Page 62 of Stealing the Star Stone
He switched his gaze between the wall and the book.“These symbols aren’t in the book.Maybe a different dialect or some ancient language, but if I had to hazard a guess, we need two stones,” he said, drumming the wall where one of two figures held a star stone to their chest.
“Two!”She pinched the bridge of her nose.“Orien swore getting his hands on one was hard, and yet, boom, here’s one.We can’t be lucky enough to find another.”
Eli trailed a finger along wavy lines.“Flowing water?”
“We have to go back over that?”She pointed her toe at the chasm.
“Yeah, we’re sitting ducks if we stay here.These pictograms say something about taking a river and jumping off a cliff.”
“Off a what?”she squeaked, clambering to her feet to study the ruined alphabet then the wall.“I don’t know how many leaps of faith I can take.”
“So back we go.”He eyed the chasm.“Dunno how without dying.”
She huffed and circled the pedestal.“If I was an alien culture, I’d put in a secret exit.”
He smiled.“I like that idea way too much.”He tucked the book into the bag.“So touch everything?”
She laughed.“Yes,” she said, running her hand along the top of the pedestal.
“Wait, we have to take the stone first.If the floor swallows us, I don’t know how to get back here.We need this.”He tapped the star stone, then adjusted the bag on his shoulder.
She wiggled and poked random corners, even kicked the pedestal, before leaning against the wall with a groan.“This is madness,” she mumbled, throwing her hands up in despair.
As entertaining as watching her was, he had to somehow remove the stone from its floating nothingness.He grabbed the top part and cupped the base, then yanked.
It didn’t budge.
Again, he tried, eventually placing both feet on the pedestal and using all his weight.
“Here, let me help.”She inched him out of the way.Even with her strength, the star stone didn’t shift.Her face flushed red, a low growl escaping.“Damn thing’s stuck.Listen here, you stupid stone.I’m not about to fall through carnivorous vines, walk through a magic door, traipse around an oasis, jump into darkness, and cross that chasm just to bring you another stone.You’re coming with us.”
Lecture delivered, she gave it a firm nod.
She’s adorable.The urge to kiss her hit him hard.He sent that thought to the back of his mind and pressed his side to hers.“Looks like everything’s in twos.”
He placed his hands around hers.
The stone came free, sending them flying backward.Half-expecting to hit a wall, a strangled cry squeezed past his throat as he tumbled down a slope to sprawl in a stream.
Nova was face down in the mud, the stone between them.“And Orien wonders why I call it silly, or stupid.”She clambered to her feet, dripping mud down her cheeks.“I’m a lady, and ladies don’t swear.”And she proceeded to call it all manner of things, kicking water and mud onto it.
He chuckled at that nonsense since she’d been swearing for as long as he’d known her.“Sexiest lady I know.”
Up went her finger.“Don’t you start with that bullshit.”She scooped up the stone.“Now open your damn bag.”
He did, grinning at her while she wrestled with the bag and the stone.
Done, she flicked wet hair off her temple.“Right, so where are we?”
“Some sort of tunnel,” he said, gesturing to the late afternoon sunlight streaming into the narrow opening.
Water trickled past them underfoot, not strong enough to sweep them away.The thunder of a nearby waterfall reverberated through the tunnel, promising something substantial.Not like the one that drizzled a fine mist over the oasis.
“This isn’t good, Thorne,” she said, inching to the edge.“One, it looks like freedom, but by my count, we’re missing a stone.Two, this’s probably said cliff those symbols were talking about.”
Down below was a sizable pool surrounded by a wall of rock.One massive waterfall tumbled into the water—its dark orange implying it was deep.Except, they were high up, about fifty to sixty-five feet—terrifying as leaps of faith went.
“No way am I jumping,” she said, gripping the tunnel’s side.
