With a loud grunt, she threw herself forward, but her hand slipped as she grabbed for the rope. His hand closed around her wrist as her other hand dropped from the rope, and she hung suspended with only his hand holding her.
“Reach up and grab my other hand,” he said urgently.
She looked up to see his hand reaching down to her, and she swung up and slapped her palm into his. Inch by inch he pulled her up until finally her belly slid over the edge.
He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly, his face buried in her hair. “Thank God,” he murmured. “I thought I lost you.”
She drew away and pressed her mouth to his, drinking deeply of him. “Thank you,” she murmured against his lips.
He didn’t respond, too intent on returning her volatile kiss. For several breathless moments, they exchanged heated kisses. Then she pressed her forehead to his and closed her eyes in sweet relief. Reveled in the fact that she was alive. Finally they broke away, and he helped her to her feet.
“If Father Ling was correct, you only have one more test to pass,” he said.
Wisdom.
The word floated into her thoughts and she cringed. Wisdom was something her father had and certainly not something anyone could ever attribute to her.
Not wanting Merrick to see her indecision, she pulled the map out and traced the route with her finger. “According to this, once we’ve crossed the bridge, we go left, then right, then right again.”
“A veritable maze,” he muttered.
He picked up his discarded torch and took her hand in his. Somehow in the space of a few minutes, the quest had become theirs instead of hers alone. And suddenly it didn’t matter so much that she do it alone.
He squeezed her hand. “Are you ready to continue?”
She nodded and they set out to the left entering yet another tunnel. Instead of entering an open area as before, the tunnel split after a distance and they took the right wing. The second passageway seemed interminable, and she wondered how much time had elapsed since she began her trek. They only had eight hours before the next high tide, and she didn’t want to miss their way out of the caves.
The tunnel branched again and they bore right. Wisdom. Only one test remained. Her stomach clenched in one huge knot. Could she pass the final test? Was she worthy of her father’s legacy?
Their footsteps echoed eerily down the long pathway. Even the sounds of their breathing seemed magnified against the limestone walls.
And then she saw it. A soft glow emanating from a distant point. She stopped, her hand dropping from Merrick’s. He turned, an inquisitive look outlined by the torch on his face.
Reaching his hand out, he cupped her chin, rubbing his thumb over her cheek. “You can do this.”
“Imustdo this,” she whispered.
She started forward again, moving ahead of him. As she got to the end of the tunnel, she paused at the threshold of the cavern. Giant stalactites alternated with stalagmites formed beautiful, jewel-like pillars in the center of the small chamber.
She stepped inside, her head tilted back to view the ceiling as she turned round and round in awe. The roof twinkled like a starlit night, crystal formations crowded together like a million diamonds.
Her gaze dropped and then she saw it. In the center of the room, surrounded by torches, stood a glassed-in case with the Royal Emerald and the Jeweled Scepter. She had done it!
With a triumphant shake of her fist, she motioned for Merrick to follow her. She approached the display with reverence and trembling hands.
But when she got close she saw that it wasn’t as simple as taking the relics. They were completely encased within the glass in a boxlike structure. She examined the edges, looking for a way to open it but could not find one.
She had been so focused on the relics that she nearly overlooked an identical glass case next to the relics with a simple rolled up parchment bound with a leather tie. She frowned and glanced up at Merrick. “I’ve not heard of a scroll or letter.”
“Perhaps it’s a distraction,” he offered.
She studied the smooth, flat surface the cases rested on and rested briefly against the large table-like rock. Clearly the only way to retrieve the emerald and scepter was to break the glass.
Beside her Merrick wiped the surface of the stone with his hand. “What does this say?” he asked, pointing to a series of letters.
She helped him wipe the layers of dirt from the engraved letters so they could get a clearer view. Then she groaned. “It appears to be in Latin, and I confess, this is one area of my studies I neglected.”
He smiled and pushed her aside. “Lucky for you, I studied Latin at Cambridge.”
