Page 67 of Jake

“A hidden compartment,” Quintus suggested, inspecting the lower frame.

“If I had a treasure,” Kai mused, “Something important…”

“Something that could kill someone,” Jake interjected.

“A weapon. Something that would protect me.” Kai ran her fingers over the headboard. “I’d want it close to me.”

“Somewhere well hidden.” Quintus knelt down and peered under the bed.

“Somewhere I could reach it,” she speculated. “But maybe if it’s a secret, I’d want a key?”

“Maybe, but where are you going to keep a key? You’re sleeping,” Jake said.

“And if I were by myself, I’d probably sleep on the side with the night stand. So…” Kai rounded the bed to where Jake stood. “I’d be lying down.”

“What are you…?” Jake gave a small laugh as Kai launched herself up onto the high bed, nearly sliding back onto the floor. “Easy.”

“I forgot how high these beds are.”

“Back in the day, you’d be better off up high. Vermin,” Quintus commented.

“So if I needed a weapon. Maybe I’d what? Look for it down here?” Kai fingered the side of the bed, but couldn’t reach the edge of the frame.

“Maybe if you were on your stomach, it would be easier?” Jake suggested.

Kai flipped over, and sighed. “I’m not sure. Did you see anything on the frame?”

“No,” Quintus said. “I hope those girls were telling the truth.”

“They were. It’s here somewhere. Just let me…”

“If it were me, I’d keep it under my pillow. But then again, it’s a secret. She’s keeping it close, but not too close.” Jake brushed his hand over his forehead.

“I’d probably keep it under here. Like maybe it’s in the headboard somehow.” Kai reached her hands forward, sliding them under the pillow and onto the cold wooden surface. Frustrated, she pushed with her toes until her fingers edged further down near the mattress. Swiping along the smooth wood, she stilled as the pads of her fingers pressed into a roughly edged divot.

“I found something. It’s…I don’t know. It’s an indentation of some kind. A rectangle, maybe. No…it’s a cross. Yeah, definitely a cross.” Kai shoved up onto her knees and lifted the pillow, setting it aside. “Dammit, I wish I had a flashlight.”

“Here.” Quintus lifted his phone, the bright light shining far into the crevasse between the bed and mattress.

“Look, I can see it…this opens. Maybe there’s a lever.”

“Or maybe,” Jake reached for the wooden rosary, and stretched it into the space, “it needs a key.”

“Yes!” Kai exclaimed as she guided Jake’s hand into place. As they set the cross into the indentation, there was an audible click. “Did you hear that? It’s here. Wait…I feel it.”

A curved metal pull ejected from the smooth wood, and Kai hooked her finger around it. The plank slid inside itself, revealing a hidden compartment. Light flickered off its metallic surface as she reached for the knife.

“Careful. Last thing you want to do is get cut by that thing. It’s probably loaded to the hilt with dark magick.”

“I’ve got it,” she whispered, her heart pounding in excitement as she wrapped her fingers around its thick hilt. “Look.”

Kai pressed back, kneeling on the bed. Rotating the foot-long Kris in the air, she smiled, her eyes wide in amazement.

“Dom sure knew how to hide that sucker. We might have found it eventually but the girls definitely helped,” Jake said.

“It’s born of demon magick. It bears the blood of children.” Quintus shone the light onto the blade.

“We need to get going. We’ll figure out the rest when we get home,” Jake said.