Kai shoved the rock wall open another foot.
Hollyn turned back to Bertie and said, “Stay here. Keep an eye on my father.”
“I can’t let you out of my sight!”
“I’ll be okay. Kai will protect me.” Hollyn met Kai’s gaze, and he nodded solemnly.
“I’ve got her, Bertie. I won’t let anything happen to her.”
They both slipped through the narrow opening. Hollyn knew this was crazy, but crazy had been her normal since birth. And if she wanted some version of normal, she had to embrace the crazy and find the amulet.
As Kai pushed the rock wall closed, darkness enveloped them.
“Did the captain happen to pack a flashlight in that bag?” Hollyn’s voice held a hopeful lilt.
“You can’t see?”
Hollyn hesitated before she asked, “You can?”
“Huh! What do you know? Can werewolves see in the dark?”
She laughed nervously. Likely, he wasn’t a werewolf. He would have changed for the first time in his young adulthood. He was past that now, but they still had few clues as to what kind of creature he actually was.
The dark still made her quite nervous, and she imagined all kinds of creepy crawlies surrounding them. She’d seen Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom a few too many times. But Kai searched the bag with his super-eyes and pulled out a cylindrical object. He clicked a switch and handed the flashlight over to her. Relief filled her at the ability to see once more.
As she pointed the flashlight in front of them, they both stared at the stony path, smoothed by the trickles of water sliding down each side of the parallel rock walls. Fortunately, there were no bugs or bats or anything that would make Hollyn’s skin crawl, but then again, they’d just gotten here.
“I guess we know the way. Come on.” Kai picked up the pack and started forward. Hollyn followed.
For the next thirty minutes, Hollyn felt the path taking them lower and lower into the inner caverns of the mountain. The path remained straight and clear, although it narrowed considerably in some places. They were able to follow it easily, almost like it had been carved for them.
A noise from behind them made Hollyn jump, and she swung the beam of her flashlight behind her as she walked on. “You did close the door, didn’t you?”
“Yes, but we can’t be sure a warlock as crafty as your father couldn’t figure out where we might have gone.” He also looked behind them.
“Hopefully, this path will lead us right to the amulet.”
“Yes. Hopefully.” Kai swung his gaze back toward the direction they were heading and stiffened as he cried out, “Watch out!”
