“IRCES!”
A wall of fire and light sprang into existence in front of Isadau, constructed with translucent spiked columns. The two columns directly in front of her slid into the ground, revealing the second wall, then the columns on their sides, and on and on. The first wall sank into nothing, then the second, and finally the third. The soil on the side of the hill melted, revealing a big double door, carved from gray stone and secured by a bar with a complex metal padlock.
“We are even.” Isadau walked away.
Kaiden sprinted to the door, pulling tools out of his leather satchel. Will followed, carrying the lantern with him. Kaiden looked into the keyhole, thrust a small tool into it, and wiggled it around.
“Good lock,” he murmured.
“Can you open it?”
“It’s a good lock, not great.” He stuck his tools into his mouth.
I paced along the shore. Every second counted.
Lute was looking up. I glanced in the direction of his gaze. Isadau had climbed the hill and stopped at the highest point, just before the drop.
“What is she doing?” Lute muttered.
“Waiting.”
A spark shot upward in the distance like a golden flare, fired ridiculously high.
Damn it.
The spark burst into a star.
“Kaiden!”
“Almost there.”
The star streaked across the sky toward us.
“Hurry!”
Kaiden twisted the tool inside the lock. The padlock popped open with an audibleclick. Kaiden pulled it free, and the double door swung open with a screech.
Will ducked inside, carrying the lantern, and I ran in behind him.
On the walls, lanterns ignited on their own, illuminating a small vault, a square cavern cut in the rock. Shelves lined the stone walls, filled with chests. Fuck. I was hoping for the papers to be in plain view.
I glanced at the doorway. The star was heading toward us, a painfully bright pinpoint of light.
I sprinted to the nearest chest and yanked it open. Gold. I slammed the lid and threw the next lid open. Scrolls in wooden cases. I tried to heave it up, but it was too heavy. Will grabbed the chest out of my hands and took off with it. Kaiden darted back and forth.
A dull roar rolled through the night, growing louder and louder. Damaes was coming.
I dug in the next chest. Spiky chestnut-looking nuts. No clue.
Next chest, gold.
Next, jewels.
Scrolls. I grabbed the chest—it had to weigh fifty pounds at least—and ran outside. At the boat, Will slid his own chest in place and took mine.
The star was almost on us. It twisted, growing longer, slimmer, twisting into a giant . . . lance. Oh shit.
“Leave it!” I screamed. “We have to go! Now! Now, now!”
