“Five minutes, okay? Just give me five minutes to look for myself and I’ll come right back.”
I can see he wants to say no, but we both know if the king gets his hands on this scepter very bad things are going to happen, and a lot of people will die.
“Five minutes,” he reluctantly agrees. “If you’re not back by then I don’t care what attention it brings, I’m breaking through this wall.”
“I’ll be back,” I promise, already slipping into the crack.
Once I reach the other side, I ignite my flame and see that I’m inside a shallow cave. It won’t take me long to search it.
As I work my way around, I feel a tugging in my chest. With each step it grows stronger like it’s calling me to something. Eventually, its pull is too strong, and I follow it willingly. When I reach the other end of the cave, the tugging finally stops. I’m about to continue my search when a small hole opens up in the wall in front of me. I take a step closer, hesitating for a second before letting my flame illuminate the rectangular opening.
No way.
I reach in and grab the ancient object.
When I pull it out, it’s not the scepter we had spent the past several hours looking for. Instead, lying in the middle of my hand is a tiny, pyramid shaped gem surrounded by three gold rings. It’s impossible and yet, here it is—in my palm.
A second piece of the Verenite Stone.
Chapter 10
Ican’t believe it.
Looking at the small stone it’s hard to believe that with just one drop of blood I could undo any magic. I could bring the entire cave wards down if I wanted to, but that would be a waste. Whatever this is used for needs to be a matter of life or death.
I nearly drop the stone when I hear Ryder’s voice echo from the other side of the wall. Part of me feels guilty for doing it, but I put the stone in my jacket pocket and decide he can’t know about it. There’s only one person I trust enough to know I have it and it certainly isn’t Ryder Cimmerian.
When I slip back through the opening, he looks slightly relieved, but when he sees I’ve come back empty-handed that relief quickly turns to disappointment.
“There was nothing there.” The lie slips out a little too easily and there’s a small pit that forms in my stomach. I’ve never enjoyed lying, not even to someone like Ryder.
“I just don’t understand. It should be here.”
He runs his hands through his raven-colored hair in a way that reminds me of Damien. There’s an ache in my heart at the image, but I do my best to shake it off.
“I have a theory, but you have to be open-minded.” Finding the Verenite Stone reminded me of something I had forgotten all about. Ryder looks at me like there’s no way he’s going to believe a word I’m about to say, but I continue anyway. “So, you know that room with the Grimoire at the Training Sector?” He nods. “Well, Amaya was reading one of the books and she told me about this island that apparently has a tomb of a dead witch who used to command the demons, or Zurads, or whatever they’re called. I don’t know about you, but hiding a scepter made from the blood of demons, in a tomb with the witch who controlled them, on an island no one can seem to find, makes a lot of sense to me. I think her name was Cassiti or Cassie, or—”
“Casstia Nircosa. Also known as the Red Queen because of the ruby that was embedded in the middle of her chest. You’re a genius, Reign! It’s said that ruby is what allowed her to command the army of Zurads. That must be the gem the text was referring to, not the caves.”
“So, you believe that it’s not just a myth, and it really does exist?” I ask, remembering that Amaya assumed it was only a made-up story.
“Oh, I know it does. I’m just not sure how to find it.”
“Do you think your father will figure out that’s where it’s at?”
“Once he finds out the scepter isn’t in the caves, he’ll have everyone trying to find its true location. It’s only a matter of time until someone puts it together.”
“Dang, I was kind of hoping he wouldn’t figure it out and it wouldn’t matter if we found it or not.”
The two of us start walking back through the caves towards the entrance.
“Unfortunately, we’re not that lucky.” Ryder pauses and turns to me. “But because of you we now have a head start.”
“And to think, you weren’t going to let me come,” I tease.
He puts his hands up in the air. “Hey, I’m man enough to admit when I’m wrong.”
“Somehow, I find that hard to believe.”
