Chapter 15

CHAPTER 15

M anu was waiting in the conference room when we entered, but he wore a surgical mask over his face, and I was sure it was to block the smell of smoke in the air. Normally, the large room was littered with artifacts and scrolls he was inspecting, but a single piece of parchment lay on the long table. The crack in one wall displayed the effects the blast had on neighboring walls and the thick striation in the drywall exposed a wooden beam.

The attractive man pointed at the paper on the table. "I know where the next page is."

Rene nodded. "Where is it?"

"The monster hunter's cave, only I am not sure exactly where it is located. It would have been abandoned centuries ago, but I believe there is a hidden passageway in their former stronghold."

Rene's lip curled slightly. "I know where the cave is. I emptied it myself after the sect was disbanded."

I squeezed Rene's arm. "Their stronghold was close to here?"

Rene nodded. "They have a few, but the one closest to us was in the mountains just outside Black Blossom County. There is a network of tunnels in there and most would never find their caverns."

Manu's eyes brightened. "You can get us in?"

Rene nodded. "We must leave now in order to return to the vehicle before the sun comes up."

I stared at Manu. "Do you ever sleep?"

He winked at me. "I sleep during the day. My father says I am practically a vampire already."

Rene motioned to the door. "Follow us in your vehicle. Would you like Cassara to ride with you? She is familiar with the area we plan to visit."

Manu nodded. "I would like that, provided that monstrosity of a vampire doesn't try to behead me for riding with her."

Rene's lip twitched. "Constantine does not kill indiscriminately."

Manu grunted. "Excuse me if I don't take your word for it. But have you seen the way he looks at her? I will never tease that woman again."

Rene was quiet for some time. "Constantine trained Cassara. He is... protective of her."

Manu rolled the ancient piece of parchment paper. "It's more than that, but I will meet her out front. We will follow your limousine."

"We will be taking an all-terrain vehicle."

Rene and I exited the conference room, with Manu following us. Cass was already waiting in the foyer and Con gave Manu a disapproving look as we approached.

"Be nice. He is helping us," I whispered to the large warrior.

His lip twitched, but he nodded gracefully. "Of course, my queen."

I rolled my eyes. "I see why Cass wants to stake you."

Cass laughed and winked at me. "This is why I like you."

Con sighed. "I admit Raven has a certain appeal. Shall I drive you in the vehicle or do you wish me to follow you?"

Rene arched an eyebrow. "I am capable of protecting myself and my woman. Cassara will be with us."

Constantine stared at Rene without expression. "We both know I will not allow you off this property without an escort until we have neutralized this rebellion."

I had to admire Constantine's nerve. Few would openly defy Rene like that. I would say that he was the male version of Cass, but Constantine was far older and Rene's oldest friend. He probably taught Cass how to handle the overseer and keep him on his toes.

Rene motioned toward the door. "You can ride with us, Con, but you need to work on your people skills."

"Why?" Con asked as he followed Rene and me toward the door.

Cass grunted. "And you thought I was bad. Con has the tact of a bull in a china shop."

I was still shaking my head as we exited the mansion to find a large four-wheel-drive Bronco with blacked-out windows. "Wow."

Cass smirked. "I love that vehicle. I'm bummed I am with Manu."

A dark-blue dune buggy pulled up behind the black Bronco, and Cass whistled. "Well, color me impressed. Manu has some tricked-out wheels."

Cass jogged ahead and got in the passenger's seat of Manu's dune buggy, but he cast a leery glance at Constantine as the large warrior got into the driver's seat. Rene and I got into the back, and we pulled away from the mansion, with Cass and Manu following us.

We drove through the forest, and I was completely lost before Constantine took a path so grown over the branches scratched the side of the vehicle.

"You are going to need a new paint job after this."

"Probably. The cave entrance is just ahead," Rene said.

With the crunch of gravel beneath the tires, Constantine brought the Bronco to a halt. My heart thumped with a mixture of anticipation and fear as I stared at the entrance of the cave nestled amidst the dense forest. The air was thick with mystery, and an aura of time's passage hung over the deserted and overgrown area. Shafts of moonlight pierced through the wavering canopy, casting dappled shadows that danced like ancient spirits on the forest floor.

The Bronco's engine ticked as soon as Constantine turned it off. It was the only sound that dared to break the eerie silence. The entrance of the cave beckoned like a portal to another world where stories of a brutal past prayed to be rediscovered.

With a mixture of trepidation and determination, I swung open the door and slipped to the ground. My thick-soled boots sank into the earth, reminding me I was a visitor in this natural oasis. The cave's mouth yawned wide, revealing a tunnel that seemed to lead into the heart of the mountain. The jagged rock walls were rugged and worn, a testament to the passage of time and the eons they had endured.

As I approached the entrance, a shiver traced my spine, both from the coolness emanating from the cave and the realization we would discover another piece of the prophecy. My prophecy. Manu pulled up behind us and exited with his flashlight, directing its beam into the gaping darkness.

The light's reach was limited, but I no longer required its help. The remnants of ancient symbols etched into the walls were plain to me, but their meaning was lost to the ages. The uneven ground beneath me crunched as I moved deeper into the cave, accompanied by my friends. I felt a surge of exhilaration mingled with fear, hoping the latest revelation would help us in our bid to save the vampires and stop a war.

Rene led us through a series of tunnels, but after a few minutes, they all looked the same. He didn't stop until we were inside a massive cavern with nothing but sand for a floor. "This is it."

I glanced around. "There is nothing here."

Rene pointed to the center of the room. "This was their training area. There are several smaller rooms where the hunters lived and raised their children. Males were trained for combat and the females were traded to other hunter families to strengthen bloodlines."

Cass grunted. "Breeding stock. Great."

Manu was already running his hand over the rough walls. "Look for a lever or a hole you can place your hand in. If there is nothing here, we will start checking the living quarters."

Rene began to shuffle his feet in the sand. "It will be here. They revered their training area. The personal space was meager in comparison. They didn't even value their male children until the boys proved they had a certain level of skill."

Cass and I inspected the walls with Manu as Constantine and Rene shuffled through the sandy floor. It was over an hour before Constantine went over the same area three times. "There is an unusual rock under the sand."

Cass frowned. "It's a cave. They likely placed the sand here themselves to have a softer training area."

Rene shook his head. "The hunters preached toughness. They would not haul sand into a cave to create a softer training area."

Constantine went to his knees as Rene did the same. They scooped handfuls of sand from the floor to reveal a smooth, circular rock. It had several symbols etched on the top and appeared to be sealed well. "Is this it?"

Manu leaned over the chiseled rock face. "I think so. We can't be sure unless we are able to open it. Are you strong enough to break the seal on..."

Constantine grabbed one side of the rock that appeared to act as a lid. There was a crunching sound as he pulled the circular top off and tossed it to the corner of the room as if it were a granite disc.

Cass grunted. "Show off."

Constantine ignored her and peered into the chiseled rock tube. "It appears to be a well. They must have connected with an underground spring. This was their water source. They covered it with sand to hide it."

Cass glanced around. "A water source in the middle of a training room. They cast their weapons here. This is a forge... or it was."

Rene stood. "You are right. This room was full of weapons when I... decommissioned this place."

I swallowed hard. "What happened to the monster hunters?"

Rene turned to me. "I killed the men and delivered the women and children to a local baron I trusted. The women were happy about the change in lifestyle, as they were not allowed to leave the cave. The older male children were less impressed with the changes."

Manu dipped his hand in the water. "Damn, that is cold. I would make bets the page is at the bottom. Hopefully they sealed it properly. I would hate to go down there for nothing."

Cass began to remove her weapons belt. "You aren't going down there. I don't need to breathe, and the cold is irrelevant. Besides, the rest of you won't fit."

She was right. Her lithe frame was an asset in this case, and she wouldn't have a difficult time swimming to the bottom and reversing backward. I was glad she offered, because I shuddered at the thought of a black tube.

Constantine stood beside her as she removed her shirt. The black bra beneath was simple cotton, as was her underwear when she removed her boots and pants. "Your undergarments will not hinder you."

Cass rolled her eyes. "I wasn't planning on giving you a show."

"Perhaps another time," Con said without emotion.

"You wish," Cass said as she swung her legs into the well. "I was going to swim down, but I think it would be easier to weight myself and fall to the bottom. Then I can release the stone and swim back up."

"That is a sound plan," Rene said as he grabbed a loose rock from the wall and handed it to Cass.

She clutched it to her chest and popped into the well as a splash of water erupted above her.

My heart squeezed as the surface of the water smoothed over and not a single bubble breached the surface. While my mind understood she didn't need to breathe, and the deeper she went down, the less likely she was to send ripples to the surface. My body clenched beneath my clothes and my anxiety spiked.

A ripple wavered over the top of the well seconds before Cass crested the surface. Her hand exited the water as Constantine reached for her and hauled her from the well. The metal cylinder was thick and rusty, but she handed it to Manu, before wiping the water from her eyes. Constantine stood so close to her the water rolled down his leather clothing and pooled on the sand at his feet.

Manu tried not to stare at Cassara's sleek, sexy form, but no man was immune to her lure with slicked-back hair and pale skin. But he glanced away when he found Constantine glaring at him. His eyes reverted to the metal rod. "How do we open it? If there were any symbols on it, they have long since disintegrated."

Con held out his hand. "May I see it?"

Manu passed him the rod, and Constantine took a small vial from his belt. He poured it over the rusty pipe and bubbles erupted around the rim.

"What is that?" I asked.

Cass motioned to the bubbling pipe. "That compound is used to etch metal. It should erode the rust and debris. Then we can see if there are any markings."

When the majority of the bubbling stopped, Constantine dipped the pipe in the water and retracted it. There were bits of shiny area exposed beneath the rust now, but a thin line was revealed at one end of the metal rod. I pointed to it. "That must be the opening. How do we break the seal?"

Constantine clutched the pipe and squeezed, the metal beneath the cap making a wrenching noise before he gripped the cap with his other hand and pulled it off.

Manu whistled. "I didn't realize vampires were that strong."

Cass shrugged. "Our strength in our undead body is reflective of our human one. Constantine is almost as strong as Rene. He is more of a showoff, though."

Constantine stared at Cassara as he passed the pipe to Rene. "You should read the passage."

Rene took the pipe and gently pulled the paper from the inside out. He unfurled it slowly and his eyes moved over the ancient script.

"What does it say?" I asked.

He was silent for a few minutes. "This confirms you are the blood witch."

My shoulders sank, and I stared at the floor. "Of course it does." Rene touched my shoulder gently. "This page tells you to accept your destiny as the blood witch. It is not the dark omen we assumed it to be. This says you are the protector of the vampire race and holder of the king's heart. That only you can help the king survive what is coming."

"What?"

Constantine sighed. "She is as we hoped. The anchor for the king."

Rene nodded. "I knew she was mine the moment I saw her, but I have no way of confirming she will anchor me."

Manu frowned, flicking his beam between us. "What are you talking about?"

Cass moved to stand in front of Manu. "It won't be a secret for long, but Rene is... going through a transformation. I trust you will keep this to yourself until we have more information."

Manu nodded. "I would never betray you or Rene, but what is this transformation? What does it do to him?"

Cass shook her head. "We don't know. Raven is the holder of the king's heart. She is the only one who can keep him... stable and balance his power during this process. None of us know what a true king is or what Rene will transform into. The previous overseers went mad during the process."

Manu motioned to the page. "Is there anything else?"

Rene nodded. "The witches want Raven dead because they know she is the only one who can stabilize me. They are scared I will become more powerful than them with access to magic." He stared at the page. "This page ends mid-sentence. There is another."

Manu stepped forward, making his flashlight bob in the dark. "Do you know where it is?"

Rene pointed to a symbol of a fire. "The hearth. My guess is the private cavern of the hunter leader."