Page 8 of Vampire's Hearth

I squeezed his shoulder before removing my hand and turning back to the bar. “You know, I remember those caves. My brothers and I would explore them like children even after seven hundred years on the planet.”

“You probably had an easier time of it than most spelunkers.” Declan laughed. “I remember a game of hide-and-seek.”

“Yes, being able to see in the dark and not needing ropes gave us all a certain advantage.” I smiled and finished my drink. “Did Isla send the map?”

“Not to me. We didn’t want Aiden to find it if he needed my phone. She said she put a picture on the shared drive for you.”

“It looks like it is time for me to explore again,” I said as I slid off the stool. “Make sure you close my tab.”

Aurora

My feet barely made a sound as I traversed the concrete sidewalk toward the cave. My heart constricted, wishing this place had been left natural but also understanding that the path protected the fragile landscape from the erosion the thousands of feet that visited each year would cause. Gone were the days when the only ones who entered the caves were those wishing to commune with the goddess. Instead, tourists came to gawk at the intimate details inside her. Even worse, paying was the only way to see the cave’s depths. That such wonders should be available for free was a distant memory. It was a time I wish I had known.

Lush beech and oak trees surrounded me, throwing off a welcome shade, while the golden rays of sunlight streamingthrough the leaves caught dust motes dancing in the air. A small group of people gathered under an immense oak tree just off to the right of the path. Next to them, a man sat on a bench, a baseball cap covering his hair. Propped up next to him was a sign reading 6:30 p.m. A family and an older couple congregated near him, waiting for the tour to start. I walked just beyond them before turning my back on the gawping mouth of Mother Earth.

The woman of the couple handed her partner a bottle of water. He smiled and took it from her, sipping the water, never allowing his eyes to leave hers. My lips curled as I watched their unadulterated joy of being together.Someday, I thought.Someday, I’ll find that.An icy hand gripped my heart. As much as I wanted it, my chances of reaching an old age were slim.

I exchanged glances with the brown-haired teen who stood with her family. “You look like you’re ready to spend a few days in here.” She smiled, pointing at my backpack.

I lifted a brow. “I certainly hope not. I only paid for the two-hour hike.” My lips curled into a smile. “I’ve been backpacking this entire trip and didn’t want to leave all my gear at the campsite. Maybe I should trust people more, but sometimes I don’t.”

The girl’s mother glanced at me, the curiosity about who her daughter was talking to etched on her forehead. “Backpacking alone is rather brave. Aren’t you afraid you’ll get hurt?”

I glanced at the ruby ring sparkling in the fading sunlight. “Someone is always watching over me.”

“Faith comes with rewards, doesn’t it?” She took her husband’s hand, obviously of the type who believed her faith held her family together. If only my faith had done that.

“Yes, it does.” I tried to smile at her, but it almost felt as though there was a knife in my heart, knowing I would never share what my group mates shared about their lives.

The man in the ball cap glanced around, counted the people under the tree, and cleared his throat. We all looked at him while he checked his watch. “We’re just waiting for one more.”

Simultaneously, a man hurried down the concrete path, looking slightly out of place, running a hand through his neatly trimmed, well-styled black hair. He wore square, wire-rimmed sunglasses that hid his eyes while calling attention to his chiseled cheekbones and square, solid jawline. His hand rested casually in the pocket of his black pants, a black shirt stretched across his broad, muscular chest, the arms showing off his well-toned biceps. He looked more like a model out for a photo shoot than a man getting ready to hike into a cave, yet he walked over to our group without a care in the world.

Consulting his watch, he smiled at our guide. “I’m sorry for being a few minutes late.” He dipped his chin. “Thank you for waiting.”

“It’s not a problem, but we should start so everyone is back in time for their bedtime snack.” The guide grabbed the sign and looked at it. “Does anyone think we need this, or can we all stay together?”

“I think we can stay together,” said the family’s father. “Can’t we, kids?”

His children nodded, which caused the guide to smile.

“Then we’ll just stash this and be off.” He slid the sign under the bench and placed a few rocks on top before he walked around the group and into the mouth of the cave.

My heart sped up as I followed him. Blood rushed to my cheeks as I held my breath, waiting for the darkness to engulf me. An eerie silence fell over the group as we walked into the cave, the dim lights edging the concrete path guiding our way. I didn’t look back at the man who had joined us, forcing myself to forget the flutter in my heart when I saw him. I didn’t have timeto think about his perfectly formed features. How was I going to figure out what I was here for?

“Over five hundred miles of caves are down here.” Our guide interrupted my reverie.“And it’s my job to ensure you don’t get lost along the way.” We stopped at a small outcropping and gathered around him.

“My name is David, and I’ll be showing you some of the more interesting features of the caves. But a few quick rules. Make sure that you stay together and don’t wander off. And make sure that whatever you bring with you leaves with you. Questions?”

I glanced around the group as everyone shook their heads except for the latecomer. His eyes darted away from me as I caught his gaze. Was he watching me?

“These caves were first discovered in the 1700s when farmers cultivated the land on top of them. The forest above us had been cleared at one point, making this a second-growth forest.” We all trailed him as he spoke. “What they didn’t know at the time was exactly how large this cave system was. I’ll guide you through as much of it as I can in two hours.”

The family spoke in hushed tones, smiling as they pointed out the formations throughout the cave. The older couple followed them, holding hands and enjoying each other’s company in contented silence. Between the two groups, the man in black had removed his sunglasses and put them in his pocket. I caught his brilliant blue eyes, the color of the ocean, under the flickering lights. A slight, unexplained coldness rose in my spine.

The cave air was musty as we transitioned from the outside to the underground world. It wasn’t only the underground river that made it musty, but an energy in the air pressed upon me that spoke to the powers of the rituals practiced in this cave for centuries. Did anyone else in our group feel the magic that had come before us?

We shuffled along as David recited stories about the history of the caves and what archaeologists and geologists had found here, the promise of the ghost stories lying ahead of us. Twenty minutes after entering the cave, we stepped into an immense chamber. The brownish-gray walls rose three stories around us, the room bordering on the size of a large cathedral sanctuary. Over the centuries, waterfalls had carved designs into the rocks. Nature continued to work, water glistening as it seeped over and out of the walls. A small drip echoed in the distance. The blackened remains of fires scarred the center of the floor with a ring large enough I could have lain in the center.

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