The Dark Calling (The Arcana Chronicles #5)(64)

Jack said, “When the Flash struck, they must’ve all got sucked down there, piling up.”

Swells sloshed between the walls of the vessels, a giant wave machine. Winds howled in the confines of those artificial cliffs. Flecks of foam wafted upward like blowing snow.

With rhythmic banging and welding sparks, scores of men worked on the wrecks. A spiderweb of pulley systems stretched down to the ship graveyard.

Jack’s gray eyes glimmered. “For true, they’ve got more bounty than they know what to do with.”

I asked him, “How much could there possibly be?”

“One of those subs”—he indicated an enormous one balanced precariously on top—“might’ve been provisioned for a months-long mission under an ice cap. Lots of cans and freeze-dried packs. And we’re talking three full meals a day.”

Joules said, “That cruise ship over yonder would’ve been outfitted for thousands of Yanks to stuff themselves.”

Jack pointed to the zigzagging stairway attached to the trench wall. “See those steps leading to that ocean liner? It’s gotta be the gateway for the entire operation.” Metal wires and ladders led from the liner to other vessels. “Connecting them for access is clever. I’d bet they even cut out sections from the hull to reach ships beneath. Must be like a maze to work.” The possibility of navigating it clearly had him stoked.

I couldn’t summon the same enthusiasm. “Sounds dangerous to me.” I didn’t see any women heading down to salvage, but I wasn’t surprised. There were so few of us left; I doubted Jubilee would’ve allowed it.

Kentarch said, “Great risk, great reward.”

When a sudden spray of welding sparks cascaded below, Jack flashed me a grin. “Sourcing in wrecks? This is my goddamned dream job. Sign me up.” He loved all things inventive. Jubilee was like an altar to inventiveness. He all but vibrated with excitement.

“How cool will this be?” With his skin nearly sparking, Joules said, “Never been on a ship before! Much less a submarine.”

“I like it here,” Jack said. “Feels like industry. Like possibility.”

At that moment, he and the Tower looked like teenage boys.

Kentarch remained reserved. “How long will we remain here? I need to return to the mission.”

Joules flushed, as if he’d briefly forgotten about Gabriel and now felt guilty. “Me too.”

I thought, Me three, but said nothing.

Jack cast me an appraising look. “You got a clock on your interests as well. So do we set a time limit?”

“How can we?” I wiped sea mist from my face. “It all depends on Circe.”

Kentarch gestured to the trench. “As you said, this must be where the Priestess wanted you to go. And now we’ve arrived. Can you sense her nearby, Empress?”

Not at all. Yes, my instincts had told me to come here; were they as wonky as my sense of direction? “Um, not as of right now.” In fact, the ocean felt dead. I had no special connection to the sea or its creatures, but I could sense life. This water had none—as if the ocean had gone numb.

No wonder Circe sounded increasingly exhausted. Maybe she suffered from more than the bitter cold. Maybe she suffered because there were no more mysteries of the deep.

Joules crossed his arms over his chest. “Say the Priestess finds a weapon to kill the Hanged Man. Me and Kentarch canna help Evie wield it, or we risk getting caught by the sphere.” He looked at Jack. “Are you goin’ to let the Empress storm the castle to fight Arcana by herself?”

“While she’s pregnant and powerless? Non. No way in hell.” Reading my expression, he said, “You show me some oaks or some big powers, and we’ll talk. Until then, you need to hole up somewhere safe. If a weapon comes our way, then I will be heading in.”

Joules turned to me. “Are you goin’ to let Jack go up against four Arcana, including the three-time winner?”

Against Death? “Never.”

Jack and I exchanged determined looks.

“Then what’re we doing?” Joules threw up his hands. “Any weapon’s useless without a hero to wield it.”

“That’s for Circe to figure out,” I said. “Our job is to stay alive long enough to use whatever she comes up with. Look, she might figure out how to short-circuit the sphere. In which case, we can all ride in, full-force. Let’s give the lady a chance. It’s only been a few days.” I turned to Kentarch. “While we wait, you could continue your search for Issa. I’ve been hearing all kinds of accents, which means people have come here from across the country. Question them. Show them her picture. Someone might have seen her. With good nutrition, you could teleport from here each night.”

Kentarch tilted his head. “Very well. But once my leads are exhausted, I will be forced to move on. Issa awaits me . . . .”





29





Later that night, I lay on a lumpy pallet listening to the gusting winds that rocked our new home: the highest shipping container in a stack of them.

We’d gotten the worst accommodations because the Chariot had refused to sell his chariot, and we had nothing to barter besides weapons.

“You got a hide-a-key,” Jack had said. “If we need the truck, you can just steal it back from the parking yard.” They were already planning to ghost through the wall of Jubilee’s arsenal and reclaim their weapons—probably the only reason Jack had given up his crossbow, with great reluctance.