“Fuck me,” I grumbled, rubbing at my hair, trying to get it into a decent state before I dialed Asher. Color me vain, but nobody wants to talk to a slobbery, bleary eyed, just-woke-up wreck with hair sticking out in all directions.
Asher picked up, then immediately made a face. “Holy shit, dude, you’re a mess.”
I sighed. “I tried, okay? But not the point. Did you find anything?”
His eyes went wide. “Lots. Loads. Way too much. Where to even begin?”
As it turned out, the man I’d shoved around and threatened had told us the truth. He was a piece of shit, but at least he didn’t lie where it mattered. Asher corroborated the story. There was, in fact, a global movement of people discussing the grossly unethical practice of – God, I hated even phrasing it – of eating other people.
“It’s fucking everywhere,” Asher said. “But never out in plain sight. And it’s not just plain cannibalism, as fucked up as that already sounds. You know when you joke about eating someone’s heart to gain their power?”
I shrugged. “I don’t joke about that.”
“Not the point, it’s like a conquest or dominance sort of thing. But that’s exactly what these people believe. I don’t necessarily think there’s been a breach in the Veil. This is just a ton of people who’ve convinced themselves that magic is real, without actually having ever experienced that magic is real, and now they want some.”
I scratched at my scalp, rubbing at my forehead. “This is too fucking crazy for me this early in the morning.”
Asher squinted at me. “It’s like nine, dude, not that early. Anyway, the practice isn’t unheard of. Ancient Aztecs believed that consuming another’s flesh could give them their strength. Same thing for Fiji. But it’s the kind of thing that fades away over the centuries because, you know, it’s not polite or even sane to eat other people.”
I shook my head, clearing away the last of my sleep so I could focus. “Okay, so we’ve clarified all that. Now how do we find them?”
“See, that’s the problem. They’re not a cult. The Hunger isn’t an organization. There’s no leader, no home base. It’s just a loose assortment of people who believe the same stupid thing, and that makes them even more dangerous. How do you kill a beast when you can’t find its heart or its head?”
My fingers dug into my mattress. “So you’re saying we’re fucked?”
He shook his head. “Not entirely, no. You mentioned something about drops, right? If we played the long game, we could probably find where they – ”
“We don’t have time for the long game,” I said, groaning in frustration.
“Well, didn’t you mention that Apollo was staying with you in Paradise now? I’m not sure if you know this, but the sun is literally his eye, or so the stories claim.”
I perked up. “You know, he did mention that.”
“It’s one option,” Asher said. “If me speaking to the dead or Florian tapping into the root network isn’t turning up anything, then give him a shot. He likes you. He won’t turn you down.”
“You’re a genius,” I said.
Asher laughed. “Please. I know.”
I chuckled back, but my smile dropped as I remembered my final question. “Last thing. When you were checking out boards and forums and stuff, was there any mention of Beelzebub?”
Asher’s face went dark. “Several. His name comes up way often on these things, which makes the Hunger look way cultier than it really is. There’s some language that makes it look like they’re honoring him when they – you know, when they partake, too. Like saying grace before dinner.”
The heat started flaring up to my face. I rubbed at my eyes, feeling the blood pound in my temples.
“Dude,” Asher said. “Try to relax. You’re fired up. Your skin, I mean.”
I didn’t have to check. I was lighting up the inside of my hut with my anger. “It’s just tough, you know? These are my people they’re killing. I feel helpless.”
Asher nodded solemnly. “I understand. Start with Apollo. Talk to him, figure something out. I’ll do my best from my end, keep you posted if I find anything else.”
“You’re the best, Asher,” I said, the light of my glyphs already fading.
“I know,” he said, smiling huge and bright as he hung up.
Before actually leaving my hut, I poured some kibble into Box’s bowl. He lumbered over excitedly, practically inhaling his breakfast as I replenished his water bowl. And with Box’s first of several meals of the day sorted, I went out to freshen up before tracking down Apollo.
I stumbled on the way to the showers, a force pulling my head back as leaves fell all about me. I looked up, frowning. The stupid halo had gotten itself caught on a branch. I ducked and bobbed, working my way free, grumbling the whole time.
The cold water was good for me, both for calming my rage and washing away the dust and grime of sleep. Apollo had always been kind to me, for reasons I still couldn’t really ascertain. But he’d volunteered to help us look out anyway, right? I toweled off, locating a new pile of wood to work with as I remembered that I still had to build him a proper hut. With a bundle of planks under one arm and my tool belt slung around the other, I went off to the same spot where Samyaza had burned down the first hut, only to find Apollo and Artemis already waiting.
The twins were, well, twinning, swinging from identical hammocks, both balancing fruity cocktails on their bellies, both wearing comically oversized sunglasses. It must have been so nice, growing up so close to a sibling. Sure, it probably came with lots of petty fights and squabbles. Still, I’d always felt that being a single kid and growing up with very few friends sort of stunted my social development a little bit. I’m not dumb, okay? I was perfectly
