Chapter 37

Flora

When it becomes clear that I’m not going to try to escape again, my captors standing outside my door relax.

I listen to their conversation because what else am I going to do?

Clive says, “All of this. This treasure hunting. The map. Bird Eye Black. All of it.”

“Well, if it’s not, what are we doing here?”

“I, for one, thought this was a sure thing, but I don’t know anymore. I thought I was going into this for a quick buck, but so far, there’s nothing quick about it.”

Alan grunts. “I did it to prove a point.”

“And what point is that?”

“That the royal family don’t mean shit. The treasure buried under this mountain contains more gold and jewels than the Haart family’s net worth.”

“You’re shitting me.”

“Not at all. That’s what this is all about. We’re going to overthrow the whole regime. Show them all what this country used to be made of.”

As I listen, two things occur to me. First, I’m dealing with a couple of dummies. Second, they’ve given me an idea.

“Hey guys,” I say.

They look back at me through the doorway. Alan snarls, “And what do you want, Miss Priss? There’s a bucket in there for you to use. Don’t think you’re gonna try that trick again.”

Clive laughs at this.

I shake my head. “No, that’s not it. But I was just thinking, maybe the two of you and I could cut a deal.”

Alan pivots all the way around. “What are you babbling about, Princess?”

“If I help you find the treasure, I’ll only take ten percent.”

“And why should you get a cut of any of it?”

“Because I’m about to be queen, and I can pardon you.”

“Not likely,” says Alan.

“Well, there’s more,” I say. “Here’s where it gets tricky. That treasure belongs to the Black family, and my husband is Callum Black, a direct descendant. But my family doesn’t know that Callum and I are secretly married. All I ask is a tenth of what we find so that my husband and I can have a nest egg without worrying about my mother cutting us off. The rest of it, you two can split.”

It’s too easy for me to lie. I supposed I’ve gotten good at it over the years.

They mull this over. Clive asks, “How do we know you ain’t lying to us, Princess?”

“Why would I endanger my life if I didn’t know how to get to the treasure?”

Alan grunts, “She has a point.”

I run my fingers over the ring on my middle finger and earnestly pray to the gods and my ancestors for the first time in my life.

If you’re really out there, if you’re really looking out for me, then show me the way.

The three of us make our way to the basement and then the sub-basement.

“What’s that smell?” Alan asks.

Oh gods. I remember that smell. My mind races back to that terrible memory from the day after Mr. Black died.

I gesture to an unmarked door. That has to be it. This is the way to the last place on earth I want to go. While listening to Uther talk to his security staff, I know that they’ve been catching people down here with metal detectors ever since the monastery closed down. In those conversations, he’s perfectly described what the entrance to the catacombs looks like.

If I keep my wits about me, I can find my way to the cave tunnels, and from there, I’ll find Callum. I know deep down he’s going to look for me there, where no one else will think to look.

“We’re getting close. Come on, through that door,” I say, pointing.

The smell is sickeningly familiar. I remember Callum believing that his father was leading him into the catacombs to find the treasure once and for all. He believed so earnestly until he gave up because I begged him to save his sanity.

“I don’t like this, Alan,” Clive says.

“It’s not an AirBB is it? Do you see a Keurig anywhere? No. Now shut up and follow the princess. If she’s lying, then at least we’ll get to kill one of the Haart clan.”

An evil laugh follows and makes my blood run cold.

To ground myself, I run my finger over the shape of the B in the ring.

And then I look at the path ahead of me. The way it curves hits on something familiar. But no, it can’t be that simple.

But maybe it is.

“This way,” I say. “But light a match or something because the light from the doorway isn’t going to reach much farther.”

One of them uses his phone flashlight to light the way. It’s dim but not totally useless. We walk in a long half-loop in between walls made of skulls and bones. There must be thousands of people buried down here. So many forgotten people were shoved underground during one plague or a flu outbreak. I shudder to think what other reasons there might be.

There’s a turn on the path, and it leads us down another long, curving half-loop. Once again, I trace the pad of my finger over the ring. Two half loops make up the letter B. And at the end of the loop is the tiniest ruby.

The ring is the treasure map. The catacomb tunnels are laid out in the same shape as the ring.

The smell of ancient remains is overwhelming, but I have to keep going. I have to find out.

Finally, we arrive at the end of the second loop. The top right of the B. Where the ruby is.

“Let me see your phone,” I say.

“Nice try, Princess,” grunts Alan.

The look I give him, no one can refuse. “Complain all you want, but you should have brought a flashlight.”

“Here,” Clive says, shoving his phone into my hand.

On the wall in front of us is … nothing.

“Dammit,” I breathe. There has to be something.

I run my hands over a skull, and I want to throw up. But I have to be brave and look for clues.

But it’s just smooth, fragile, ancient bones.

So fragile that one set of remains turns to dust under my fingers.

I scream and jump backward, knocking my captors over.

Recovering, I shine the light into the opening where the one set of human remains was.

And inside, there’s a notch letting in a glow.

“There’s a room back there,” I say, peeking through the notch.

What I see inside is something I’m not prepared for.

Jewels on top of jewels on top of a small mountain of gold bullion. More than a dozen ancient crowns and tiaras, all encrusted with more diamonds than I’ve ever seen in my entire life. Bejeweled goblets, swords, and daggers.

It’s enough to make me willing not to press charges against my captors. But when it comes to Callum and my brothers, I don’t think I’ll have a choice.

“What’s in there?” asks the one named Alan.

I turn and smile at him wickedly. “If you want to find out, I suggest you grab your weapons or whatever sharp objects you have on you and chip away at this wall.”