PART FOUR
THE DARKDEEP
25
NICO
“We’re in trouble,” Nico breathed.
The figments had gathered at the heart of sleeping Timbers. Nico had no idea what would happen if anyone walked by on a late-night stroll. There was no explainingthisaway.
In a single glance Nico spotted a werewolf, a Sasquatch, a Power Ranger, some sort of silver-oozing snake-man, and a floating, wispy fairy. How had they escaped the island?How are we supposed to stop them?
Nico and the others stood with their bikes on the hill overlooking town. Tyler pressed a palm to his forehead. “Okay, this is officially above our pay grade. Let’s call Sheriff Ritchie.”
“And tell him what?” Nico countered. “That imaginary beings are trashing town square?”
“Nico,what else can we do?” Tyler pointed in exasperation. “There’s a freaking monster riot on Main Street.”
“The sheriff’s office is two towns over.” Emma hugged herbody tight. “These creatures might disappear before the deputies arrive, and then we’d be busted for pranking.”
“Pranking?” Logan let his bike drop to the dirt. “Those things are destroying the park!”
It was true. The Sasquatch walked to a bench and kicked it over, then sniffed the underside. The snake-man had slithered into the fountain, oozing silver all over the stonework. The werewolf tossed its head and unleashed a piercing howl, which set dogs barking a dozen blocks away.
Nico’s heart pounded. He’d always feared werewolves, but did this one spring fromhismind? Or had someone else created it? If so,how?
“Did we make these?” Emma asked quietly. “When we all went in together?”
“Maybe.” Opal set her own bike down. “It doesn’t matter. We need to lure them away somehow. We can’t let anyone else see this, or everything is ruined.”
“Lure them away.” Tyler stared at Opal, speaking in a flat voice. “As in, intentionally get their attention, in hopes that they’ll chase us.”
“They’re destroying the festival decorations! It’s supposed to start tomorrow.”
Nico watched the chaos with sick fascination. The Power Ranger was methodically side-kicking a stage support, causing the whole structure to slump. The fairy was zipping around in circles, wand-blasting the statue of Timbers’ founder, Edward Nantes.
Opal seemed ready to burst. “This is our fault.Wehave to fix it.”
Nico scratched his cheek, thinking furiously. “I’ll ride straight through the group of figments, then cut back toward the hills. Maybe they’ll follow me.”
Logan scoffed. “That might get one or two, but all of them? We need something bigger.”
Emma’s face lit up. “The festival is planning fireworks, right?”
Logan nodded. “Compliments of Nantes Timber Company.”
“Then they must be here already.” Emma grabbed Nico’s arm. “We could send a couple of riders to get the figments’ attention. Then someone could set rockets off up here to draw them out of town.”
“I know where the fireworks are!” Opal pointed at the stage. The fairy floated close beside it, tittering gleefully as the Power Ranger continued whacking at supports. “They’re in a storage container behind the stage. I heard Mr. Murphy telling my mom the other day!”
“It’ll be locked,” Nico pointed out. “They’re not going to leave fireworks lying around where anyone could get to them.”
“It might not be,” Opal said hopefully. “ThisisTimbers.”
“Great.” Tyler hung his head in resignation. “So we need a distraction to get our hands on the distraction.”
“I have an idea.” Logan glanced at Nico. “How much time do we have?”
