Bryan looked uncertain. “Honey, they never said that this was—well, they were nice enough to include me, so—”
I gave him my brightest smile. “I’m pretty sure this double date's long overdue.” I looked at Daniel. “Can you imagine the four of us in high school on a date?”
He grinned. “Man, we studs would have knocked you off your feet?”
“Studs?” I said, practically shrieking with laughter. “We both know you guys would've been weak in the knees while we strutted around.”
Daniel and Bryan exchanged a look, then both burst out laughing, though Bryan's sounded a bit forced. “You're right." Daniel squeezed my arm. "We would’ve been lucky to keep up with you two.”
Bryan shook his head. “Come on, let’s get going. I want to see this cave before the sun sets.
We finally made it to the car, although now we were all giggling like crazy. Our nerves were making us a little silly. Daniel had our bag with possible offerings thrown over his shoulder, and the rest of us carried our smaller backpacks with our supplies and jackets. We climbed into my little car, and then away we went.
When we reached the outskirts of town, Daniel turned onto a winding road to take us into the mountains. I'd been more than happy to relinquish the keys to him as we'd walked out the front door. I was way too nervous to navigate. I rolled my window down and breathed in the clean mountain air. The air was crisp and cool, and the sun was just starting to peek over the trees as the morning progressed.
We were all more than a little relieved when we reached the end of our destination, and he killed the engine. We stared through the windshield at the beginning of the trail. Somehow, the trees were a bit more ominous here. The woods were darker.
It was almost definitely my imagination, and yet...I shuddered.
Climbing out of the car, we put on our jackets and checked our packs. We had everything we needed, but none of us made the move to be the first in the woods. Carol led the way down a tiny dirt path that almost looked like it was there more by accident than on purpose. We hiked in silence for a while, each lost in our own thoughts. My chest was tight. This was sort of my last shot. If this cave-spirit-witch-lady couldn't help... I didn't know what.
Thankfully, it didn’t take us long to reach the cave. The instructions the witches had provided had been spot on. Unfortunately, the cave looked unbelievably creepy. Like the kind of place a serial killer would hide the bodies.
I glanced at Carol. “You sure this is it?”
She attempted a smile. “It looks like I remember it, though it's been a very long time since I've been here. You see why not many of us come here for answers.”
“It smells bad too,” Daniel said, and then when he seemed to realize he’d spoken out loud, he continued, “Most shifters come to this cave when they’re young. It’s like a game of truth or dare to see who's tough enough to enter it. I knew where it was, but I never went in. The smell is, I don’t know, like a mix of death and bad magic. Like the scent of something rotten, covered in flies and maggots.”
“That’s reassuring,” Bryan muttered, but then turned his flashlight on. "My sense of smell is advanced, but all I smell is woods. It must be the magic causing the odor."
He couldn't have liked any of this either, but at least he still planned to go in with us. That was something, right? Being a vampire, he was familiar with death, so if it was a danger he could sense, he’d tell us. Wouldn’t he?
I didn’t speak any of my questions out loud, as Carol and Bryan led the way. We entered the cave, and I shivered.
The cold air inside was oppressive like I was walking into death itself. I kept my arms to my side and away from the rough stone walls. The stone floor was uneven. We had to be careful not to trip over the rocks that littered the cave floor. Everywhere we looked small alcoves had been carved out and each held some small object or another.
The offerings.
We switched on our flashlights as we walked farther away from the entrance.
The cave stretched on forever, with no end in sight. It was like entering a different world, one full of secrets, mysteries, and powerful magic.
We’d been walking forever when Carol whispered, “This is it.”
She walked straight into the side of the wall and disappeared. Bryan made an alarmed sound, then followed her, also vanishing. Daniel gripped my hand and went first, but now that we were closer, I saw a small opening in the wall. Daniel huffed and puffed, managing to squeeze through, barely, and then hauled me in after.
Ignoring my goosebumps, I stared in awe. Carol and Bryan stood in front of a large wall. Black candles flickered all over the room, chasing away the darkness, and yet something was wrong with the room. It was beyond unlikely that someone had brought fresh candles into this room each day and lit them. The back wall looked strange. It bunched in the middle, reminding me of the face of an ancient man or woman, a face so overwhelmed by wrinkles that there wasn’t much of an actual face there. Heck, maybe it was all in my head. I wasn’t sure.
“Let’s give her our offerings,” Carol whispered.
I nodded and Daniel handed me his backpack. My hands shook a little as I crept forward on nervous legs. Kneeling in front of the strange wall, I unpacked, moving slowly. First I unwrapped a large batch of Deva’s magical cookies and set them on the ground. Next, I pulled out the plant from Beth’s. Deva and Beth had bespelled it to survive, even in the dark cave. Finally, I took out the scarf Carol had made. It would change colors at random.
I rocked back on my heels and looked at the creepy face, but nothing happened.
Looking at the others in frustration, I asked, “What now?”
Bryan came forward and pointed at a dark stain on the bottom of the wall. “I hate to say this, but that stain makes it look like the wall needs a blood sacrifice to work.”
