Chapter 24
“You are the most spontaneous woman I know.” Griffin held back the branches of a prickly bush to help Clare get through the gap in the pile of stones passing for a wall.
She’d put on hiking boots but was wearing the sparkly evening gown she’d chosen as her weddingattire. She’d hurriedly packed without interference from her two friends who were still at work.
He was frankly surprised she went along with the plan. But then, he had to believe she meant to restore his heirloom. Being a youngster, in her early twenties or so, she was full of fun and adventure.
“I hope I don’t lose too many sequins here,” she said, holding up her gown from thebrambles.
“Where is the fairy mound?” Griffin waved the flashlight on his cell phone.
“Up there, behind that cistern, there’s a cellar where I can get to the underground tunnel.” She tiptoed gingerly down a narrow pathway between piles of debris and overgrown bushes.
A twig cracked not far from them, and Griffin froze, covering the light. “Are you meeting anyone?”
She put her finger over her lips and shook her head. After standing still and hearing nothing but the rustling of leaves, she again led the way.
This time, Griffin followed as silently as he could, keeping his light pointed on the thin trail between broken walls and what looked like headstones. The night air was damp, and the hairs on the back of his neck prickled with the feeling that someoneor something was watching them.
Clare didn’t seem fazed. She knew the way, and soon, they were standing in front of a stone beehive hut with a hole leading down into the ground.
“Are we going down there?” he asked.
“You keep watch,” she said. “I’ll go down.”
“I’m going with you. I’ve always wanted to see the inside of a fairy mound.”
“It’s faster if I go alone,”she insisted. “If anyone sees me, they might think I’m one of the fairies.”
Griffin’s hackles raised with alarm. “You mean others visit the mound?”
“Most of the orphans know about the tunnels,” Clare said. “But I’ve hidden your treasure in an area rumored to be guarded by the death angel, or banshee. She might not take lightly to your intruding on her domain.”
“I thought wewere dealing with reality, not fantasy.” The words came out harsher than he intended. “You’re not thinking of skipping out with the rock, are you?”
The corners of her lips turned down, and she shrugged. “I’m being truthful with you. Things happen down in the tunnels, and some orphans never return.”
He didn’t want to piss her off before finding the rock, so he patted her back. “Ofcourse. You know best, but let me come with you. I’m not afraid.”
“You don’t trust me.” She flipped her face away from him and pouted. “Very well, you go first.”
Griffin looked back at the darkened ruins they’d passed. His heart raced, and his thudding pulse was interfering with his ability to listen for intruders. After deciding no one was following, he turned his flashlight downthe dank hole. The steps were narrow and steep. The air was stale and musty, with the fetid odor of dirt and dead animals.
“Does this fork off at any point?” he asked, feeling his way along the damp stone walls. Water trickled underneath the pebbles at their feet, and the walls were cracked and damp.
“This cistern is built in one of the mounds, and there is a twin mound on the otherside which is dry. We’ll go underneath the old monastery, so it’s down and then up. Sometimes it’s flooded on the lowest level, but most of the water should have been diverted to the cistern.”
“How far will we have to swim if it’s flooded?”
“I’m hoping we only have to wade,” Clare said with a chuckle. “If you want to turn back, it’s not too late.”
Her voice held a tone ofmocking, and Griffin wasn’t about to let her get the better of him. “I’ll take care of whatever threats that’ll come up here. Let me go first.”
She giggled as he barged ahead. He was too tall for the tunnel and banged his head. “Ouch.”
“I was about to tell you to duck.”
“Fine, I’ll walk like a hunchback.” He lowered his spine and shined the light down the tiny passageway.He looked back the way they came, but it was pitch-black.
