Page 60 of Stealing the Star Stone
“My feet, alas.Oh, land.I can touch down.”She stood, then waded out of the water.
It was a minute or two later before he could follow—another downside to being short.He shivered, standing on shore, drenched and cold.Two burning sconces marked the entrance to a cobbled path.On either side, stone pillars ran the illuminated length.They were covered with letters glowing in the torch light.
“I think we hit the motherload,” he said.
“Shit!”She wiggled and pulled a sopping wet book from the back of her pants.“It’s ruined.”She flipped through the ink-coated pages, stopping at the alphabet.Some of the lettering had blurred together.
“Keep it open.Let it dry.”
“I’m such an idiot,” she mumbled.
“We can still read most of it,” he said, throwing an arm around her waist for a quick squeeze.“And if all else fails, your tattoo can help.”
He moved back and almost tumbled over when his heel hit the first cobble.Light illuminated the path for about three feet, then shut off when he leaped away.
“What was that?”she squeaked.
“I…” He rested his booted toe on the cobbles, and again, the path lit up, each letter carved into the stones glowing blue.
“Yes!”She danced on the spot, the rifle smacking her ass.“All right, let’s do this.”
He stared at her offered hand, then grabbed it.She led the way, marching along the stones.They glowed only for as long as needed, going dark after they passed.
“Have faith,” she said, “With each step testing us.”
“The path could fall away, and we wouldn’t know until it’s too late.”He almost wished he hadn’t said that when the lights wavered.
The stairs down yawned, darkness engulfing its depths.With one step, blue carvings exploded into life, showing them the way.Nova turned to help him as if he didn’t have two legs of his own.He did appreciate the constant warmth of her hand, keeping him grounded.
“I’d love to know what this place is like.If we had a drone, tons of lights…” She released him to twirl, then she laced her fingers through his and drew him nearer.
“We’d be the first people in a long time to see it.”Gemstones embedded in the walls glowed violet, crimson, gold, white—so beautiful that he slowed.“Looks untouched,” he said, the weight of millennia draping over his shoulders.“I hope Orien doesn’t find it.”
“Same.”She sighed, dipping her chin to her chest.“We’ve led him right to it, though.”
“Do you think it has a stone?”
The narrow path opened to a hall, its high ceilings enshrouded, but massive pillars dominated the space, too wide for him to hug.As they ventured deeper, circles of light glowed beneath their feet.
“There?”She pointed to the far end at a deep alcove—an eerie red glow emanating from it.
At the end of the rock-lined alcove, a pedestal on a dais took up centerstage.Floating above it was a star stone, a red ray of light bathing it.
“Seems too easy,” she whispered.“Walk up to it and touch it; that’s all we have to do.”
He studied the cobbles, any holes in the walls that could fire darts at them, a slab in the lowered ceiling that was loose?“Yeah, I’m distrusting this, too.”
She rocked on her heels.“Let’s run for it.Together.Webothhave to be on the other side for this magic to undo.”
“Magic?”He smirked.
“What else would you call it?”She ran a hand over the nearest glowing letter in the stone wall.“Want to tell me how your aura’s powering this place?”
He chuckled.“Fair enough.”
“On the count of three?”
He nodded.
