“You heard the girl—more wine over here,” he yelled over his shoulder to Dimitri.
“No, theansweris wine.”
39
Morgana
The sun had almost set as we rushed back up the stone steps toward the church. I had a pitcher of red wine clutched against my chest, and Finn was on my heels. Despite the severity of the situation, I kept giggling when I stopped to catch my breath, unable to believe we’d solved it.
I was also drunk—very drunk.
Now that we were out of the frantic atmosphere of the tavern, the world was not only sparkling with the glow of liquor but also swaying. The sun sank lower, its last rays decorating the skyline, and Finn took me by the hand, dragging me up the terracotta cliff face.
“It’s so beautiful.” I hiccuped, sucking in air to calm my burning lungs and surveying the setting sun.
Finn blew out an exasperated breath. “Your new job is to do everything you can not to spill that tankard.”
“Why is that my new job?”
“Becausethisis my new job,” he grunted, slinging his arms aroundme and lifting me against his chest. His muscles tensed as he began the climb up the mountain.
“Don’t drink it!” he scolded as I lifted the glass vat to my lips. “This test was about generosity.”
I choked on a chuckle, and he rolled his eyes. “Luckily, I’ve had good practice carrying you.”
There was only a speck of light on the horizon, and the world was seconds away from sinking into night when we reached the plateau on which the crumbling church stood. The old man raised his head and smiled as Finn put me down before him.
“The answer is wine,” I slurred, setting the tankard on the dry earth at his feet.
The man licked his cracked lips as he raised the carafe. “I’ve been parched for so long,” he rasped, before throwing back his head and drinking deeply of the crimson liquid.
The sun dipped below the horizon as the stray cat crept forward, weaving between our ankles with a soft purr. The man dropped the empty tankard, which shattered at his feet, and with a sigh of relief, vanished in a cloud of swirling dark smoke. It coiled around our ankles, wrapped itself around his old wooden chair, and condensed into a trembling black mass on the seat. It shifted and took form, solidifying into a silver box. Its metal surface was etched with raised spirals, and an opaque heart-shaped stone sat on the lid. Something about the design evoked a strange familiarity.
“The question remains: can you do what needs to be done to open it?” the old man’s voice echoed from the ruins, followed by a laugh. Then the black smoke disappeared, and there was only the box on the chair and the crumbling structure behind it, now bathed in the evening’s shades of indigo.
We’d done it.
I flung myself into Finn’s arms, and he spun me around. When he released me, we both turned back to the box. I grabbed it from the chair and attempted to open it, but it was locked. “What did he mean by do what we need to do?”
I thought I caught a flicker of discomfort on Finn’s face, but his lips tugged into a grin. “We need a key. Luckily, we’ve already found it. Inegar is bringing it to the summit.”
That was it—the key with the matching design. I’d seen it before, in the pawnshop.
Mr. Inegar was King Neptunus’s most trusted advisor. A knot of unease formed in my stomach at the thought of his involvement, but I swallowed it down. My grandmother had spent her life chasing the prophecy that could save the Mer from the Shadow and perhaps even bring peace to the oceans. We had to see this through.
Walking side by side, we picked our way back up the uneven path toward the hustle and bustle of Oia, now a glittering mass of lights in the distance. I had the box tucked under my arm, my sundress rippling in the tepid evening air.
Finn rubbed the back of his neck and then met my stare. “It’s our last night here. What would you like to do?”
“Why don’t you show me your mother’s nightclub?”
His whole face lit up, and my belly fluttered as he placed his hand on the small of my back.
40
Morgana
The Aegean club was on Perivolos Beach, and a wave of fear washed over me as the black Mercedes van pulled up and the thatched umbrellas of Aqua Inferno came into view. But Finn and I kept to the shadows, walking alongside the sighing ocean to avoid Stavros or any of his henchmen.
