Page 83 of Shield of Fire

“Because what a god destroyed mere mortals cannot restore.”

“Meaning it was tried?”

“Only once. The attempt to undo resulted in the destruction of all those involved.”

“If godly magic still lingers there, will you be able to manipulate earth or stone if we come across a blockage or something?”

He nodded. “As I said, Gruama is a place of the dead, which means it needs to be regularly checked and repaired.”

“I’m guessing they had no information suggesting where the shield might have been placed?”

“No.”

Meaning I’d probably have to call on the Eye for help if we didn’t want to be wandering through dark, dank tunnels for days, if not weeks.

I sighed and got down to the serious business of eating. Once we’d finished, Cynwrig turned my stool to face him, then caught the sash end and undid it. He slid his fingers between the gown and my skin, not touching me but nevertheless causing all sorts of inner havoc as he slid the gown from my shoulders and down my arms. It pooled around the bottom of the stool and left me naked, but despite the lack of heat in the room, I was far from cold. The heat in his gaze ensured that as it did a slow journey down my length.

“Glorious,” he murmured.

“Unfair,” I said. “I’m naked and you’re not.”

He laughed, scooped me up in his arms, and carried me to the bedroom.

And then lightly tossed me onto the bed.

I laughed as I bounced several times, then scrambled under the blankets and watched as he stripped off. He was gloriously erect, and I wanted nothing more than to feel every inch of him on every inch of me.

Over the course of the next hour, I certainly achieved that aim.

We took a private plane across to Ireland and then collected the keys of the SUV Cynwrig had hired. Once we’d tossed in our bags and Lugh’s caving gear, we drove down to our accommodation for the night—a lovely old traditional hotel in Westport. Lugh and Mathi had their own rooms, while Cynwrig and I shared a twin. Us sharing a solitary double would have been cozy, but also ultimately uncomfortable given his tendency to spread out even in a boat-sized bed. Besides, I did need to sleep at some point.

“I might grab a shower before I head down for dinner.” I dumped my bag onto a bed and glanced around. The room was small, but it had the important stuff—an ensuite bathroom and tea-making facilities. “I also need to read the Eye and see what it has to say about the shield.”

He nodded and drew me in for a kiss. “You want me to order you a whiskey?”

“You want to have sex later?”

He laughed and released me. “I’ll order you a double, then.”

Once he’d gone, I had a quick shower, then sat cross-legged on the bed. After placing the Codex and my knives on my lap, I tugged the Eye from around my neck, but didn’t immediately reach for the power that pulsed within it. Instead, I fixed the image of the shield in my mind, then layered the images a Google search had revealed of the bleak, stark mountains that had once housed Gruama over the top of it.

Only then did I press the Eye’s cage into my palm. When stone and flesh met, the Eye pulsed in response. Jagged lightning cut through its heart, sending bright beams of purple shooting past my clenched fingers. They always reminded me of a lighthouse beam—one that was seeking rather than warning.

Then the room disappeared, and I was spun into another place—one that was dark, damp, and narrow. A tunnel, I realized after a moment. And, really, where else would it be? The old gods seemed to have a propensity for using lakes in underground caves as hiding places for their more dangerous relics.

In this one, water dripped from blackened walls and, in the distance, spirits wailed, a soft song of sorrow and anger. The image skidded forward, flowing through the tunnel’s twisting path so fast, it felt like I was on a roller coaster. Eventually, we reached a vast lake. Its waters were shallow and still, but deep in its heart, silver gleamed.

The vision snapped forward over the water.

It was the shield.

But someone—something?—gripped it. Those fingers were long, black, and sinewy, and they held the shield so tightly they’d dented the metal.

I couldn’t see the creature itself. The water might be crystal clear even in this darkness, but the creature was not. Only his hands were visible.

Those hands were huge.

Were we dealing with some sort of giant? There were plenty of folktales of the giants who’d once roamed the ancient lands, but I couldn’t ever imagine one being leashed underground, let alone underwater.

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