Ember Gods

Chapter 37

It didn't take them long to get to the scented air—Jacob wanted to run the whole way, but Ebony was insistent they conserve their energy. He could see the wisdom in this, but it drove him nuts just the same.

Nearly an hour after leaving the Fat Lady's place, they reached the wall. The hill near which Jacob, Akeno, and Aloren had eaten last time had a fresh pile of dirt next to it. He ran to inspect it, the others following.

"It is a tunnel!" he said, motioning to the dark hole. "Great! We can go into the city this way."

"No, we can't," Gallus said.

Ebony agreed. "We have no idea where it leads, or why it's here."

Jacob sighed in frustration. He didn't look forward to going through the wall again.

Gallus motioned to everyone to come closer. He turned to Ebony. "What now?" he asked.

"Oh, I know this," Sweet Pea said. "Jacob leads us through the tunnel and to Maivoryl City. We keep a lookout for the Lorkon. Then we sneak to the town hall, grab the girl, and key back to the Fat Lady's place."

Would it actually work? It seemed too simple.

Gallus frowned. "That's it?" Apparently he, too, was expecting something a little more complex.

Ebony smiled. "Basically, yes. That's the plan. Sometimes simple is the best way to go."

***

The group entered the tunnel in the wall, everyone holding hands. Jacob steeled himself when the sunlight disappeared.

"Ebony and Sweet Pea, would you light up the tunnel?" He knew what he'd see. At least this time he was prepared for it.

Blue light shone on the walls around him, revealing the bodies—faces, hands—frozen forever in stone. He came to a halt, clamping his eyes shut, trying to control the panic. He had to get over this. Aloren—she needed him. She needed Gallus, and needed to be removed from that horrible city.

He looked forward, ignoring the feeling of lifeless eyes watching him, determination forcing him to take a step, then another. He could do this.

It was odd that even though two Makalos were shining light, the glow still wasn't as bright as when Akeno did it. Akeno's abilities were so much stronger than the other Makalos'. The dimness wasn't as bad as it could have been, though. Instead of creeping Jacob out more, it made it easier to focus on where he was going.

After several minutes, he paused. "How're you guys doing?"

"Not good," Ebony said.

He turned to watch them—she was right. They were really fighting to keep moving forward.

"You're all doing great," he said, trying to lift their spirits.

"Yeah . . . right," Matt said, breathless.

Jacob struggled onward. He found himself adjusting to the feeling that people were staring at him, and he started to make good headway. Finally, he felt a draft of air on his face, signifying the end of the tunnel.

"Turn off your lights," he whispered. "We're at the end now."

Jacob approached the last corner of the tunnel. He looked out the exit into the forest, and breathed a sigh of relief that no one was there. The others in the group stepped out of the tunnel, happy to be out of the dark. As Jacob turned to check on them, however, movement at the corner of his eye caught his attention.

A male turkey stepped out of the forest and strutted toward him.

"Uh . . . you guys have turkeys here?"

"Turkey?" Matt asked. "Where?"

Jacob pointed. "Right over there."

Everyone stared where he had pointed, but they looked back at him in doubt.

"This isn't good," Jacob said. "If you guys . . ."

His suspicions as to why they couldn't see it were confirmed when the turkey opened its mouth and roared so loudly his ears rang.

Gallus gasped. "A Bald Henry! Jacob, back into the tunnel—now!"

Jacob didn't hesitate. "Grab my arms again! Hurry!"

He pulled the group into the darkness, almost tripping in his rush. He caught one last look at the forest in time to see at least five other turkeys step out of the trees. This made him run even faster, and the others had a hard time keeping up.

Jacob bumped into a wall and asked Ebony and Sweet Pea to light up the tunnel. He didn't know if the Bald Henries could follow, but the more distance he put between them, the better.

"Now what?" Jacob asked once they'd reached the other side.

"We have to use the key," Ebony said, trying to catch her breath. "We have no other choice."

Jacob frowned. "Which means back to the Fat Lady's, since that's the nearest door."

"Exactly."

"Why could I see the Bald Henry this time, but not last?"

"Maybe there's something about the air in that city," Ebony said. "It disgusted me, and we were only there for a few moments."

"Whatever the Lorkon did to me when I was born really messed me up." He couldn't help it—a chuckle broke through his concentration.

"What's so funny?" Sweet Pea asked.

"Nothing, really." Then Jacob shrugged. "Bald Henries are turkeys! How ridiculous is that? Something so deadly is one of the silliest-looking creatures in the world. Or, in both worlds."

Matt was the only one who laughed—the others didn't seem to find this remotely entertaining, and Gallus even gave Jacob a disapproving glance.

"It doesn't matter what they look like," he said. "Only that they exist and are dangerous."

Jacob turned to walk forward again. "I know, I know." He allowed himself a quiet chuckle, though, still enjoying his little joke.