Bracken smirked. "Right under my nose all these years. How could I have missed it?"
"It's perfectly disguised and heavily enchanted," Warren said. "Only opens for the password, which is in Akkadian. I had to memorize the syllables."
"I'm usually able to detect such things," Bracken said. "I suppose it didn't help that I spend most of my time skulking along forgotten passageways. I'm seldom out in the main corridors."
"We ready?" Warren asked.
"My possessions are few," Bracken said. "Lead on."
Warren opened the cell door. Kendra and Bracken shadowed him into the hallway and tiptoed around the corner.
Bracken nudged Kendra. "Nagi Luna resides around that next corner, at the end of the hall."
"Tough neighborhood," Warren whispered. He paused in front of a blank wall.
"Here?" Bracken asked, running a hand along the surface, eyes intent. "I must be losing my touch."
Warren spoke strange words, and the wall became semi-transparent. Warren stepped through it.
Bracken gave a low whistle. "I feel a little better. This was very well concealed, the work of a true master."
He and Kendra walked through the wall and started up a long stairway.
Chapter 15 Message in a Bottle
His promise to Coulter helped pull Seth back from the brink of total emotional collapse. By degrees, he stopped looking inward at his guilt and became aware of the demolished room around him, of the golem waiting patiently at his side. He glanced at the steel safe crumpled in a corner like a crushed soda can. He heard timbers creak and crash as part of the burning barn collapsed outside. Outside. Did the house even have an inside or an outside anymore, now that so much of it had been torn down?
"I really blew it this time," Seth said to Hugo. "Bad demon," the golem said.
"I just didn't see this coming," Seth moaned. "How could I be so blind?"
The golem said nothing. A big hand patted Seth on the shoulder consolingly.
Seth wiped his nose. He needed to get busy, to lose himself in a task. "I can't undo what happened. But I can't quit, either. Maybe Patton has an idea for a next move. We need to go to the old manor."
"Danger," Hugo warned.
"I know it isn't safe," Seth agreed. "With the treaty destroyed, we could run into bloodthirsty monsters anywhere. But that also means it isn't any safer here. Not anymore."
"Hugo keep safe," the golem rumbled. "I believe it," Seth said.
"Hello?" called a timid voice. Seth whirled. It sounded like Kendra.
"Kendra?" he answered, confused.
"Sort of," came the reply. After a moment, his sister limped into the room, favoring her right leg.
"You're the stingbulb," Seth said. They had placed an injured duplicate of Kendra in the Quiet Box after Tanu had done all he could to heal her. "How did you get out of the Quiet Box?"
"They put Vanessa inside when they left on their mission, which meant I had to come out. My time is running short. I won't survive much beyond daybreak."
"Do you know what happened here?" Seth asked.
"Not really. Nobody brought me up to speed. I'm still hurt, so I can't help much. Being in the Quiet Box froze my healing. I'll expire before I become whole again. I wanted to listen to music, so they placed me in Vanessa's former cell. She has a terrific sound system."
"Would you be willing to go back into the Quiet Box?"
"Sure, if you want," she said. "It prolongs my existence. It isn't much different from back when I was just a fruit. Minus the connection to the tree, of course."
It was strange to be talking with his sister, knowing it was not his sister. "We got attacked by a demon."
"Sounded bad," the stingbulb said. "I was hesitant to come up, but curiosity got the better of me. You were captured, weren't you? They were talking about it after they got me out."
"They came to rescue me, and all of them got caught, but I got away. It's a long story."
She nodded, then glanced at the corpse on the floor. "The demon got Coulter?"
"Yeah," Seth said, voice getting husky. Her expression didn't change. "Does it make you sad?"
"Not in the same way it would make Kendra sad," the stingbulb said frankly. "I have memories of her feelings for him. But I'm aware they aren't my memories. Kendra gave me general instructions to help you guys, so I'm regretful that I couldn't prevent the mishap."
"Would you take orders from me?" Seth asked.
"Sure. The last standing orders I got from Kendra before entering the Quiet Box were to always help your family and never betray you. I could interpret that to mean I should follow your commands."
He wondered how he might make use of the stingbulb.
Nothing immediately came to mind. Her injured leg would limit his options. He could store her in the Quiet Box until a need arose, but that would mean freeing Vanessa. Did he want the narcoblix's help or not? Hard to say. He should probably visit Patton first.
"Is the dungeon in good shape?" Seth asked.
"The ceiling collapsed in part of the stairway up to the house," she replied. "A section of the ceiling in the first hall fell in as well. The main door in the hall was knocked askew, which let me get up here. The rest of the dungeon seems to be intact."
That was a relief. The last thing he needed was all those dangerous prisoners going free. He wondered how much the destruction of the treaty would weaken the dungeon.
"I think we'll leave Vanessa in the Quiet Box for now," Seth decided. "I might want her help later. Can we keep Coulter in Vanessa's cell with you?"
"Sure, I'll watch over his body."
"Hugo, would you mind?"
"Not mind," Hugo said, picking up Coulter.
"I'll wait here," Seth said. "Hugo, you might want to carry the stingbulb back down, too. Her leg is hurt."
Hugo picked up the stingbulb in his other hand and lumbered out of the room, rubble crunching underfoot. Seth plopped down on the remnants of a couch. Graulas must have used more than his physical strength to damage the house. He had destroyed too much too quickly. Magic must have been involved.
Seth considered his assets. The loyal golem topped the list. He also had an expiring stingbulb, a semi-trustworthy narcoblix, and hopefully a message from Patton. And what about his emergency kit? Might Kendra have replaced it in his room? Knowing her, it would be in its place under his bed. Unless she had taken it to Living Mirage in order to return it to him.