Page 49 of Sinful Crimes for the Artistically Inclined
Why he still blushed in Percy’s presence was beyond Joe’s understanding. He suggested shyly, “I could come for a cup of tea?”
Percy’s face lit up. “Would you?”
“Yes. I would love to.”
“Then we’ll have tea. I’ll do the air conditioning properlythis time. Sorry about all that.” Of course, he couldn’t help adding, with a lascivious grin, “It was worth it, though.”
Joe laughed, and Percy took his hand and kissed it. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Their lips met again, and with all Joe’s misgivings apparently quelled, Percy said, “Now let’s go kill some possibly demonic monks.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
TUNNEL OF DEATH
The latch gave an ear-piercing screech as Joe heaved back a thick, heavy iron bolt. “They’ll have heard that.”
Percy pulled out his beautiful dagger in response.
Sick, stale, hot air met them as the door creaked wide open. Everything was black in the chamber, except where their torches shone. Dark, wet, mossy stone made the floor, ceiling, and walls, and another door, identical to the one they’d just opened, waited on the far side.
“Will this part be trapped?” Percy whispered.
“We came straight through here last time, so no, I think we’re okay.”
Joe took a step forward, but was arrested by Percy’s strong hand on his arm. “What’s that smell?”
Joe looked around the chamber again, seeing nothing unusual. “The undead usually smell pretty bad. That could be what they’re using as guards.”
“True,” Percy replied, “but that smells like freshly dead.” He started forward cautiously, then turned back to add, “Morefresh than undead, you know what I mean? But still dead? But not too dead?”
“Yes,” Joe replied, completely unsure at all about the different scents a human or otherwise may give off at various stages of decomposition.
“Wait.” Percy’s head turned sharply upward, and his hand slipped protectively to Joe’s belly. “On your knees.”
Joe slapped his hand away. “Could you please be serious just this?—”
“I’m deadly serious. Get down.” Percy sank to his knees and pulled Joe after him. His voice was as hard and cool as his eyes were, and he examined the chamber minutely. Joe felt the hairs on his neck stand at the sudden change. Percy aimed his torch towards the ceiling. Joe followed his keen blue gaze as it traced across the ceiling, down the wall, and back onto Joe, where he gave a small smile. “False alarm. Stay behind me.”
Percy stepped ahead, keeping a hand on Joe, partially to know he was there, partially for balance, and he began pushing his boot down heavily on the stone slabs lining the floor.
“We just walked straight through last time,” Joe offered.
“But the smell,” Percy insisted.
Joe shrugged and followed as bid until Percy stopped again. He tried his boot a second time on one particular slab, then looked back at Joe with a grin. He rammed his boot down hard and the stone slab fell away completely, down and down into a pitch black hole. Percy shone his light down, and there were the mangled, rotting remains of some unfortunate, pierced straight through with long, thin, rusty metal spikes. “An oubliette.”
“So I see.” Joe shuddered at the gory sight. “Will there be more?”
“Almost definitely.”
Percy went about his exploration, and Joe held the arm that felt for him a little tighter. They found three more oubliettes,two with corpses, one disturbingly recent, before they finally reached the door opposite. Percy put his hand to the bolt. “The monks aren’t in here?”
“They shouldn’t be.” Though Joe was no longer sure he knew any more than Percy about these matters. He took out his own long knife.
“Ready?” Percy whispered.
