Town of Superstition: Book Two
- The Midnight Gardener
- The Well of Tears
- The Battle of Iron Gulch
- A Tangle of Secrets
A massive forest populated by creatures both dangerous and trustworthy.
A source of power stronger than anything previously known.
Far from his home in Superstition, Thaddeus Cane is in a race against dark forces to track down a dragon and break a curse.
Teofil, his neighbor and new boyfriend, accompanies him, bravely standing by his side and facing down dangers as they search for a place whispered of in legend. Along the way, Thaddeus feels the first stirrings of love, as well as the awakening of a power he never imagined possible. When old secrets are finally revealed, will his new-found family be strong enough to survive the devastating shock?
“Long ago,” Astrid explained, “there came a great sickness that swept across the land. It infected those who lived in the forest and surrounding country, and it was quite deadly. Many died from it, and those who cared for their loved ones who were first infected caught it as well, until only a handful of survivors remained.”
“How awful,” Thaddeus said.
READ MORE“They never found out where it originated,” Astrid continued. “And so they buried all the bodies in a long pit, somewhere deep inside the forest. After many years, the infected blood from all of those bodies found its way into the soil and, finally, the roots of the trees around the grave. Those trees grew darker and twisted, and bore fruit that tasted vile and sour. The foul fruit attracted evil into the forest, and as time went on, the magical creatures who had survived the sickness left the forest and the darker beings took over. The gravesite has since been lost, and any who have gone in search of it have never returned.”
“Wow,” Thaddeus whispered. “That’s quite a story. And we have to go through this forest?”
“Just keep in mind that’s what it is,” Nathan said. “A story.”
“Suit yourself,” Astrid said. “But I’ve heard the story from more than one source.”
“You forgot the best part,” Fetter piped up.
“What do you mean?” Astrid asked, her voice edged with annoyance.
“About the well,” Fetter said.
Astrid sighed, and Thaddeus glanced back in time to see her roll her eyes. “You and that ridiculous well,” Astrid said.
“It’s the best part of the story!” Fetter nearly shouted.
“Keep your voices down, both of you,” Miriam scolded them gently. They all fell silent a moment, then Miriam said, “And you did leave out that part, Astrid.”
“See?” Fetter immediately said. “I told you!”
“Shut up!” Astrid snapped.
“Oh, for the love of geranium, both of you keep still!” Miriam said. She marched up to get between Astrid and Thaddeus and lowered her voice as she told the part of the story Astrid had skipped. “You see, the people who lived within the forest had no idea what was making their loved ones so sick. It could be something they were eating, or maybe the water they were drinking. To be safe, they dug a new well far outside their village. At first, the water they pulled up from this new well was cool, clear, and plentiful, but soon it dried up, with no explanation or reason. Those who still remained would gather at the edge of the well and lower the bucket with hopes of finding just a little bit of fresh water, but there was none to be had. They cried as they circled the well, so very thirsty and still heartbroken from the loss of their loved ones, and soon their tears filled it up, but that was too salty for them to drink, so they had to move away.”
Miriam gave a nod and adjusted her pack across her shoulders. “To this day, that well remains, somewhere deep within the Lost Forest, filled with the shimmering tears of a great number of magical beings. The magic contained within that Well of Tears is powerful indeed, because it’s the collected power of all of the enchanted creatures.”
“The Well of Tears?” Thaddeus whispered.
“That’s what they call it,” Fetter said from the back of the line. “Isn’t it a great name?”
Astrid made a disgusted sound. “It’s a horrible name. Ridiculous and romantic, and not even a good part of the story. No one’s ever seen it, and do you know how many tears it would take to fill a well? It’s not even possible!”
Thaddeus followed his father, who forged a path through the tall grass. As he walked, his thoughts strayed to a mass grave filled with the bones of magical beings surrounded by dark, twisted trees and a well filled with tears, and he wondered—not for the last time, he was sure—if he would ever stop being surprised by this strange new world he had discovered.
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