Albie swept golden eyes over Tavish and me, then darted for the beach. Tavish and I followed, landing in a rush of wind and sand. The sea crashed against the shore, spray misting my wings.
The men shifted, their clothing fully intact. Albie approached with the satchel, and I let the transformation sweep me.
“We’re close,” Albie said, helping me into my chemise. “The guidebook says the chronomancer lives nearby.”
He helped with the petticoats, then moved behind me and laced my corset. Tavish withdrew something wrapped in cloth from his pocket. Eyeing the cliffs, he pulled some kind of berry-filled pastry from the cloth and took a large bite. The wind tugged his hair away from his face, exposing his square jaw and rugged profile. With his size and tattoos, it wasn’t hard to picture him as an invading conqueror.
The pastry kind of ruined it, though.
He swung back around and caught me staring. “Tart?” he asked, extending the pastry in my direction. His teeth marks indented the side. He noticed and hastily shifted the pastry around.
“No, thanks.”
“This way,” Albie said, moving toward the cliffs. We walked for ten minutes, our boots sinking into the sand. Wind plastered my skirts to my legs and sent my hair flying into my mouth. The cliffs rose higher around us, blocking out the sky until we walked in shadow.
Albie paused next to a group of moss-covered boulders. He pulled a small book from inside his jacket and flipped through the pages, squinting at the text.
“The guidebook says there should be a passageway…” He looked around, frowning.
I spun in a slow circle, searching for anything that resembled an opening. But there was nothing but rock and sand. And Tavish, who loomed at my shoulder like he feared I’d shift and bolt toward the sky.
Albie approached the largest boulder. He brushed sand from its surface, revealing smooth stone underneath. He rubbed harder, clearing more sand until?—
A rune appeared. Carved deep into the rock, it glowed faintly blue.
“There you are,” Albie murmured. He pressed his palm flat against it.
The rune lit up, blue light spilling from under Albie’s fingers. He lifted his hand, and the glow spread over the boulder. The ground beneath our feet trembled, and Tavish grabbed my arm and tucked me behind him.
With a grinding sound that vibrated my bones, the two largest cliffs shifted apart. As quickly as they started, they stopped, leaving a sliver of space.
“Perfect,” Albie said, starting toward it.
Tavish caught his elbow. “I don’t like this,” he muttered, his narrowed gaze on the gap.
I was with Tavish. The opening looked like a death trap, with cliffs rising hundreds of feet on either side. Wind whistled through it, and the smell of damp stone and something metallic soaked the air.
Albie turned and patted Tavish’s chest. “I know,” he said, “but I’ve studied the texts. This passage has been here for centuries. It’s safe.”
Tavish gave the opening another skeptical look before muttering, “You and your bloody books.”
“My books haven’t led us astray yet,” Albie said.
Tavish straightened Albie’s spectacles. “Except for that one time.”
Albie ducked his head, pink spreading over his cheeks. But when he looked up, his eyes were steady. “I don’t make the same mistakes twice.”
Tavish’s expression softened. He sighed, then chucked Albie under the chin. “All right, love. Lead the way.”
Albie’s smile returned. Eyes bright, he turned to me. “Ready, lass?”
Before I could answer, Tavish grabbed my hand. “You’ll go between us.” His voice was firm, leaving no room for argument. “Albie leads. You follow.” He winked at me. “I’ll be up your rear.”
I sucked in a startled breath.
“Bring up the rear,” he amended.
Was he really joking right now? “You’re not very funny.”
