“Croak!” Toadles’s head shot toward the window.

Tadg peered at Toadles suspiciously. “Maybe it can sense when more earthquakes are coming. That’s why it has a weird rock in its head—it has some kind of stone Lore and poison Lore. It croaked the whole time during the last one.”

The last earthquake had been nine days ago. It’d been far stronger than the one before, destroying half of Ansley’s supply of Gunkwort. They’d each crawled for shelter underneath their beds, and Motya kept fearfully nibbling Barclay’s toes.

“I think you secretly like Toadles,” Barclay told Tadg. “And want him to be really powerful.”

“Yeah, right. I’ll get Runa to change her mind eventually.”

Barclay doubted that. Whenever Tadg asked Runa to remove his Mark, she reminded him that Toadles was a great discovery. But Barclay suspected Runa just thought he was funny.

Suddenly a bell began to toll outside, so loud and heavy that Barclay’s ribs seemed to rattle.

“What is that?” he asked sharply.

Yasha rushed to the window and swept aside the lace curtains. “There’s people running. I don’t know what they’re— There’s a fire!”

Tadg and Barclay scrambled to the window. Figures darted through the darkness, and screams sounded from the streets. In the distance, a crimson fire engulfed a neighborhood close to the beach.

Ansley burst through the bedroom door. “Brutopods! Dozens of them!” She was so frazzled that she dropped the knitting needles in her hands.

“Are you serious?” Tadg asked.

“I’m afraid so. Caoimhe Byrnes just told me. She nearly broke down my door!”

“What are Brutopods?” asked Barclay.

“Just about the ugliest Beasts you’ve ever seen,” Tadg answered. “Come on. If there are dozens of them, then we need to help.”

“Help?” Ansley repeated, scooping up her half-knitted sock. “I think you three should stay put. Let the Guardians—” She was cut off by all three boys dashing past her down the steps. “Or just run straight into danger! Very levelheaded of you!”

They barreled out of the Planty Shanty, and the air reeked of smoke. Townsfolk clambered past, knocking into Barclay’s shoulders and making him trip over Root and collide with Yasha. The scene reminded him of Knunx—only worse because it was night.

Not wanting to waste time, Barclay told the other boys, “We’ll meet you up ahead. Come on, Root. Let’s go.”

Leaving Tadg and Yasha to chase after them, Barclay and Root took off. They ducked through Munsey’s backstreets. It might’ve been less crowded there, but it was far harder to see. Barclay ran face-first into a pair of lady’s knickers hanging on a clothesline, and when he ripped them off, a monster loomed at the end of the alley.