15
Wallace thought the rope might help them climb down to the bottom of the hole in the earth. It didn’t even come close.
He reached the end of it, glancing down to see only darkness. The sole source of light was a slight reddish yellow glow far below him.
“What now?” Natalie asked as they dangled from the end of the rope.
“Grab onto that,” he said, pointing to a jagged rock that stuck out from the side of the cliff edge. The rumblings of the earth had subsided but every now and then something shuddered, soil falling past them, clattering down into the depths.
“It must be an earthquake,” Natalie said,grabbing onto the rock before starting to clamber downward. “That’s the only possible explanation.”
“I dinnae ken what an earthquake is but I sense dark magic going on down here. What do you ken about that key of yours?”
“Nothing other than it clearly does some seriously weird things. Why?”
“I think we might be in serious trouble if we dinnae get it back from him with all haste.”
“What’s that?”
He looked down where she was nodding. The glow was getting brighter. “I think that’s the bottom of this. We’re almost there.”
They put on a fresh burst of speed. By the time they set foot on the ground, Wallace’s arms were aching from gripping the cliffside for so long. He could only marvel that Natalie had managed to hold on at all. They looked around them, the earth shifting and groaning as if at any moment it might snap shut and crush them both.
The glow was up ahead. Wallace listened. Footsteps.
“This way,” he said. “Follow me.”
He walked swiftly but silently, moving across clumps of earth interspersed with stones. Occasionally larger rocks blocked their way and they wereforced to clamber over them. All the while the glow grew brighter, helping to illuminate their passage.
“I’m scared,” Natalie whispered as they paused to listen, hearing a growling and a thud coming from up ahead. The thud was too loud. “What’s that noise?”
“We will soon find out.” He turned a corner and then held up a hand to stop Natalie from moving forward.
Around the bend he could see the barefoot man, key in hand, making his way through a huge chamber, the glow bright enough to show the key was pointing toward something.
The glow was not coming from the key. It was coming from behind a door hewn into the very rock. As the barefoot man approached the door, there was another deafening thud from the other side, followed by a roar of anger.
“I have the key,” the barefoot man said. “Now you will praise me.” He went to push the key into the lock and as he did so, Wallace was filled with a sense of enormous dread. Whatever was behind that door must not get out. He knew it like he knew he was a MacGregor. Evil was trapped behind that door. It must remain trapped or they were all doomed.
“Wait,” Wallace shouted, stepping out into the open. He hurled his sword just as the barefoot man turned toward him. The sword flew through the air, landing in middle of the lock.
“You cannot stop me,” the barefoot man said, trying to pull the sword free. It was wedged deep, buried in the stone as if it were rotten wood. “I will free him.”
The thuds on the other side of the door grew louder, the chamber getting unbearably hot. Wallace took a step forward.
“I am a MacGregor,” he said, feeling someone else speaking through him. “Descendant of those who made the key that binds. I cannot let you do this.”
“You have no sword. How do you intend to stop me?”
“With these.” Wallace ran toward him, fists clenched. He swung his arm up and caught the barefoot man on the chin. His opponent fell back against the door, rewarded by another deafening thud from behind it. Someone was hammering at the stone, trying frantically to get out.
Wallace went to hit him again but this time the barefoot man was ready, dipping to one side andlanding a blow of his own, punching Wallace in the gut.
He lashed out with his right hand but his opponent was faster, hitting him again, ducking and diving, landing one blow after another.
Wallace staggered back, roaring as he thrust his foot upward, kicking the barefoot man in the chest.
The fight moved away from the door, the two of them falling to the floor of the chamber, rolling across the rocks, the two men snarling and cursing each other.
