“Wait.” Logan held up a hand. “Did you kill the figment by stabbing it?”
“I don’t know.” Emma eyed the goo-covered dagger on the grass. “Maybe the knife has some kind of power. When ittouched the figment, I felt something inside me let go. And we know it’s connected to the island.”
Logan frowned. “But Nico didn’t have it when he beat the Sasquatch.”
Nico held up his hands. “I’m not sure what I did. Or if I did anything at all.”
Tyler’s brow furrowed. “So howdowe get rid of the figments?”
No one answered. A cold wind swept the clifftop, chilling Opal’s bones.
“This isn’t even close to fun anymore,” Tyler said. “That mega-roach was Emma’s biggest fear in the world. Why would the Darkdeep send that?” He frowned at the fog-shrouded path. “What else is waiting down there?”
Only the Darkdeep knows,Opal thought.Our worst fears come to life.
“Let’s go home,” she said. “Regroup. We don’t have to go down into Still Cove today.”
Fear lingered in Emma’s eyes, in the set of her mouth. But she picked up the dagger and wiped it clean on the grass. Everyone stared at the strange weapon in her hand. Was it the answer?
“No,” Emma said, gripping the knife firmly. “We do it now. Let’s end this while we still can.”
Without waiting for a response, she turned and strode for the trail.
29
NICO
Nico moved cautiously down the cliff-side path.
He couldn’t see far in the cloying fog, which covered them like a damp towel.What else is hiding in this?
The others piled up behind him. “Are we really going inside the tunnel?” Tyler asked. “Not knowing what’s down there?”
“No choice,” Opal said. “That’s where the floor carving is.”
Tyler grunted in displeasure.
They passed the lone owl’s nest like so many times before. But the bird was absent. Driven away by unnatural monsters? Nico hoped not.
The cave was blessedly empty. After a minute of careful surveillance—ears straining to detect any lurkers—Nico activated his phone light. Afraid to lose his nerve, he went straight for the tunnel. At the bottom of the switchbacks he led the group along the passage under the cove to the open chamber.Everyone let out a relieved breath, but this was as far as their plan extended.
“So …” Tyler brushed at his nose. “Now what?”
Nico shrugged. “Any ideas?”
“Search the room.” Opal held the dagger in her phone light. The hand-and-torch symbol gleamed on its odd hilt. “We’re looking for anything like this. Maybe there’s a hiding place.”
“Or a Darkdeep off-switch.” Logan began running his beam along the chamber walls. The others split up and did the same, but after five minutes they were back where they started.
“We’re missing something,” Tyler said. “Something obvious, I bet.”
“Unless it’s just a dumb carving,” Emma mumbled. “Maybe Hale was into chiseling.”
Nico took a knee on the floor. “The torch symbol brought us here, so maybe the carving itself matters. Can I get some more light?” The others clustered above him as Nico ran a hand along the weathered stone creases. His finger paused where the hand and torch met. He scratched at the dirt.
A black oval appeared.
“Oh, man!” Emma did a little dance step. “You found it, Nico!”
