Page 90 of Hunter

“Sometimes I think, ‘why did I save the vampire?’ Could have just left him in Hell. Quint would’ve got you out eventually.”

“Because you love me.” Viktor winked at Hunter and laughed.

“I think he loves you back.” Willa smiled.

“Focus, people.” Hunter plowed his fingers into his hair and sighed. “Not that I don’t enjoy a nice stalactite every now and then. But I’d like to get the fuck out of here.”

“Stalagmite,” Viktor challenged.

“Stalactite, asshole. That one right there.” He pointed to a rock formation delicately hanging from above. “C for ceiling.

“It’s spectacular.” Willa’s focus was drawn to the ceiling, searching for clues.

“Vik…” Hunter held up a hand, silencing him. “We’ve got to get this book and get out of here.”

“If you were a pirate, where would you hide your treasure?” Willa asked.

“Somewhere scary. People would be less likely to look for it,” Hunter replied.

“I’m old school,” Viktor declared.

“Would have never noticed.” Hunter laughed.

“Pirates bury their treasure.” Viktor inspected a crevice in the cave wall, careful not to trip on the pottery.

“Some do. Most don’t.” The Alpha studied the carvings on the far side of the cave.

“This ground is fairly hard. I’m not saying they couldn’t dig a hole, but it seems more likely they’d hide it somewhere else.”

“Where else would they put it?” Willa asked, frustrated.

“This place is wet.” Hunter looked upward. “Bats. Humidity. Seriously. No matter what the outside of the book is made of, its pages are paper. There’s no way it could survive in here. It would be destroyed within months if not weeks.”

“It’s magick so it’s possible the book was fine for many years. But if humans took it, they’d assume differently. They’d probably keep it up high. Out of the way of any water.” Willa slid her hand up the wall. The dampness dissipated as she glided her fingers further up the jagged stone.

“Maybe they’d put it in something airtight.” Viktor stopped in his tracks, studying the rock formations.

“All that water in the entrance? It probably floods during a good rain. It would wash it away,” Willa said.

“You’re right.” Hunter approached a massive cascading slab of limestone. The rippling rock appeared as if it were a waterfall.

“It has to be here.” Willa gripped the knife, willing it to direct her, but still she sensed no energy. Frustrated she spun around toward the back of the cavern. A single beam of sunlight streamed in through a thin crack, glistening like sparkling crystal on a far wall. Logic told her the book had to be further inside the cave, protected from the elements, but the flickering captured her attention. “What’s that you’re always saying about humans, Viktor?”

“That I’m hungry. Food.”

“No, not that. They’re not like us.” She smiled.

The vampire sighed. “They’re fragile.”

“Exactly. So, if a human did this, researchers or just someone looking to pick off an artifact, they’d know it was valuable. Maybe they’d put in some kind of acid-free preservation bag. But because they’re human…”

“They’d be extra careful in a dangerous cave,” Hunter surmised.

“They wouldn’t risk going so far into it at night. They’d work to hide it in plain sight. Somewhere where they could work in the light.” She pointed to the beam of light and walked toward it.

Hunter followed behind her. “They’d still put it up high. Higher than a human could reach. Up there.”

“Out of sight but within the light.” Willa pointed to a stalactite. “To the left of that one. There’s a pattern in the rock. It’s been smoothed over, but the stone isn’t the same as the rest of the wall. Do you see it?”