Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 134898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 540(@250wpm)___ 450(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 134898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 674(@200wpm)___ 540(@250wpm)___ 450(@300wpm)
It’s that uncomfortable shiver under my skin that makes me speak up, makes me reckless. “Why don’t we look near the columns? It’s as good a place as any.”
“Why?” Arrod asks.
“Because they’re ruins,” I point out. “Maybe we’ll find something near one of those.”
“It seems obvious, but I agree,” Hemmen says. “We’re not getting anywhere right now. Might as well try the obvious.”
They immediately turn toward a crumbled column near our feet, and I want to scream in frustration. Instead, I bite my tongue and dig near it alongside them. When we take a water break, I pretend to scan the cavern and then point out the spot that’s been bothering me all day. “Oh, look. It’s another column.”
Instead of looking over at it, they turn to look at me. “How’d you see that?”
Uh-oh.
“How’d you miss it?” I toss back. I mean, sure, it’s at least twenty handspans up the cavern, near the tall ceiling and practically hidden by a long stalactite drooping from above. But if one looks closely, one can see just a hint of a shelf of rock, and on it, more of the infernal moss.
Raptor holds the lantern higher, frowning. “You must have good eyesight for a human.”
“The best.” I keep my tone casual and flirty. “Besides, there’s a hard corner under all that moss. Don’t tell me that happens naturally in a stone cave.”
“Actually, it does with certain types of rock,” Raptor says, moving past me. His tail flicks my ear, and it feels like a caress more than anything. I rub my earlobe as he strides over to the spot I’ve pointed out and holds the lantern higher. “That’s definitely a column, though. Good eye.”
“Thank you.” I’m glad no one else is questioning my ability. It is rather far up the cave wall.
He turns to look at our group. “Now the question is, how do we get up there?”
That ends up being easier than anyone expected. Kipp sheathes his sword and adjusts his overlarge, battered shell on his back. Then he climbs up the wall as nimbly as, well, a lizard. When he makes it to the top of the shelf, he disappears behind the column and reappears a moment later with something in his hand.
Something that sparkles in the lantern light.
“Aha,” says Arrod, and claps his hands with delight. “Master Jay tried to trick us!”
Kipp crawls down the wall and lands with a triumphant thud. He holds the item aloft, and we all lean in to take a closer look at it.
It’s a cube of some kind, made of metal covered in runes. Raptor takes it in hand and turns it over, and as he does, the sparkle turns to a soft yellow glow, with one set of runes lighting up. As he turns it over again, a different word brightens, this one in pale blue.
“Can you read what it says?” I ask, captivated. I’ve only been close to true artifacts a few times in my life, but each time I’m utterly fascinated by them. They’re not meant for common people. They’re the domain of the rich and powerful, and even though the cube looks like nothing but a child’s toy, it feels special. Valuable.
Raptor turns it over again, and the writing becomes a deep pink. “This symbol is the one for ‘mistress,’ like lady of the house. And this one means ‘activate.’ ” Arrod reaches over and touches the “activate” rune before anyone can react.
Raptor flinches back as one side of the cube opens…displaying what looks like a tiny pair of metal scissors.
Thank the gods.
He glares at Arrod, then peers inside and makes a humph of amusement. “It’s got a sewing kit in there and a key. Not important stuff, so I imagine that’s why it’s being used for training.”
Hemmen touches the object and the scissors sink back in again, the compartment closing. He flips it and touches the blue symbol, and a tiny hair comb protrudes. “I thought Master Jay said what we were hunting for wasn’t working?”
“Maybe we’re not supposed to fuss with it?” I suggest. “Close it up and let’s just turn the damned thing in.”
We rope together again, and Hemmen takes the artifact, because he insists upon carrying it. Kipp looks slightly annoyed at being passed over, but he shrugs and takes the lead again. Arrod complains as we head back to the front of the tunnel that we didn’t get to fight anything, and Raptor explains to him about how you don’t want to fight things in the tunnels if you can help it. He also says all of this while keeping a hand on the small of my back and making me incredibly aware of his nearness. By this time, we’ve been in the tunnels long enough that any wet spot on my pants is long dried, and thank goodness for that.