“You can remove the blindfold now,” Robin whispered.
Slipping the piece of cloth up over his eyes, Ian blinked in the darkness. A few small glowing dots shimmered below the surface of the water, lining a path into the murk behind the boat.
But he could make out nothing else in the cave ahead until Robin struck a flint, holding up a small lantern.
From the small sphere of light, Ian could make out a low ceiling overhead. Large stalactites dropped low enough to scrape against his head if he was not careful. He could not tell how widethe space was, though, as the lantern light only fell so far before disappearing into complete darkness.
“A smuggler’s cave,” he said, finally understanding why Robin had not wanted to bring him here. What other unlawful activities did this woman engage in?
“Hold this.” Robin handed him the lantern.
Lifting it over the side of the boat, Ian could see the shallow seawater that had carried them into the cave. A small blue dot glowed under the water, and Ian wondered what kind of sea urchin or mussel emitted light like that.
The floor of the cave stretched out from the side of the boat. It appeared to be a long stretch of slippery rock, washed smooth from the ebbing tides.
Robin hopped nimbly from the boat, tying it to a metal hook that had been affixed to the rock.
Ian followed her, climbing out of the small boat. His leather boots splashed in the ocean water when he stepped up the rock surface.
“This way,” Robin whispered as she led him into the darkness.
Ian followed, carrying the lantern low so that it shed light on the ground at their feet without blinding him. As they moved away from the water, Ian saw a faint glow up ahead.
Robin moved toward that light. “Watch your footing,” she said.
Her warning was unnecessary, Ian already moving carefully over the slick rock.
As Robin moved through the cave with ease, Ian wondered what other unlawful activities she had used this cave for. If she used it solely for the purposes of River’s Talon, that meant she had smuggled Majis through this cave. But how many? And why would Robin harass travelers for gold if she was working with River’s Talon?
“You can douse the lantern,” she said, cutting into his thoughts, as they grew closer to the glowing light. “It will be easier to see without it.”
After thumbing open the glass panel on the side of the lantern, Ian blew out the flame.
Robin disappeared ahead of him through a crack in the rock wall of the cave. Ian followed her, using the glow from behind the crack to guide him. On the other side, Ian found himself in a man-carved tunnel. The rock face was clean and smooth. The tunnel itself was not large, but it felt well-made and was surprisingly well-lit.
Colorful pieces of broken glass, sanded smooth by sea waves, were affixed to the wall in various patterns.
The glass itself was glowing, emitting a soft warm light that filled the entire space, leaving no room for shadows.
Ian stopped at the entrance of the tunnel, admiring the beautiful sight in front of him. The small glowing rocks in the stream under the boat must have been this same type of glass.
Robin turned back toward him, her face softening into a small smile when she saw his expression.
“A simple use of harmony magic,” she said. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”
Ian nodded his agreement, reaching out a tentative hand to touch the glowing glass. It was warm in comparison to his cold fingers, but not hot.
He followed Robin down the tunnel, running his fingers across the swirls and waves of the glass patterns as they went.
This magic was beautiful.
The tunnel took a sharp turn to the right and then another, wider, to the left. Then, Robin veered off the main tunnel and led him through an arched doorway into another cave.
But Ian had very little time to notice anything about the well-lit underground room, as his eyes immediately fell upontwo figures sitting on a wooden bench, wrapped together in a blanket.
“Meena!” Ian said, rushing forward past Robin to embrace his younger sister.
She squeaked in surprise and stood, spinning around in a full circle as she attempted to extricate herself from the blanket before jumping into his arms. “Ian!”
