Tyler flipped open the leather book with a flourish. “Behold … precious nothing!”
Opal giggled. “Is the whole thing blank?”
“Yeah.” Tyler tapped the first page with his finger. “But look at these lines and columns. I’m pretty sure it’s a logbook of some kind. Might as well use it for our records.”
Nico joined them, his posture oozing reluctance. “Why do this now?”
“So we know what’s here,” Tyler said primly. “In order to appreciate it.”
Opal agreed completely. If they understood the collection better, maybe they could figure out why it existed, or who put it together. She picked up a glass box containing a claw of some kind. “Start with this?”
“Why not?” Tyler’s eyes danced. “We’ll sort everything into categories, and then makesubcategories …”
“You’rekillingme, Ty.” But Nico lifted a battered wicker basket and peeked inside.
“Go ahead, Opal.” Tyler licked the tip of his pencil. “What should I write down?”
“It’s a black talon. Petrified. Likely from a bird. That’s all I got.”
“Great. Put it in the cabinet behind you. We’ll label thatShelf 1A.” He pulled a stack of Post-its from his pocket. The dude was a walking supply store. “Talk to me, Nico. Whatcha got?”
“It’s best described as a fossilized turd.”
“Gross.” Opal wrinkled her nose. “Don’t be revolting.”
“No.” Nico held up a hardened brown lump. “I really think it is.”
“Yikes.” Tyler made a gagging sound. “Just put that back where you found it.”
“Put it in the pond.” Opal looked to Emma for commiseration, but she was nowhere in sight. “Where’d Emma go?”
“Probably downstairs.” Tyler lifted a stuffed … something off the floor. “She’s obsessed with the pool. Calls it the Darkdeep.”
The Darkdeep. The name raised goosebumps along Opal’s arms. “Shouldn’t someone go with her? Safety in numbers, and all that?”
“Emma’s fine,” Nico snapped. “She’s not stupid. None of us are.”
Opal turned away. She knew they weren’t stupid. Nico was being such a jerk. And she really didn’t think anyone should be down by the pool alone. She walked toward the stairs, passing a row of old photographs on the wall, and paused. The pictures had been taken over different eras, and hung in mismatched frames, but they all had something in common.
At first she thought it was their eyes. The oldest photos had that old-timey-stare thing going, but something was strange about the newer ones, too. Then it hit her: The people weren’t looking at the camera. Or at anything, maybe. They were staring into space. Almost like they looked … beyond. It was true in every picture, even though the photos clearly spanned decades. Opal found it unnerving.
And that wasn’t all. Each subject wore a carved necklace with a swirly design.
“Are you checking on Emma or not?” Nico yelled across the room, startling her.
Shaking her head, Opal walked to the top of the staircase. “Emma?”
“Down here!” she replied cheerily.
Opal swallowed and started down, gripping the railing tight. Emma began chattering the second she reached thebottom. “I think this is regular freshwater,” Emma said, “or close to it. I snagged some pH strips from Mr. Huang’s classroom and ran a test.”
Opal looked at her in surprise. “Um, okay.”
Emma was kneeling beside the pool. She waved a hand above the inky water. “There’s no reflection, which is super weird, because thereislight down here. I can’t tell where it comes from. And this liquid shines anyway.But it doesn’t reflect. What’sthatabout?”
“Don’t touch it.” Opal warned. Her skin tingled with something like static electricity.
“What in theworldmakes it spin?” Emma chewed her thumbnail. Then she swung her legs around from under her and took off a shoe and sock.
