The tunnels here didn’t look like they’d been excavated— instead, they were smooth and uniform, domed arches rising over our heads like expert carvers had sculpted them in ages past.
“The noxite must be close to the surface,” Marcus mused. “These tunnels that we’re going into must’ve been built by the Elves centuries ago.”
“Are wesurethe Elves built these tunnels?” Charlie asked, but his words cut off as he slammed into me from behind. Charlie rubbed his stomach as he backed away.
“Ava, watch where you’re going. You know I can’t see,” Charlie complained.
I didn’t answer, my eyes fixated on carvings in the stone beside us. Kallie and Marcus had fallen silent, but Charlie continued ranting. “This was a stupid idea. These tunnels are so old, they could collapse on us at any moment. We should turn around—”
Charlie stopped talking as I took his hand and ran it over the embellishments in the wall. He frowned as his fingers moved across the stone, realizing what they were.
Elven runes. Hundreds of them were carved into the walls, leading the way down into the depths of the Earth.
The next key was so close— it could just be a few more steps away. All we had to do was get past the traps that the Elves had hidden in the tunnels.
Life was nothing without a little risk. And in my opinion, I loved the thrill of putting my life on the line. I didn’t mind if things got a little dangerous.
Maybe even deadly.
Chapter Twenty-One
Charlie
Ididn’t know if it was by sheer luck or divine guidance, but somehow, we’d ended up in the right tunnel. These runes proved it. We were deep within the caves now, perhaps even further than I’d traveled when I’d been trapped by the cave-in. We must’ve been the first ones down here in a century.
“What do the runes say?” I asked Ava.
“They’re instructions,” she answered. “Like the ones we found in the Criminal Lair. That must mean we’re in the right place!”
“So it’s the riddle again?” Kallie questioned.
“Just the first part,” Ava replied. “It says:A ghostly summoning. Then justForevermoreover and over.”
“A… ghostly…” Marcus trailed off, like it made him faint to think about.
“It’ll be okay,” Ava said quickly. “My grandpa said all booby traps have a way out, in case the person who built them accidentally trips them. This must be the first one.”
“A trap? By ghosts?” Marcus’ voice rose a few pitches. “That sounds a lot like possession.”
“So what?” Ava said casually, like it didn’t scare her. “You guys have been possessed before.”
“And we had resources to brew a potion that would exercise the demon!” Marcus cried. “How are we going to—?”
Kallie cut Marcus off. She grabbed his arms and began shaking him. “Get a hold of yourself! You’re a member of the fucking Miriamic Coven. Your people talk to ghosts all the time. Look at the tattoo on your arm and tell me you’re not a fucking Seer!”
“Well, I-I am,” Marcus stammered. “But I’ve never—”
“I don’t care what you’ve never done!” Kallie barked, though she was trying to be encouraging. “You are MarcusFuckingTaylor, and you can handle a damn ghost! You need to start believing that you’re capable—”
Kallie’s voice stopped dead as a cold breeze swept through the tunnel. We all stilled, and a shiver traveled down my spine. We were so deep within the caves that there shouldn’t be airflow this far down.
Ava leaned into me and shivered, while Marcus ducked behind me, as if using me as a human shield. A moan echoed down the tunnel, and my friends gave a collective gasp. Beside me, Oberi barked, and Rishi hissed.
“What is it?!” I demanded.
I barely got the question out before I felt a cold chill sweep through me. It wasn’t like the chilly air, which only touched my skin. This permeated every inch of my body and ached in my bones, as if a spirit had just passed through me.
“Ancestors, it’sghosts!” Ava cried.
