Hannah's talk of the Deep Dweller singing to her in her sleep was a terrifying thought, and with questions about Mia surfacing that very same day, Luke didn't want to take any unnecessary risks. If something was wrong, it was better to have more people with you.

  Curtis slid down in his seat and closed his eyes once they'd parked the car. "Call me if there's fighting."

  Hiroki gave him a long look, but Luke just shook his head. "Leave him."

  They rounded the building after resisting the lure of pizza and found the entrance. As luck would have it, someone exited just as they arrived, and Hiroki caught the door before it closed. A steep set of straight stairs waited for them inside, and they climbed the steps into a wide hallway with three apartment doors to the left and three to the right.

  "Which one is your friend's?"

  Luke checked his note. "Doesn't say. Let's hope they are named."

  They were, but only with last names.

  "I don't know her last name," Luke said.

  Hiroki leaned against the wall. "Do we knock on all of them? Shout her name?"

  "No. Hold on a moment."

  Weaver's Eye might be able to help. Concentrating, Luke closed his eyes and reached out with the skill as he took slow steps through the corridor. Four out of the six apartments were occupied. Two out of those four were men. The two women were in the first apartment to the left and the second to the right, where Hiroki waited.

  Luke pointed at the doors. "It's one of these."

  "Larsen," Hiroki read, then continued to the other door. "Or Fjordorson?"

  "Did we walk through a portal and end up in Denmark?" Luke asked, shaking his head. "I think I can narrow it down further. Hold on."

  Yep. One of the women was older. Judging by the brittleness of Fjordorson's bones, she was at least 70 years old.

  "This is the one." Luke walked up to Larsen's door and rapped on it with his knuckles.

  They got no reply. No sound emerged from within. Nothing.

  He knocked again, then narrowed his eyes, focusing on Weaver's Eye again. "She's lying down."

  "Asleep?" Hiroki suggested.

  "Maybe," Luke said. "But I don't think so. Something is wrong."

  Then, a sound reached through the door. A whimper.

  "Hannah?" Luke shouted, banging with the back of his fist. "What's going on?"

  Nothing. Then, another whimper.

  "Hannah!"

  Luke tried the door and found it locked, then turned to Hiroki. "We're breaking down this door right now!"

  Before Luke even had time to pull back, Hiroki's knee slammed into the door. Wood splintered, but the metal underneath held.

  "Safety door," Hiroki grunted. "Give me a moment to focus."

  "Let me try something else," Luke said. He used Threads of Mana and reached into the lock. After spending hours and hours watching videos of the lock-picking lawman, he thought he had a decent grasp on how to get through this. One thread acted as the spinny-thingy while he used the other as a pick, pushing and probing. Applying pressure, each thingamabob clicked into place, and the lock turned.

  "It worked," Luke breathed.

  Hiroki leaned in. "You sound surprised."

  "Not at all," Luke said, opening the door.

  Inside, the air felt stale. Drapes hung over every window, giving the impression it was far later in the day. The lights were all off. In that darkness, everything cast deep shadows.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  "Hannah?" Luke called out. "It's Luke!"

  Hiroki tried the light switch, but it didn't work. Instead, he walked right over to the windows and pulled the drapes, then pulled up the blinds. That revealed Hannah, who huddled in the far corner, her eyes open but unseeing, a terrified look on her face.

  Luke rushed up to her. "Hannah!"

  She wore an oversized, faded black T-shirt. She was drenched in sweat, and her skin glistened, despite her being cold to the touch. Even when he approached, her expression didn't change, but the whimpers grew louder.

  "No. No. Please, no."

  Weaver's Eye told him there was nothing wrong with her, but his eyes told him there was. Rather than freeze up with inaction, Luke shook her by the shoulders. "Hannah!"

  She blinked, coming back to herself. "L-luke?"

  "Hannah!" he threw his arms around her narrow shoulders. "What happened?"

  When he pulled back, confusion and fear warred on her face. "Well... I took a nap. I think I took a nap. I've been so tired. Woke up just now. What day is it?"

  "It's time to leave Chicago," Luke said. "But maybe you should stay."

  Hannah pulled back and took in her own apartment, as if searching for something. "It isn't here."

  "What isn't?"

  "You know what."

  "The Deep Dweller?"

  "Who's this?" Hannah asked, getting to her feet to extend her hand.

  Hiroki took it. "Hiroki."

  "He's teaching me how to use the staff. Thought it would be good for him to come."

  "The more the merrier," Hannah mumbled, sniffing her shirt. "I need a shower. Can you wait?"

  "Are you sure you want to come?" Luke asked.

  Hannah took another look through the room and shuddered. "I'm not staying here."

  "OK. Well, do you want us to leave you to it and wait outside?"

  After another long look into a still-shadowed corner of her apartment, Hannah answered, "No. Please stay here. I'll be quick."

  She gathered a bundle of clothes, locked herself in her bathroom, and emerged again ten minutes later. This time, she wore an off-white dress that hugged her midsection and hips, but reached all the way down to her ankles and flowed around her legs. As she dried off her long, dark hair, she caught him looking.

  "What?" she asked.

  "Nothing, sorry," Luke said, feeling his face grow warm. "Don't think I've seen you in anything but a black T-shirt before."

  "I wanted to wear something different for this trip. Something, you know... bright."

  "Right."

  "Don't worry. I've got plenty of black T-shirts in this thing." She hefted a stuffed rucksack over one shoulder after throwing on a pair of sneakers, then jerked her head for them to follow her out of the apartment. "Let's go."

  "About time," Curtis grunted from the driver's seat when the three of them made it back out.

  "Hello, grumpy," Hannah said, opening the trunk to squeeze her bag in with the others.

  "That's it then?" Curtis asked. "East to Fort Wayne?"

  "We have to pick up Dot," Luke said.

  Hannah fastened her seatbelt. "Who's Dot?"

  Luke gave a brief explanation and handed an address to Curtis, who drove off, keeping well below the speed limit. Once they reached the right street, Dot was already there, jumping up and down and waving. Today, she wore a pair of military green cargo shorts, a white tank top, and a blue baseball cap.

  "I'm guessing that's her?" Curtis asked.

  "Mhm."

  Dot opened the door on Hannah's side and held out her hand. "Hello! I'm Dot. Lifeweaver."

  "Hey, Dot, I'm Hannah. Uh, I'm a Vesper." She gave Luke a look. "You're that doctor, then?"

  "I am! Well, I was, I guess."

  "Don't think you stop being a doctor just because you quit," Luke said, as Dot got in and closed the door.

  Dot considered that. "Maybe not."

  "Dot," Hannah said. "Don't you have any packing?"

  Dot's eyes widened. "Oh no! I forgot!"

  Curtis had already started the engine, and they were on their way. "I'm not stopping again."

  Hiroki turned around in the passenger seat, extending his hand to Dot. "I'm Hiroki."

  "Dot. Nice to meet you."

  "Don't be an ass, Curtis," Hannah said. "Go back."

  Dot waved it away. "No, it's fine. I travel light anyway, and I don't want my cat to think I've returned, just so I can leave again. I'll just pick up things on the way."

  "This is us, then?" Hannah asked. "The Fabulous Five?"

  "This is us," Luke confirmed.

  "I like that name," Hiroki said.

  Curtis started the car. "I don't."

  Hiroki ignored him, mumbling to himself and nodding in approval. "The Fabulous Five."

  As they neared the outskirts of Chicago, heading out on the I-90, Luke felt he had to say a few words, but he wasn't sure how to begin.

  "Thank you," he began. "For agreeing to come help me."

  Curtis passed a slow-moving station wagon. "As long as we destroy some dungeons on the way."

  "That creature isn't just for you to deal with on your own," Hannah said.

  "The old man wanted some space, so I am glad to tag along," Hiroki said.

  "Still. Thank you. It will be dangerous but also fun, I hope. When the DIA failed in killing Relian, I just knew they couldn't do it without us. Normal soldiers won't be enough for the Fallen Shepherd, and we can't let him have free rein of Earth. He's too dangerous for that."

  "There's no need for speeches. Let's just kill the guy and be done with it. This time, we won't let him run off," Curtis said, speeding up. "How far is Fort Wayne?"

  "It's a three-hour drive," Hannah said. "Been there a few times."

  "Three hours?" Curtis sighed, going even faster.

  "Unless you drive us off the road before we even get there," Hannah added.

  "We have two healers in the car."

  "Please don't crash my car," Hiroki said.