I kissed the top of her head. “You have no idea how much it means to hear that.”
Ava yawned and snuggled into me deeper. Hell, it didn’t matter that we were in prison or the center of a dangerous prophecy. This moment was perfect. I’d do anything for this incredible woman.
Which was why I couldn’t keep protesting. The more I pushed, the more Ava pushed back. She was going after answers one way or another— with or without me. And so I had to follow her.
I just hoped I could save her from herself.
Chapter Twenty
Ava-Marie
We had an objective. The four of us needed to get into the noxite mines, and begin our search there for the next key. But first, I had to interpret the instructions on the floor of the Lair.
I’d spoken to Hemlock about the Elven runes I didn’t know, which was difficult, because I had to play it off as research and not give away that we were trying to gain clues for a secret exploration. With her help, I’d managed to cobble together the phrases that were carved into the stone floor.
There will be trials.
A ghostly summoning
A riddle in the dark
A temptation by illusion
A flooding of water
And a door that will only open
With the blood of one that is mine.
They were obviously steps to get to the next key. As far as I could tell, they were warnings about booby traps set up to protect the key. But I didn’t understand what these clues meant just yet.
My grandfather was a great explorer. He had so much experience crawling around in caves and looking for ancient civilizations. If anyone could help us understand what these instructions meant, it was him.
On Saturday morning, I hurried to the phones and dialed my grandparents’ number. The elegant voice of my Grandmother Eleanor drifted over the line as she picked up the phone.
“Ava, darling, so nice of you to say hello,” she said fairly. “I do wish they’d get rid of that dreadful message at the beginning.You are receiving a phone call from a student at the Darke Institute for Supernaturals Offenders.Huh.” She huffed. “As if I do notknowwho’s calling. Do I look like an imbecile who cannot read a telephone number?”
I laughed. “No one ever mistook you for one.”
“It must be important,” my grandmother stated. “Your grandfather and I were just about to pay another visit to the heart doctor. The Great Spirit himself knows he needs to watch his cholesterol.”
“The Great Spiritherself, grandmother,” I reminded her. “You know how I feel about it.”
“Ava, please, enough of thisGod is a womannonsense,” Grandmother Eleanor said. “If God was a woman, he would’ve gotten it right the first time.”
I heard Grandpa choke in the background, as if he considered what she said heresy, or something of a similar effect. My grandmother said, “Here’s your grandfather. Oh, Elliot, did you stain your shirtagain? It’s hardly ten o’clock in the morning!”
Grandpa took the phone from her. “Ava, what a wonderful surprise! What do you need?”
I had to ponder how to ask the question, as I needed to be careful what I exposed. “I’ve actually been studying Elven culture,” I told him. “It’s fascinating.”
“Is it now?” Grandpa’s voice was tinged with excitement. He was always tickled pink whenever I brought up anthropology. “You know, the Elves were an incredible people. They were phenomenal fighters, had amazing voices, and were extremely talented at music—”
“Yes, I’m definitely learning all about them,” I said, because Grandpa would go on a tangent if I didn’t cut him off now, and I only had five minutes to talk. “The thing is, I think I’m on to something.”
“Ooh. What did you find?” Grandpa asked.
“Just a book in the library,” I lied, because I didn’t know who might be listening in. “It said something about booby traps. Did the Elves ever set any up?”
