“Liam, as I knew your father, left Harborsmouth after that foul demon bargain,” he said. “He is cursed to walk the world carrying a lantern filled with an ember from the fiery pits of Hell. Will-o’-the-Wisp has become Jack o’ Lantern. He carries the lantern until the curse can be broken or he hands the lantern over to another.”
“But if he passes the lantern on to someone else, he’s effectively cursing them, right?” I asked.
“Yes and the lantern must be taken up willingly,” he said. “The role of Jack o’ Lantern cannot be forced, though trickery and manipulation are permitted.”
“So my father is trying to find a way to break the curse without damning someone else,” I said. “Is that why he left Harborsmouth?”
“He left because the lantern is dangerous,” he said. “Your father realized that the lantern he carried was a conduit to Hell. Liam did not want to harm you or your mortal mother with its presence.”
My father didn’t abandon us—he was trying to protect me and my mother. My heart swelled.
“Do you know where he is now?” I asked.
I bit my lip.
“I am sorry, princess,” he said. “The last known location for Jack o’ Lantern was Fukushima, just before the tsunami and nuclear disaster. Many went missing that day, both fae and humans, and I lost track of your father. Locating him again will be difficult, but I will have my people look into it.”
The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster was known the world over. Radioactive materials had been released due to a meltdown at a nuclear power plant in Fukushima Japan. The nuclear disaster followed the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami which caused over 15,000 casualties.
Had my father been injured during the disaster? Was he even still alive? I shook off the heavy cloak of doubt before it had a chance to suffocate me.
My mouth went dry as another thought wormed its way into my head. Had my father’s presence had something to do with the Fukushima disaster? If so, the lantern he carried was more dangerous than I thought.
I sighed. I needed to talk to my father, but there was nothing to do now but wait for a lead to his whereabouts. I had no doubt that if anyone could discover where my father was hiding, it was the cat sidhe. For now, my fate, and my father’s, were in Torn’s hands.
The cat sidhe leaned forward, tilted his head, and studied me with open curiosity.
“And the second reason you sought me out?” he asked.
Oh, right. I’d wasted enough time on my own personal agenda. It was time to learn what I could about the walking dead. If I could trace the reports of strange lights and other supernatural activity to a specific burial ground, then we’d be one step away from rescuing those kids.
“You said that you’d heard rumors of ghost sightings in Harborsmouth,” I said. “I think these sightings might be linked to a case I’m working involving missing fae kids.”
Torn hissed and his eyes flashed bright yellow in the dark alley, but his anger wasn’t aimed at me. Faerie children are rare and precious to the fae. I gave the guy a moment to collect himself.
“Our children are missing?” he asked.
“Yes, over thirty kids that I know of so far,” I said. “The calls started pouring in this morning. We have some leads, but we’re short on time.”
“Tell me what you know,” he said.
I gave him the Cliffs Notes version of the case. When I mentioned the rats, every cat in the alley showed their teeth and claws. Apparently cat sidhe and their feline followers aren’t besties with the rats of the city. Since most of the rats I’d seen in my vision were the size of cats, I assumed they made a dangerous foe, especially in large numbers. But if I were a betting girl, I’d put my money on the cat sidhe in a fight.
“We know that Melusine is capable of murdering children,” I said. Ceff blanched, but I continued on like I hadn’t noticed. It was better to get this over with fast, like ripping off a bandage. “We also know that The Piper will need to begin the Danse Macabre in order to feed off the children’s life energy and to fulfill his bargain by providing Hell with their souls.”
“You’re running out of time,” Torn said.
“Yes,” I said. I swallowed hard. I just hoped we weren’t already too late. “I know who the key players are, and what they want, but what I haven’t been able to figure out is where they are hiding. I just know that it’s likely that they are near a burial ground.”
“And you think the ghost sightings might lead you to them,” he said. I nodded. “Do you have a map of the city?”
“Yes,” I said. I pulled up the map display on my phone.
Torn stared at the map, brow furrowed.
“Here and here,” he said, pointing. “Most of the ghost sightings are reported near these two cemeteries— Ocean Overlook and Far Point.”
They were the two oldest and largest cemeteries in Harborsmouth, each encompassing acres of city land. It was a lot of ground to cover, but at least Torn had helped us narrow the search to two possible locations.
“Thank you,” I said.
“If you wish to thank me,” he said. “Bring back our children.”
I nodded and turned toward the wall where we’d entered from Club Nexus, but the door was gone. I turned to Jinx who shrugged.
“Ahem,” Torn said. Torn stretched catlike and slid down from the table, his boots silent as they hit pavement. “This way.”
Torn sauntered with feline grace toward the end of the alley. The sea of cats parted as we followed their leader. I wondered where they had hidden the exit. Was the door somewhere in the brick wall? The alley mouth? I just hoped it wasn’t inside the dumpster.
I walked up behind Torn and he stepped aside with a flourish. We were standing facing a dark street that looked entirely real. I rubbed my forehead trying to make sense of what Torn was showing me. The energy jolt I’d received when entering the club was wearing off and I was too tired for games.
Torn pointed to my left and I gasped. The entrance to Club Nexus, still guarded by the ogre bouncer, stood a few doors down from the alley. How could that be possible?
“We aren’t inside the club?” I asked.
Torn looked down at our feet standing inside the alley and lifted his eyebrows.
“Now that is a matter of opinion,” he said. I stepped out onto the sidewalk, testing a theory, and turned back to Torn. He nodded and smiled. “You are most definitely outside the club.”
I looked up at the night sky, a grin pulling at my lips. We’d found the answers we were looking for and saved valuable time. The strange geography of the cat sidhe’s pocket of Club Nexus meant we didn’t have to go back through the club to find an exit—and I wouldn’t have to face the stares of snoopy curiosity seekers.
I cracked my neck and lowered my head to look at my companions. Jinx slid her crossbow into her bag and Ceff nodded.
It was time to go find the kids.
Chapter 21
We crouched beside a stone wall, the gates of Ocean Overlook a mass of wrought iron protruding from the gray swirls of low fog. During our walk to the cemetery the fog had rolled in off the ocean to pool at our feet. I pulled myself upright and peered over the rock wall. Iron fencing was set deep into the stone, with sharp points aimed at the sky.
We wouldn’t be climbing over the wall. Ceff was already sweating profusely from the close proximity to so much iron. No, we needed to make a run for the front gates—if I could get them open without being seen.
I scanned the cemetery grounds for a caretaker or security guards. Fog flowed between headstones like specters, but I saw no sign of humans. No telltale flashlight beams cut the night. If there was a guard on duty, he wasn’t nearby.
