two had some long distance—”
“Oh, stop,” I said as I groaned. “That was just an experiment. I didn’t know there was anyone else around.”
The Old Man burst into laughter at that point. “Serves him right for dropping eaves.”
I growled and flicked a twig into the fire. It hissed for a moment and then popped. “Have you met her Queen?” I asked, turning back to Zola.
Zola was biting her lips and smiling as she nodded. “One crazy bitch.”
The Old Man blew a stream of smoke through his nose. “You aren’t wrong about that.”
I stood up and walked away from the fire. Something skittered away from me on the rocks. I could see the shadows of some of the stones the Old Man had shattered. A furry form scratched at one of the fragments and then vanished. The Old Man had put on a frightening display by destroying that stone. I could scarcely imagine what kind of damage he could do when he lost control. I walked slowly back into the circle of light.
Zola was shaking her head. “Ah saw the stone. You lost your patience.”
“There was no risk,” he said. “I have it in check.”
“What was it like when you didn’t have it in check?” I asked. “What did you do?”
The Old Man stared at me for moment before he sighed and turned his gaze to the fire. “There was a long, long time I didn’t know what I was. I travelled from war to war, hunting for any trace of Ezekiel. When I found war … I became war.”
“How did you recover?” I asked. “The first time you lost control to the gravemaker … I saw it, when I fought Prosperine.”
“I’m sorry you had to see that, son.” He looked away. “It was an Old God that imprisoned me. Stayed with me for almost a month, as I recall—or that is what he told me—until the rage eventually subsided. I still wonder if it would have been easier for him to kill me.”
“Who?” I asked.
“Camazotz,” Zola said.
“Rest assured he had his reasons,” Aeros said from beside me.
“Oh, I’ve no doubt he had his reasons,” the Old Man said. “I just doubt whether or not I’ll like those reasons when I discover what they were.”
“Have you heard from Mike?” Zola asked.
The Old Man shook his head.
“I have not,” Aeros said.
Zola looked to me. I gave a small shake of my head to let her know I hadn’t heard anything either.
Zola rubbed gripped the top of her knobby cane and rapped in on the granite at her feet. “He has been gone a long time.”
“The demon will not betray us,” Aeros said. “Give him time.”
Zola nodded slowly. “Perhaps you are right.”
“Okay, I think we’ve had enough doom and gloom,” I said unzipping my backpack. I chucked a crinkled package of graham crackers to Zola, an enormous chocolate bar to the Old Man, and a bag of marshmallows to Aeros.
Aeros held up the bag, pinched between his rocky thumb and index finger. “What … is this?”
“S’mores!” I said.
“Why in the world was all this in your backpack already?” the Old Man said.
“Uh, s’mores, obviously,” I said, snatching the bag of marshmallows back from Aeros.
Zola just sighed and shook her head, but that didn’t stop her from opening the graham crackers.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Z ola didn’t stick around long after the s’mores were gone. The Old Man and I made it back to the cabin around two in the morning. He actually went into the cabin to sleep before I did. I was used to him staying up well past the time I was out cold. Maybe Aeros had actually taken a little something out of him.
The pond connected to a thin underground river. Depending on the height of the water table, I could reach Nixie. I made my way toward the pond, leaving the nicely trimmed yard and wading through the taller reeds that surrounded the water. I took off my boots, rolled up my jeans, and stepped into the chilly pond.
The symphony of frogs immediately shut down when my foot broke the water’s surface. The crickets and cicadas still sang from
“Oh, stop,” I said as I groaned. “That was just an experiment. I didn’t know there was anyone else around.”
The Old Man burst into laughter at that point. “Serves him right for dropping eaves.”
I growled and flicked a twig into the fire. It hissed for a moment and then popped. “Have you met her Queen?” I asked, turning back to Zola.
Zola was biting her lips and smiling as she nodded. “One crazy bitch.”
The Old Man blew a stream of smoke through his nose. “You aren’t wrong about that.”
I stood up and walked away from the fire. Something skittered away from me on the rocks. I could see the shadows of some of the stones the Old Man had shattered. A furry form scratched at one of the fragments and then vanished. The Old Man had put on a frightening display by destroying that stone. I could scarcely imagine what kind of damage he could do when he lost control. I walked slowly back into the circle of light.
Zola was shaking her head. “Ah saw the stone. You lost your patience.”
“There was no risk,” he said. “I have it in check.”
“What was it like when you didn’t have it in check?” I asked. “What did you do?”
The Old Man stared at me for moment before he sighed and turned his gaze to the fire. “There was a long, long time I didn’t know what I was. I travelled from war to war, hunting for any trace of Ezekiel. When I found war … I became war.”
“How did you recover?” I asked. “The first time you lost control to the gravemaker … I saw it, when I fought Prosperine.”
“I’m sorry you had to see that, son.” He looked away. “It was an Old God that imprisoned me. Stayed with me for almost a month, as I recall—or that is what he told me—until the rage eventually subsided. I still wonder if it would have been easier for him to kill me.”
“Who?” I asked.
“Camazotz,” Zola said.
“Rest assured he had his reasons,” Aeros said from beside me.
“Oh, I’ve no doubt he had his reasons,” the Old Man said. “I just doubt whether or not I’ll like those reasons when I discover what they were.”
“Have you heard from Mike?” Zola asked.
The Old Man shook his head.
“I have not,” Aeros said.
Zola looked to me. I gave a small shake of my head to let her know I hadn’t heard anything either.
Zola rubbed gripped the top of her knobby cane and rapped in on the granite at her feet. “He has been gone a long time.”
“The demon will not betray us,” Aeros said. “Give him time.”
Zola nodded slowly. “Perhaps you are right.”
“Okay, I think we’ve had enough doom and gloom,” I said unzipping my backpack. I chucked a crinkled package of graham crackers to Zola, an enormous chocolate bar to the Old Man, and a bag of marshmallows to Aeros.
Aeros held up the bag, pinched between his rocky thumb and index finger. “What … is this?”
“S’mores!” I said.
“Why in the world was all this in your backpack already?” the Old Man said.
“Uh, s’mores, obviously,” I said, snatching the bag of marshmallows back from Aeros.
Zola just sighed and shook her head, but that didn’t stop her from opening the graham crackers.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Z ola didn’t stick around long after the s’mores were gone. The Old Man and I made it back to the cabin around two in the morning. He actually went into the cabin to sleep before I did. I was used to him staying up well past the time I was out cold. Maybe Aeros had actually taken a little something out of him.
The pond connected to a thin underground river. Depending on the height of the water table, I could reach Nixie. I made my way toward the pond, leaving the nicely trimmed yard and wading through the taller reeds that surrounded the water. I took off my boots, rolled up my jeans, and stepped into the chilly pond.
The symphony of frogs immediately shut down when my foot broke the water’s surface. The crickets and cicadas still sang from
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