Page 105 of Silver in the Bone

“We’ve officially waited them out,” he murmured.

There was no sense of how much time had passed, only the sound of the stones shifting again. The cloaked figure emerged moments later and made for the entrance. Finished with whatever lay beyond the wall.

The great oak doors lumbered shut, hinges whining in protest. The chamber was thrown into unyielding darkness. I counted back from two hundred in my head, waiting to see if the steps would return.

But even as it became clear they would not, neither of us moved.

I closed my eyes again, trying to think of anything other than the way my cheek was pressed to his chest, his heartbeat the only sound in my ears, the way his fingers were absently stroking down my side, seeking and granting comfort.

In that dark, warm place, we’d become shadows ourselves. Breathing in unison, bodies intertwined until each point of contact felt like a burst of sparks across my skin—there was nothing outside of that sensation. No magic, no monsters, no world at all.

The cedarwood had turned the air sweet, but woven through it was the smell of him. His fingers tightened around my waist, and somehow, impossibly, I drew closer. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been held this close by anyone. When I’d wanted to be.

If he turns his face ... The thought whispered through me, warming my blood like a shot of whiskey, curling low in my belly.

No.

I pulled away so quickly, it made lights dance in front of my eyes. I pushed out of the armoire and staggered forward, unsteady after crouching for so long. The chamber’s damp chill coiled around me, as if all too eager to have me back in its shadowed grip. I shivered, switching my flashlight back on.

After a moment, Emrys followed, keeping his back to me as he shut the armoire’s doors.

“Let’s—” I cleared my throat. “Let’s see if we can open it.”

He nodded, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

Standing in front of the white stones, I stole another quick look at him, then opened my bag, taking stock of what supplies I had left, mentally running through my list. No crystals, tonics, or rope. No axe, either, but I did have my dragonscale work gloves and pulled them on.

“You think whatever’s back there is cursed?” he asked, surprised.

“I think we don’t know what we’re going to find,” I said, “or who created the passage, and it doesn’t hurt to be cautious. What do you have on you? Any crystals?”

Emrys opened his own workbag—monogrammed in gold with his initials, of course. He pulled out a small sack of amethyst, quartz, labradorite, and tourmaline, as well as a collapsible hand axe he opened with a flick of his wrist. He passed it to me, then pulled out a black velvet pouch.

The long silver chain dropped into his palm first, followed by a black crystal point—only, as he picked up the chain and let the point hang in the air, the black inside it moved, swirling like water to reveal the tiniest of white blossoms inside.

It was a crystal pendulum, usually used to answer questions or detect energy vibrations caused by magic or the presence of malicious spirits. I had never been able to get one to work, and with Cabell, I hadn’t needed one.

The crystal didn’t move.

“No curses,” Emrys said, pulling the stone up to eye level. The black liquid inside thrashed, creating a whirlwind around the flower. “But a lot of magic, as you might expect.”

“What kind of crystal is that?” I asked as he held the chain closer to the wall. Seeing the smile growing on his face, I added, “If you tell me to guess, I will punch you.”

His smile turned mysterious in the most annoying way. “Family heirloom.”

I let out a noise of irritation and reached up, switching on his head lamp.

“You want to do the honors?” he asked.

I passed him my flashlight and turned toward the stones, closing my eyes and bringing to mind the touch pattern the figure had used. The stones felt like ice beneath my fingertips, and I could have sworn they shivered with each touch.

The stones around them pulled themselves back, clattering and scraping against one another to crawl out of our way. Reclaiming my flashlight, I took a deep breath of mist and stepped through the opening.

Into a stairwell. The wall closed behind Emrys. I turned, making sure the white stones were visible from this side, too. There was only one way to go now—up.

“Where are we?” I whispered. “Is this still the tower?”

The beam of Emrys’s head lamp moved up the stairs. “Let’s find out.”

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