Titan Song Dan Stout (top 20 books to read txt) 📖

buzzing and associated killings have happened around the city. But the transformations have only occurred when you’re in the area.”

“We don’t know that’s even connected to me,” I said.

Jax nodded. “And we don’t know if Vandie is lying about the festival being threatened. But here we are.”

I took a breath. “Okay. I don’t know what’s causing the transformations. But I’m not doing it consciously, and it doesn’t feel like it’s going through me. The connection I have is more than feeling the threads. I’m like a battery for next gen manna. I can absorb it and redirect it into other threads made with next gen manna.”

“What if . . .” Guyer rolled her head, fingertips dragging along her jawline and down her neck. “What if Carter was primed by the early Cedrow experiment, then triggered at the strike site?”

Jax sat forward. “That would explain why no one else seems to have the same ability to affect the threads. Some were primed but not inundated, others inundated but not primed.”

“Like being soaked in kerosene and handed a sparkler,” I said. “Neither one will kill you, but the combination is explosive.”

The others stared at me. “Look, I don’t know the whys or the hows. But I’ve told you everything I do know. The three of you are the only ones who know about this.”

Gellica tensed. “And you’re sure no one else has this kind of extra-sorcerous connection?”

She was wondering if I’d betrayed her own magical origin story.

“As far as I know? Absolutely not.” I held her eye for a moment, and her shoulders eased downward, relaxing.

“In fact,” I said, “as far as we know, Heidelbrecht never told Vandie’s dear old uncle Harlan exactly what he was doing that exposed the geo-vents. We’ll probably never know for sure, and it doesn’t matter. Because what we’ve got right now is Vandie distracting the entire city’s resources while an untouchable religious figure is pulling some kind of delusional savior trip.”

“We can’t roll into their camp and arrest Weylan,” Jax said. “Even if we could convince some judge to sign off on a warrant, he wouldn’t be charged. Look at how Serrow walked away from murder, and that’s with a body and a confession. There’s nothing we can do, unless we witness him altering the tunnels with our own eyes.”

I smiled. “Luckily, I know where they’re headed next.”

Jumping up, I stalked into the kitchen, returned with the map, and spread it flat on the coffee table. Guyer and Jax leaned forward to get a better look. Gellica was on the couch, still idly tracing the flower pattern. I pulled my attention away from her and back to the map.

“Okay, Paulus’s old warehouse that Vandie occupied is here. Jax, hand me that pencil, please.”

He did, and I marked the warehouse under a big W.

“This is an old geo-vent map,” I said. “Which means it was current when Heidelbrecht made his report to the dearly departed Harlan Cedrow. And when Vandie wrote this.” I showed them the page of notebook and the sentence about Laughing Larry.

Gellica rubbed her brow. “Who’s Laughing Larry?”

“Not who, where.” I grinned. “It’s a mnemonic device. Because if you get lost, you need something to help find your path.”

“To where?” Gellica asked. She smelled like sandalwood and proilers, which I did my best to ignore.

“They can’t create a sinkhole just anywhere. They need another cavern, like the first one. The mnemonic is a set of directions from here.” I tapped the geo-vent map, where I’d written a W. “This is Paulus’s warehouse. Laughing, Larry Doesn’t Rightly Realize, and so on. Left, left, down, right, right.” I traced the route’s dozen-odd steps across the vent map. “Look where it ends up.”

I moved my hand, revealing a spot in the city center, not far from the Bunker itself.

“Think about the destruction from the first sinkhole,” I said. “Now consider how many people are in apartments and office buildings, how many lives will be shattered if it happens there.”

They stared at the map’s confusing array of squiggles and marks. Slowly, I watched realization spread across their faces.

“Are you sure?” Jax asked. One mandible tapped a beat on his jaw.

“Pretty sure.”

“Any chance you could get more specific?” Jax said.

“On a scale of one to ten?” I raised all my fingers. “About an eight.”

Guyer interrupted us. “Okay, even if this is right, what you do want to do about it?”

“I want your help to stop Weylan.”

She sat back, arms crossed.

“I saw you in Auberjois’s office,” I told the DO. “I saw the anger. You know this is bullshit, and you know that we need to do something about it.”

“No, we don’t. Someone does, but that doesn’t mean—”

“Oh, well, let’s just wait around for someone to step up and do the right thing. Because we all know how well that works, right? Just look around at the city, and see all the people stepping up to do the right thing.” I pointed at Jax. “That double homicide with all the witnesses? I’m sure they’ll come forward any day now, so that the CaMachios’ parents can know that their sons’ killers have been caught.”

“I get it.”

“Or hey, maybe someone will step up and do something about Serrow, after she snapped a man’s spine and dumped his body on the floor of the guidepost. I’m sure that’ll happen any day now.”

“Imp’s blade!” She hissed out a breath. “Just come out with it. What do you want us to do?”

“We need someone here.” I pointed at the spot in the heart of the city, where Vandie’s mnemonic directions led. “Watch and wait. If the Barekusu show, do what you need to do. I’m going to go in the hole and follow the Laughing Larry directions.” I looked at Jax. “I wouldn’t mind not going alone.”

Jax’s eyes crinkled. “You definitely need help. And since I came to this damn town, it’s basically been one long downhill slide anyway.”

“Do you really think they’re planning another sinkhole?” Guyer stood and began to pace.

“Oh, Weylan definitely is. He’s got Serrow