3227 BCE
COMPOSED OF MOONSTONE AND ONYX
GIFTED BY THE ROYAL TREASURY OF THE KERR FAMILY
6TH CENTURY
“Niiiice and easy,” murmured Rudy. He swung his backpack, drawing out a glowing blue rock. “No one make a sound, okay? I’ve got to steal his key to get past the personnel door, and then we can get to G-Thousand’s treasure cave—”
Rudy tripped. The blue rockclangedon the floor, and Rudy slammed into the information desk. For three whole seconds, everybody held their breaths.
But Rudy’s cousin kept snoring.
Rudy looked at them, then looked at his cousin and pumped his fist in the air. “WOO-HOO! Oops.”
The teenage boy snort-startled awake. “Rudy?What are you doing down here?”
“Think quick!” said Rudy, tossing the rock at his cousin.
The boy caught it in his hands, still frowning, and the rock began to hum. Immediately, the boy slumped back in his chair and continued snoring. Rudy rummaged around in the desk, pulling out a paper-thin square of emerald rock that looked a lot like a key card.
“This way,” said Rudy, gesturing them to one of the boulders behind the desk.
Rudy waved his key card. The boulder parted like the doors of an elevator, revealing a huge spiraling staircase in the darkness, which seemed to connect the various levels of the kingdom. But that wasn’t all that appeared. A warning in bright red letters sprawled across the stairs.
DO NOT ENTER
CAVERNS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING MAINTENANCE
HIGH RISK OF DISMEMBERMENT OR
AWAKENING ANCIENT CURSES
“Ancient curses?” said Mini, practically squeaking.
“Eh, that’s nothing,” said Rudy, waving his hand. “I don’t know anyone who went down here and got cursed.”
“Or you never heard from them again?” said Mini darkly.
“Oh!” said Rudy cheerfully. “I never thought about it that way! Okay, let’s go!”
Mini looked faintly nauseous.
The staircase had hundreds of steps and almost as many landings veering off into the rings of caves surrounding the public square. Sheets of cloth hung over many of the cave entrances. There was no wind, yet the cloths stirred. A moaning sound crept through the rock, and goose bumps prickled up Aru’s spine. She listened harder, but the sound was gone.
“They say G-Thousand’s treasure cave is that way,” said Rudy, pointing to an opening on their right.
It was one of the few caverns not covered by a sheet. Gold particles shimmered in the air around it, and Aru saw jewels gleaming within.
“It’s not,” said Aiden.
He was holding up the Sun Jewel, and although Patala was bright, the jewel seemed like a caught star. Aiden must have taken it out of his backpack, which was, for some reason, slung against the front of his body. He had one arm around it, almost cradling it against him.
“What do you mean it’s not?” asked Rudy. “Everyone knows where it is!”
The Sun Jewel pulsed as Aiden swung it in front of him. He lowered and lifted it, moving it from side to side before holding it right above his head. The necklace shone brightly, as if affirming the movement.
“Then they’ve been lying,” said Aiden, pointing at the staircase right above them.
