“Well, that’s quite disturbing,” Miss Nell said.
“I concur,” Minox said, getting to his feet. She still had the one creature in her hand, struggling and squirming to get out of her grasp. “But I feel we would be remiss in not pursuing this new lead.”
“You mean—go down there?”
“I do,” he said. “Those creatures may have been . . . activated by my magic, but they’re definitely drawn to something specific. And as much as it terrifies me—” And fear was clawing at his heart at the idea of what he was about to propose. “Whatever Mister Senek and the Blue Hand were involved in, how it connects to abducted children and—”
Children. He looked at the tables.
“Saints above and sinners below,” he said in a horrified whisper.
“What?” she asked.
“The tables. Their size. Where the shackles are placed.”
Perfect for a small child.
Her face went pale, and then she looked at the creature in her hand. “Do you . . . do you think he started with animals and then . . .”
Anger had flooded over the fear. This monster was taking children to perform unspeakable horrors upon them.
He knocked over one table, and then another, and then tore open drawer after drawer on the shelf.
“What are you doing?” Miss Nell asked.
He found what he needed. “Looking for this,” he said, taking out a long piece of cord. He tied it around the neck of the strange creature and held onto the other end. “Let it go.”
She did so, and it surged forward to the stairs leading down, straining at the cord.
“All right,” he said. “I’m going to see where it wants to go. I welcome your company, but I understand if you are not inclined.”
“Blazes to that,” she said. “I’ve got your back.”
“Appreciated,” he said, wrapping the cord around his left hand, which was still glowing blue. He attempted to mute the magic flowing through it, but that was to no avail.
“Inspector,” she said cautiously. “Does your hand normally do that?”
“It will illuminate with magic at times,” he said. “Though usually only from my intention or negligence. I am troubled that I am unable to dampen it.”
“I’m more troubled, given where we are, that you have a blue hand,” she said.
So obvious he hadn’t even thought of it. “Of course. Something in here is affecting me, like the creatures were. Perhaps it is connected to the larger ethos of this particular Circle.”
“Perhaps you should explain what happened to your hand,” she said. “It’ll be a good distraction as we follow a twisted rabbit-cat down a dark underground cavern.”
“Very well,” he said as he let the creature lead them down. “It started with a murder case four months ago . . .”
Jerinne found the tunnel that Maresh called “the underbridge” far more disturbing than any of the narrow passages they crawled through to get here. This was a marvel of engineering, hidden under the city. The idea that something like this would have been built and then nearly forgotten boggled her mind.
But it was also disturbing because it was almost a straight mile, with no side passages, with the roar of the Maradaine River overhead.
“This has stood for centuries?” she asked.
“It would seem,” Dayne answered. He glanced at the roof. “But something about that sound makes you think it’ll collapse any moment, right?”
“Right,” she said. “I’m sure it’s fine.”
“Nothing to worry about.”
“Absolutely secure.”
“My heart isn’t slamming a Yoleanne beat right now.”
“I’m completely calm.”
“Both of you, hush,” Hemmit said. “Have you seen those two . . . people at all?”
“No sign,” Dayne said. “Of them or anyone else.”
“Though this tunnel, it’s definitely in use,” Lin said. She waved her hands, and the light she emanated shifted from white to purple, and the floor lit up as well: footprints, wagon wheels, animal tracks. “Used a lot.”
Jerinne couldn’t help but notice the size of some of those footprints. “Look how huge those are. They make your feet look tiny.”
“I’m more noticing how small all of those are,” Dayne said. He pointed to a whole set of them. “Possibly a dozen children driven through here. So we’re on the right track.”
That, at least, was heartening. Coming down here wasn’t some wild horse chase.
“Do you hear something up ahead?” Lin asked.
Jerinne turned her head to listen. “I’m just hearing the rush of the river. But . . . is it getting louder?”
“I think so,” Dayne said. “What does that mean?”
The answer revealed itself in a few hundred feet. The passage opened up again, and Lin increased her brightness. The chamber was bisected by a raging river that came out of one cavern and poured into another. A narrow bridge of wood and rope spanned the river to the other side of the chamber, where there were dark tunnels leading off in several directions.
“A rutting underground river?” Maresh exclaimed. “How?”
“There are so many ‘how’ and ‘why’ questions at this point,” Hemmit said. “But it’s clear we need to cross and then figure out which direction to go.”
Jerinne went to the bridge and tested her weight on the board. “Seems all right, but I don’t think we should all cross at once.”
“Wise,” Maresh said.
“I’ll bring up the rear,” Dayne said. “If it’s going to break on any of us, it’ll be me.”
Jerinne nodded, and took his meaning. She started across, feeling the sway and creak of each step. It held, but she definitely found her nerve being tested as she went on, especially with the roar and crash of the rapid water below her. She reached the other side and let out her breath. “Good,” she said. “Come on.”
Maresh called something to her, but she couldn’t hear him over the rush of the river. She just waved for him to come, and he started crossing. As he made it to her side, Lin started her traverse. Dayne paced about anxiously as they went about it. She knew he was uncomfortable down here, and she hoped they would find what they were looking for and get out of this bizarre underground
