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“Now we just need to figure out where the box’s origins are—and the mosaic is the only clue we have,” Desmond said. He looked to Elle. “Can you tell us where, exactly it is on the island?”
The box clutched between her palms, Elle looked to him. “I can tell you where it’s at, but you won’t have access to it—not without me. The Roman baths are below the lands of the old marquess that lives next to my dower house. The man was once a great archeologist, or so he likes to say. And he won’t let anyone into the baths. He is entirely too grumpy with everyone.”
“Then how did you see them?” asked Jules.
She chuckled. “Oh, anyone but me—he likes me and has taught me so much about archeological digs. He lets me go down into the baths to help him uncover layers.” She looked to Desmond. “So if someone is going to the Isle of Wight to investigate, I have to go with them.”
Des shook his head. “No. We couldn’t ask you to go.”
Her eyes aglow, Elle smiled. “But you can—you know I love a mystery—especially if it’s a mystery shrouded in dust and bones. And from what I gather, this box has piles of bones upon it.”
“Exactly—it’s too dangerous, Elle,” Desmond said. He looked to Wes. “Wes…”
The moment Wes was dreading, and he didn’t have to think twice on his answer. “No—I cannot be near the box, Des. I was almost lost to it and I cannot be tempted by it again. I kept it from falling into the wrong hands this past year, I almost lost everything to bring it back here, but now I need to be done.” He looked to Laney, his stare riveted on her. “I have to choose a different path. I have to choose the future.”
Desmond nodded. “I understand. You protected it for as long as you could—longer than I had any right to ask of you.”
Wes looked to his friend. “But you cannot go, Des—not with your new son, not with your daughter due to arrive here at Seahorn in a fortnight. You are needed here.”
Desmond’s mouth pulled to a thin line.
“So, what do we do?” Wes asked the question, his words heavy.
The sudden sound of a throat clearing cut into the silence.
All eyes turned to Rune standing in the corner of the room by the windows.
A slow smile crept onto Desmond’s face. “You are willing, Rune?”
Rune shrugged. “You both have attachments—I do not. It would seem this was my moment to clear my throat and remind you all I was here.”
Wes chuckled.
Desmond nodded. “You have my gratitude. We need this box to get to its home. The sooner the better. You’ll need to leave before Hoppler can send more men to the area. Bring Lady Raplan and the box to the isle, and with any luck you can discover the answer to where it belongs in those mosaics, and then get it home.” He paused, looking around at everyone. “And then we can all be done with the bloody curse of it.”
“Wait, am I cursed now?” Elle looked from Desmond to Jules with an incredulous wrinkle across her forehead.
Jules lifted her shoulders. “No, I am sure not—not if the box doesn’t affect you. If anyone can avoid the curse of it, I’m sure it’s you, Elle.” She gave her aunt a weak smile. So weak, not a soul in the room believed in its sincerity.
“Rune?” Desmond looked to his old shipmate.
Rune offered one nod. “It is done.”
{ Chapter 28 }
Laney stepped past Wes into the room Jules had shown her to when they had arrived at Seahorn, her look riveted on the bed and the sleep it offered. It was so far into darkness at this point they were close to dawn.
For as light as her spirit now was after getting rid of the Box of Draupnir, her legs were heavy, exhaustion of the past days finally seizing her.
The box finally out of her possession.
After seeing what it had done to Wes, how it had taken over his mind and nearly his soul, she never wanted to be near the demonic box again. It was shocking to her how coveted the bloody thing was. Why any man or woman would want the box in their possession, she couldn’t figure.
Lady Raplan was a brave woman.
Laney, on the other hand, never wanted to see or to think on the box ever again.
Wes shut the door behind them and she smiled to herself. He wasn’t escaping to the room down the hall Jules had directed him to when they’d first stepped foot into the corridor. For how weary she was, she could manage to stay up a few minutes more.
