With that, I began deciphering what had been built into this metal contraption. After all, without magick the MAJE might my only way to get the Sword of Theodora…And the answer about how to heal the gateways without requiring my own death.
Assuming the Sire and Lady would even allow that.
I couldn’t ignore the truth. Even if I could find hybrid magick to heal the gateways, the gods might fight against me anyway. The Sire and Lady clearly didn’t like me wielding hybrid magick.
Right now, all that stood between Viktor’s war and my death were a Seer boy, a strange metal boat, and me, a mage who had forgotten how to cast a single spell.
In other words, things were not looking good.
Chapter Fourteen
An important thing to remember about jungles: when night falls, the wildlife doesn’t actually sleep. It’s just that a different group of creatures awaken, ready to eat you alive. Like what seemed to be happening right now.
As the night deepened, a new chorus of chittering bugs and cawing birds sounded from either side of the river. Heavy growth encroached all around. Gnarled bodies of trees overtook the shoreline, digging into the water with long finger-like roots. Vines and hanging moss cascaded from the tall tree branches. Soon, only a sliver of night sky was visible above us. The scent of old rot and fresh mud became stronger by the second. Worst of all, glowing yellow eyes stared out from the deep shadows.
It was beyond eerie. And since the morning had arrived, I now only had two days before the Martyr’s Comet vanished. Not too helpful.
An odd screech broke through the morning air. On reflex, I gripped the sheet of Amelia’s notes so tightly I almost tore the paper. Normally, I wouldn’t be so jumpy. But then again, I usually had the ability to cast all the spells I wanted.
“What was that screeching noise?” I asked.
“Which one?”
“The sound that went—” Before I could finish, the creature in question screeched again. It sounded like a cross between an angry goat and a massive snake. The moment the cry was over, I pointed to the patch of jungle where the noise came from. “Just like that.”
Jicho shrugged. “Eh, that’s nothing to worry about. It’s just a ruddy bird.”
“Will it kill us?” Like every Caster, Jicho grew up in jungles. He had a deep memory of every creature and their function.
“Not while we’re on the water. But if we get on land, it would scoop out our insides and wear our skin for camouflage.”
“Understood.” Disgusting, but completely understood.
“They don’t sleep, either. Very strange. But they’re tall and red, so they’re pretty easy to avoid. Unless they’re, you know, not.”
“Got it. Tall red killer creature called a ruddy bird.”
Now, I knew at some point that we’d need to get off this boat and talk to Nan. That didn’t mean I was looking forward to that part of this adventure, though.
That said, there was one distinct benefit to travelling through the deep jungle with a Caster: the odd noises and staring eyes didn’t bother Jicho at all. No matter what happened outside the MAJE, Jicho merely kept playing with the controls on his metal ship. For my part, I tried to act unaffected while I sat on deck, pouring over Amelia’s handwritten notes. I couldn’t have slept if I’d wanted to.
At least, the notes themselves were fascinating. Simply put, the things this boat could do were nothing less than phenomenal. Vast amounts of silk were stored inside the ship’s hull, along with things that looked like massive ball bearings. Oh, and there were all sorts of knives and darts hidden within as well. How Amelia and Jicho got so much packed inside one vessel, I’ll never know.
Not that I didn’t try get answers from Jicho. That plan just hadn’t worked out too well. Starting a conversation with the boy was troublesome at best. Every time I asked him a question, Jicho launched into a description of his beloved bolts while some kind of dial popped or whistle blew. Jicho assured me he knew exactly how to manage the MAJE—and that he could certainly chat while still keeping the boat afloat—but I had my doubts. All in all, things were just more silent and sane when both Jicho and I stayed focused on our respective tasks. Even so, it didn’t stop Jicho from trying.
“Are you sure you don’t want to hear about the bolts?” The moment the words left Jicho’s lips, one of the dials let off a small geyser of steam.
I gestured at the errant dial. “I’m very clear on the bolts. Please focus on that steam. It looks rather dangerous.”
“It’s not.” Jicho screwed his mouth up, which I was quickly learning meant that he wasn’t quite sure how to fix whatever had gone wrong. “Let me tell you about the bolts. We sourced them from a tinker in the north lands. The fellow had a nose the side of a yam. Did I tell you about him?”
“Four times. How about we change the topic from bolts. What is the silk for, exactly?”
“All sorts of things.” That was the best answer I could get from Jicho on critical items. “Oh, did I tell you that the tinker’s name is Obadiah?”
“You did.” Six times.
“Now this Obadiah—” Jicho paused, his gaze fixed on the water. All the color drained from the boy’s face.
This wasn’t good.
“What’s wrong?”
Jicho didn’t answer. Instead, he kept his gaze locked on a strange ripple on the water, as if something was moving under the river and heading toward us. I pointed to the spot. “Is that what you’re looking at?”
“Yeah.” All the color drained from Jicho’s face. “I don’t know what that is.”
A chill crawled up my neck. “You don’t?” Jicho was my resident expert on odd happenings in the jungle.
Jicho spun about in a slow circle. “There are more of them.”
Standing up, I scanned the water around us. Sure enough, more of the strange waves were shifting across the surface of the river. About a half dozen somethings were moving toward us, their motions hidden by the dark river. My pulse sped.
The charge of magick filled the air, making my hair stand on end. An odd chill licked across my skin, followed by a strange heat.
Heat and cold.
Necromancer and Caster power.
I shook my head.
It couldn’t be…
A pulse of violet light shot under the surface of the water.
It was.
Whatever was coming, it wielded hybrid magick.
My stomach twisted with worry and doubt. Yes, I couldn’t cast any spells right now. But if I were about to face Caster or Necromancer magick, then I’d at least know what to expect.
Jicho moved to stand beside me. His small hand gripped mine. “You know what’s coming, don’t you?”
“Whatever it is, it’s got hybrid magick.”
“Then it’s not your friend Nan?”
“Nan wasn’t even a trained Necromancer,” I explained. “She barely could pull in death magick, let alone hybrid.” More waves of cold and warm energy moved across my skin. I shivered. “Whoever is casting this, they’re as powerful as…” I stopped myself before saying the Tsar Viktor. Jicho was already wide-eyed and panting.