Candles cast flickering shadows on the walls of the rusted van, and the smell of moldy carpet made Jeremy want to sneeze. Sinta sat crossed-legged with a book titled, The Complete Repair Manual for the 1953 Hughes-Kircher Special propped on her tiny legs. She muttered to herself as she gazed down her nose through antique reading glasses. If she read in shadowy candlelight with these particular glasses, she explained, she could access almost any complete text in the world using any book as a doorway. When he asked where they came from, she’d simply told him she’d traded for them on one of her few trips to a Sanctuary market. Apparently, he’d learned, there were markets held regularly in Sanctuaries across the country and the only way to reach them was through the market roads. Unlike Kenneth’s Cabin and the Church of St. Francis, these market roads were a network of open Sanctuaries that travelers could use to reach major Sanctuary markets.

Sinta suddenly stopped murmuring and read out loud. “And in many Mesoamerica cultures, as witnessed by early Columbian explorers and contemporary archaeologists. Human sacrifice was widespread. Adults and children were often murdered in attempts to appease a god during times of natural disaster or to gain favor during the dedication of a new temple. In many cases, altars and shrines are depicted with the carvings of were-jaguars and other mythical creatures. Many sites have been found, and more are being discovered…” Sinta’s soft female voice morphed into a deep bass with an English accent as she continued to read. Was it the author’s voice? “I suspected as much,” she said finally, in her own voice, shutting the book.

“Suspected what?” Pinta asked.

“Children. He has children’s souls, or he’s transformed Moirai to look like he does. He’s binding them, turning them into different religious symbols.”

“We knew that,” Jeremy said.

“He has to be using a site or artifact from one of the dark Sanctuaries, a temple, maybe, to bind and transform Folk.”

“What good does that do him?” Shark asked.

“I think our suspicions are confirmed. Once Crag has conquered enough Sanctuaries and built up his army, he will move into the human world.”

“It’s just so hard to believe,” Jeremy said.

“It would be a holy war,” Pinta said.

“Maybe he’ll be more subtle when he moves into the human world. He seemed smart.” Sinta said.

“We have to tell Adelia,” Pinta said.

Shark opened the van’s sliding door, and the group made their way back to the garage. As they approached, Adelia stepped out with a group of Folk trailing her. “Crag is coming,” she said. “We heard from another Sanctuary.”

Moirai appeared all around them, making their way through the abandoned cars and trees to see the commotion. Jeremy hadn’t realized how many Folk lived at the racetrack.

“He’s not going to stop with the Sanctuaries,” Jeremy said.

“Crag is using an artifact from a dark Sanctuary in the south to bind and transform Moirai into living nightmares. I’m sure of it,” Sinta said. “After he’s conquered our world, he’s going after the humans.”

Silence descended on the crowd, and Jeremy didn’t need to be a seer to understand the fear rising up around him. Crag was on his way here, to their home. “But we know how to stop him,” Jeremy muttered.

“We do?” Pinta asked.

“Yes, we have a plan.”

Adelia stared at him.

“I mean, right? We’re getting you home, unbinding you, and then you’re coming back to beat him. I mean, crush him, battle him, whatever it is you do when you’re at full strength.”

Adelia looked around at all the hopeful faces.

“I mean—”

“And we’ll get her Knights to help. They’re on the way,” Jeremy said.

“Well, they are on the way, but—”

“And she is their princess,” Jeremy said. Even if it wasn’t all true, what was wrong with hope? Sinta placed her hand on his leg, and he looked down.

“It’s okay, Jeremy,” she said. “We’ll help them.”

“Um, yes,” Adelia said. “We will petition my lord through his warriors and bring help.” Jeremy knew it wasn’t a lie; she was incapable of lying. But he knew it wasn’t going to help. She had told them the Knights wouldn’t help. But these Folk needed all the hope they could get. With hope, they’d be stronger, and fight harder.

“Now, prepare to defend our home,” Shark said, waving his hands to disperse the crowd. Pinta was about to rush off with the group, but Adelia clutched his shoulder.

“We have to leave,” she said.

“What do you mean?” Pinta said.

“Our only hope is to make it to St. Francis.”

“But—”

“I know it’s hard, Pinta,” she said.

Des and Hope landed on Jeremy’s shoulders.

“We go with you,” they said in unison.

“But you’re not—” Sinta started to say before Des spoke up.

“We are useful for many things, but not for large battles.”

“We can help on a quest,” Hope said.

“Of course,” Jeremy said.

“If we’re leaving, we should go now,” Pinta said.

“But where?” Sinta asked.

“I have knocked on an East Coast market road Sanctuary. Once there, we will find a portal to market and from there, a way across the ocean,” Adelia said.

“You’re still weak. How did you knock that far?” Sinta asked.

“I used an artifact to boost the knock, a well-charged hairbrush from Ardmore that I’ve been saving for a special occasion. Follow me,” she said, spinning on her heel. She led them across the abandoned track to a blackened wreck, twisted and burned. Jeremy could barely make out the outline of the number 58 on the door. Adelia positioned herself in front of the trunk.

“Ready?” she asked, looking back at them. Pinta ran his thumb across the head of his mallet, which was tucked into his waistband. Sinta pulled out a small book of children’s fables and took a deep breath. Nod clung to Adelia’s skirts, and Jeremy could feel Des and Hope stirring on his shoulders.

“Here we go,” she said, touching the hairbrush to the top of the rusted trunk lid. It swung open; the sound of grinding metal made Jeremy cringe. Instead of fire this time, it was water, dark, sloshing water all the way to the top.

“Don’t forget our deal, Adelia,” Shark said from behind them. “We need you. We can’t hold him for long.”

“I will not abandon you, Shark. Hold the Racetrack, and we’ll be back as soon as possible.” Adelia nodded to him and stepped up into the trunk. Water instantly rushed up and pulled her in, closing over her head. She was gone with a splash.

“What the hell was that?” Jeremy shouted. “The water just—”

“Belly up, boy,” Pinta said before leaping headfirst over the side.

Sinta gave him a shrug and followed, stepping gingerly onto the bumper before slipping into the water.

“It won’t stay open forever, seer,” Shark said as Nod clambered over the side and disappeared.

“Are we going?” Hope asked in his right ear.

“We’re going.” Jeremy lifted his leg over the lip of the trunk, using the side of the car as a handhold. The bone-chilling water filled his hiking boot, and he felt a pulling sensation. Frozen, with one leg in the trunk, he stared down at the inky liquid. It was impossible to see anything, not even his submerged foot. The pull turned into a tug, and he resisted.

“We must go,” Des said in his left ear.

“It’s closing,” Hope said into his right ear.

“Okay, okay!” Jeremy sucked as much air into his lungs as he could manage and swung his other leg up and over. A split second later, he gasped for air and waved his arms frantically.

“Look up,” Sinta said, sitting cross-legged on a ledge in front of him.

Jeremy did as he was told and saw a tall fountain over his head. He was on his hands and knees in about three feet of water. A large marble Poseidon was holding what looked like a mermaid spewing water from her mouth. He jumped to his feet as a miniature whirlpool formed beside him. A small purple creature poked its head out of the water and looked around with enormous eyes. It stood up after appraising the situation, shook itself off, and stepped over the ledge beside Sinta before strolling down the massive corridor. Jeremy grunted and sat down next to Sinta, dripping wet, to peer down the passageway. Des and Hope drifted up and settled on each shoulder. They didn’t even look damp.

“I would have paid for a show like that, seer,” Pinta said. His red belly shook with laughter. Jeremy scowled at him.

“It is new for us too,” Sinta said. “Pinta flopped like a fish.”

“Did not, you don’t even—”

“We are in New York,” Adelia said.

Pinta glared at Sinta, who smiled sweetly. “You will be dry in a moment,” she said, still looking at Pinta. “It’s not normal water.”