Luke grinned. Leave it to Nessa to see a rabbit. He supposed he could see the rabbit if he squinted his eyes. Almost.
Mel grabbed his hand and pulled him to the stain. She pressed her hand to the red wall and looked at him. “This is it.”
Luke hesitated. He stared down into Mel’s eyes. Lovely smoky blue eyes. She was so young, only thirteen summers. Compared to his sixteen, she was a babe. Still, she had professed her love of him. What was he to do? He glanced at the wall. It wasn’t that she was ugly. She had beautiful blonde hair and smooth skin. He just... didn’t believe the legend was real. “Maybe this isn’t the right stain.”
“It is,” Mel insisted. “I know it is.”
Luke hesitated.
“Don’t you love me?” Mel asked.
“Of course,” he replied. “But this...” He shook his head and looked back at her. It seemed silly. A childish legend.
“Put your hand on it. Then nothing will come between us.”
He looked at the stain again.
“We will always be in love,” Mel said. “Just like the two lovers who died here.”
He didn’t believe the legend. It was as simple as that, but because Mel wanted him to he put his hand on the wall. Time stopped for a moment. He didn’t know what he expected, a bolt of lightning to fill the cave, mystical music. But nothing happened. He took his hand from the cold wall.
Mel squealed and threw her arms around his neck. “It’s done! We’ll love each other forever!”
Luke nodded and took her hand. “We’d better get back. It’s late as it is.”
Mel nodded and they walked back toward the entrance of the cave. It wasn’t until they emerged into the moonlight that Luke realized Nessa wasn’t with them. “Stay here. I’ll go back for her.” He returned to the cave. “Ness?”
Beyond the light, the darkness was complete, an impenetrable barrier. Anxiety churned in his stomach. “Nessa?” he called. He moved into the cave, sweeping the torch about to search for her. Had she fallen and hit her head? Was she hurt and unable to answer? The torchlight washed over her small form as she sat at the bottom of one of the walls. Relief swept him. “What are you doing? You scared me.” He squatted before her.
Her head was lowered and she picked at her green dress. “Who am I supposed to love?”
Luke’s heart twisted for her. It was still a game to her, always trying to keep up with her sister. She had no idea what true love was. “There’s lots of men out there whose heart you will break.”
Nessa shook her head; another lock of her gold hair came free from the fillet. “I will never come back here. How can I put my hand on the blood?”
Luke tucked the lock of wild hair behind her wrapped braid. “You don’t have to do that to know a man loves you.”
“You did it with Mel.”
Luke sighed softly. He did do it with Mel, but only because she insisted. He thought the entire affair most ridiculous. But Nessa only wanted to do what Mel had done. He stood. “Fine.” He glanced at the wall she sat beneath, sweeping the torch above their heads, searching. He found a stain, a different one than he and Mel had touched, but it didn’t matter. He placed his hand on it.
Nessa cocked her head to the side in confusion.
“Go ahead,” he urged. “Put your hand on the wall.”
Nessa tucked her hand against her chest. “Oh, no! I couldn’t! You and Mel did it already!”
“I love you as much as I love Mel,” Luke proclaimed.
Nessa stared up at him in doubt.
Luke leaned toward her with his hand on the wall. “We don’t have to tell Mel. It will be our secret.”
Nessa chewed on her lower lip lightly. Then, tentatively, she placed her hand against the stain on the wall.
They stood that way for a moment, staring into each other’s eyes.
Then, Nessa giggled and pulled her hand from the wall. “It tickles!”
