where they’d seen the smoke. Fifer commanded the falcons to follow Talon’s lead. It took them quite some time to reach the far side of the hill where the cave entrance was, but Crow and Fifer didn’t speak much. They were anxious and focused.
Fifer was a bit perturbed not to be going in the elevator entrance, which, according to what Dev had said, was much closer to where Thisbe’s crypt was. But she and Seth had told the others where to look for her. Plus, Talon and Alex needed more help at this entrance, and Fifer was the only other flying option small enough to fit into the cave.
Simber would stay behind in the forest—feeling helpless, Fifer supposed. At least she didn’t have to do that. Alex hadn’t even suggested leaving her behind. It was a relief to really and truly be doing this without him always telling her no. She finally had a chance to show him what she could do. She hoped she wouldn’t mess up.
When Talon and the birds rounded the hill, the quiet crater lake came into view. There was no volcano in sight, not that this team was expecting to see one. They circled above the lake as they waited for sunrise, barely able to see anything but the outline of the shore and a stream that rushed to meet the lake. When the sky began to lighten, they finally spotted the cavelike entrance to the catacombs. They moved toward it, trying to get a look inside at what they faced, while also being careful to stay out of sight of anyone who might be looking out.
“Do you hear that?” asked Crow when they got close to the cliff side. “That river? It’s coming from inside the hill.”
“That’s strange.” Fifer strained to listen, and she could hear it faintly. “Maybe it runs through the hill and somehow becomes that stream we saw.” When they pulled up alongside Talon, Fifer told him and Alex about it. They waited for the signal to go in, all the while fidgeting and worrying.
Alex looked back at Fifer. “Are you ready?”
Fifer nodded. “Are you?”
Alex gave her a broad smile. “I’ve never been readier.”
Crow nodded at Alex and said with respect, “It’s really good to have you here, Alex.”
“Thanks,” said Alex. “It’s good to be back.” He hesitated, then added, “Once we have Thisbe, we’re going to find Sky. I know everyone thinks she dead, but I don’t. If Queen Eagala could survive the plunging volcano, Sky certainly must be able to. I . . . I can feel her still. Somewhere.”
His face was filled with such conviction, it made Fifer believe it too.
But Crow smiled sadly. “If you say so, I’ll take heart in that. Though I fear I’ll never see my sister again.”
At last Seth’s seek spell came flying toward Fifer. It stopped and exploded into a little dance diagram that Fifer had sketched and given to him.
“Okay,” said Fifer, feeling her nervousness ramping up. But she sat up quickly to remind everyone of the plan. “That’s it. Let’s go in. Talon, you and Alex first. We’ll be right behind you. Go as fast as you can so we can get to Thisbe.”
“Yes, ma’am,” said Talon very seriously, and Alex nodded.
Fifer smiled to see them treating her as a valuable team member, and the nervousness washed out of her. “Let’s do it.”
Talon, carrying Alex, flew toward the cave opening, hovered for a moment, and disappeared inside. Fifer waited a beat, then directed Shimmer and the other birds. “Forward!” she cried. “Into the cave!”
The falcons turned sharply. Crow and Fifer sat up so they could see over the edge of the hammock. Crow held his slingshot ready, though he hoped he wouldn’t have to use it. Fifer fingered the spell components in her vest pockets, knowing by heart where each kind was placed. She was ready to take down anybody in her way.
• • •
Back in the city square, Samheed, Lani, Kaylee, Carina, Seth, and Thatcher waited, trying to guess exactly where the elevator would come up based on where Seth’s seek spell to Kitten had gone down. It seemed to be taking her some time to figure out how to make the elevator move, and for a little while Seth worried that he’d sent Talon, Alex, Crow, and Fifer into the cave prematurely. Then he worried that something had happened to Kitten, and he began imagining all the disasters that could occur if he and his part of the rescue team couldn’t get in.
But his fears were assuaged when the cylinder began to rise. The team ran over to surround the spot, armed with components in case soldiers were coming up with it, but the contraption appeared empty.
“Inside! Quickly!” whispered Lani. They flooded over and squeezed inside.
“Mewmewmew!” came a muffled sound from the top of the lever on the control panel. Kitten jumped up and down on the lever until it switched and the elevator began making a whirring sound.
“Kitten!” Seth cried, reaching out to her. “You did it. Great job! Come here and have a rest.”
Kitten climbed into Seth’s hand as the elevator began dropping again. “Mewmewmew?”
No one knew what she was asking, and Simber, the only Kitten interpreter, was hiding back at the edge of the forest waiting for a sign from them. Now that they were descending, everyone focused on what they would face at the bottom.
As their eye level dropped below the ground, they were horrified to see dozens of soldiers watching the elevator and waiting for them—no doubt they’d noticed it going up a moment before.
The rescue team was poised to fire spells from their cramped positions through the opening. As soon as they could cast an accurate spell, Samheed and Lani fired clay shackle components at the nearest two soldiers. The elevator stopped, and they shoved the shackled ones out of the way. Then they exited and, while each firing off a round of scatterclips, moved aside so their teammates could get out too. Some of the spells hit just right, sending multiple soldiers stacked and pinned to the wall. The soldiers, unaccustomed to fighting against magic, were so surprised they hardly tried to retaliate at first—they’d never seen nor expected anything like this before.
Behind the soldiers stretched a long hallway with several huge doors, and thanks to Dev, the Artiméans knew that Thisbe resided in one of these crypts. But was she in it now? She could be anywhere in the maze. And, unfortunately, more soldiers were arriving to keep them from finding out.
Kaylee swung out expertly with her sword, driving the soldiers back so her magical friends had room to take proper aim. She winced now and then as a spell whizzed by her ear, but she had faith that they wouldn’t accidently hit her after all the training they’d done. Besides, she had other things to worry about. The soldiers had regained their senses and were fighting back hard.
The rescue team pressed forward a
few steps, but another rank of soldiers came running from a side passage, pushing the Artiméans back against the elevator again. Despite making no forward progress, the mages leaned in and continued pelting the soldiers, setting off several dizzying backward bobbly heads just in time to stop from being skewered. At the moment, that was what counted the most. If they could stop the army from getting too close and capturing them, they might be able to knock some of them out of commission permanently. And hopefully Talon, Alex, Fifer, and Crow would be coming to help after a while. It was probably a good thing that they’d ended up having a head start.
As the first few soldiers’ spells began to wear off and even more soldiers appeared, it became clear that the rescue team was far outnumbered, and their opponents were well trained. Samheed took a sharp hit to the side, knocking him down. Kaylee fought on, but the soldiers’ swords connected with her and left her battered and bloodied.
While Seth and Thatcher covered the others, pelting the soldiers with spells, Carina dragged Samheed to safety and called out to Kaylee, who was still struggling to fight. Kaylee gratefully dropped back behind the others and took Carina’s medical kit so she could apply Henry’s magical ointments to herself and to Samheed’s wounds. Carina rejoined the fight.
Kitten was alarmed to see that two strong Artiméans had already fallen. Having overheard that somehow Crow and Fifer had arrived while she’d been gone and were now with Alex and Talon, she slipped out of Seth’s pocket unnoticed to find them. She ran along the passageway, sniffing the air wildly in search of Crow, who, other than Fox, was her favorite. She could tell he was down here, but where? She paused at a hallway, noticing the symbols on the wall that she’d been studying all along on her underground journey, and darted down it. She galloped at full Kitten speed, which was quite impressive, determined to find the others and lead them to help as quickly as possible.