AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Shut up, you fucks.”
“Aren’t you cold? I can see your nipples through your shit.”
Ezra swings to punch me, and I cackle as I duck out of the way.
“My fucking fleece disappeared.”
“What?” Davis grumbles over his shoulder as he starts shifting away the boards blocking entrance to the cave. “Let’s get on with it.”
Davis waves toward the tunnel entrance, not waiting for Ezra to answer him. His shoulders tense as we get ready to head in. I don’t bother reminding him that he can sit this one out, because I know there’s no point.
Ezra wanted to come because he hasn’t seen the tunnel yet, and Rhys would have joined us, but he’s working. It’s possible I set up a time for this when I knew he’d be at the bar. We aren’t technically fighting at the moment, but I’m not sure I can look at him and not project all the shit I’ve done with his sister all over my face. That is the last thing I want to deal with.
I lead the way into the tunnel, with Davis at my back and Ezra following him. None of us speak as we travel down the slight decline, the packed dirt ground quiet beneath our feet. The musty smell of damp earth and stale air make me want to go back outside and get a fresh breath.
We all switch on the flashlights we brought with us, wanting more illumination than the light a phone can throw off. Behind me, Davis is breathing a little too hard. Not because we’re moving fast, or it’s a challenging hike, but because of the enclosed space. The ceilings can’t be much more than seven feet high for most of the length of the tunnel, and shorter in some spots. There’s not that much room above my head, and I have to duck down a few times.
“Tell me again what we’re looking for down here?” Ezra’s voice echoes around us.
“We don’t have anything specific we’re looking for. Just keep your eyes peeled. See if anything jumps out at you.”
“By jump out, I seriously hope you mean looks weird, and we aren’t expecting someone to actually leap out in front of us,” Ezra laughs, and Davis makes an unamused sound.
“How about we all shut the fuck up and look for anything strange,” Davis growls.
“I do my best thinking when I’m talking, dude.” I hear the slap of Ezra clapping a hand on Davis’s back. Looking over my shoulder, I catch Davis elbowing Ezra in the ribs.
“All right, fine. Quiet time it is.”
“That doesn’t sound like silence to me,” Davis grunts.
Ezra opens his mouth, and I can already hear the smartass comment ready on his tongue.
“No talking,” Davis snaps before Ezra gets a chance to speak.
I rub my forehead, feeling the hint of a headache between my eyes. We need to wrap this up and get Davis out of here before he punches something. Or someone.
After the initial downward slope of the tunnel, it’s a fairly flat path. Altogether, it’s probably close to a mile in length, running from the back of Miri’s store all the way to the edge of the beach. It’s a stretch of the beach that’s mostly unpopulated because it’s not close enough to any homes, or to the downtown area.
“The casting room is just up ahead,” I murmur quietly over my shoulder. Not that I expect someone to be in here, but instinct has me moving silently.
There’s a stone archway that leads into the room. There are four symbols carved into the rock, which we think represent the four Courts of Fairy: a sun, moon, leaf, and flower. The inside of the room isn’t large, no bigger than ten by ten. There’s a stone slab in the center of the room that I’d consider an altar, especially because there’s a variety of shit scattered across the top of it. Melted candle stubs and wax, feathers, leaves, twigs, and a whole host of other crap. There are shelves carved into the sides of the room that hold more candles, and far too many jars of things floating in liquid.
I sweep my flashlight over the small room, letting it linger over a small pile of neatly folded clothing. Next to that are a few boxes containing food. Things like granola bars, a few bananas, an apple, and a box of pop tarts.
“Do you remember any of this being here before?” I frown at this new collection of stuff.
Ezra pushes into the room impatiently, moving over to the altar. He leans down and sticks his nose by one of the candles. He inhales a deep breath before moving along the platform and repeating the exercise a few more times.
“What, are you a drug dog now?” Davis raises a brow at Ezra as he moves his flashlight over the glass jars of pickled things.
“The candles have been lit recently, but the rest of the stuff is all old. It’s been here for a while.”
“How can you tell?” I move to Ezra's side, leaning down to sniff at the altar. The only thing I can smell is wax, dust, and dampness.
“I can just tell. I guess some of us just have superior senses.”
I roll my eyes and move to the corner by the pile of clothing. Squatting down next to it, I flip through the stack. It’s not dirty. But it’s also not fresh out of the laundry.
