“What do you think it was for?” Lily asked Cyril as Sebastian bent to dust off his knees and Hawkins climbed back over the railing to make sure no tourists stumbled upon them.
“I’m not sure. Possibly a larder or storage room of some kind. Caves are nature’s refrigerators, after all.”
Lily shook her head. “Well, I doubt we’ll find scraps from Morgan le Fay’s last lunch in there, so let’s move on.”
While the island itself was only about a quarter mile wide, its sides plunged sharply over two hundred feet before finally meeting the crashing waves of the ocean below. Being much larger and less nimble than the fae fox, it took them forever to find a way down the craggy cliffs to the cave Yuki had found. As they neared the ocean, it became especially treacherous because the sinking tide left behind rocks slick with water and seaweed. After much slow and careful navigation, however, they finally reached the cave entrance, which, judging by the watermarks on the rocks, would be completely submerged at high tide. This was not a place to dally.
“Here.” Yuki nosed at an outcropping of rock to the side of the cave.
Lily carefully climbed over, mentally blessing Emmaline for her choice in boots. There was no way she could have accomplished the climb without the grip of their rubber soles. Also, because of the unique way her skirt was designed, she could easily take large steps and move freely without constriction or fear of stepping on her hem. In fact, she fared better than Cyril and Hawkins, both of whom wore more loafer-style shoes with little tread. Sebastian, of course, wore hiking boots.
Reaching the fox, she bent close to peer at the worn rock, fearing the worst. Being in the middle of a tidal zone meant the rock was pounded with waves for hours each day, something no simple carving could withstand without wearing away entirely. But to her delight, the engraving was as crisp and clear as if it had been carved yesterday. That could mean only one thing: magic. Indeed, peering closer, she spotted tiny marks within the engraving that could possibly be dimmu runes, though they were cleverly concealed within the pattern of the figure cut into the rock.
Running her fingers over it, she carefully withdrew her printed copy of Morgan’s journal from her leather bag, safely sealed within a clear, watertight sleeve. As she had suspected, the symbol in the rock was identical to the one on the journal: the ouroboros snake twisting in the figure eight of an infinity loop.
“Over here!” she yelled at the others, voice barely audible over the wind and crashing waves. The others climbed carefully down and crowded around. Cyril was especially interested, taking out a collapsible magnifying glass from the inside pocket of his coat and examining the tiny dimmu runes.
“Ingenious. Absolutely brilliant.”
Lily, however, wasn’t listening. She was attempting to find a way into the cave whose floor was still flooded with water, at least at the entrance. Peering inside, it looked as if the floor sloped slowly upwards, if only she could find a way to it without wading through the freezing Atlantic tide.
In the end it was Sir Kipling who found a path, something he pointed out rather loudly to Yuki. The way was tricky, but they found a place where they could sidle along on a small ledge, at one point having to grip several outcrops of rock at eye level to keep from falling into the water. But they all made it safely inside the cave, feet sinking slightly into the damp sand of its floor.
Sebastian and Hawkins got out flashlights, but she withdrew a small, etched glass orb from her bag. It was a gift Allen had given her during their long afternoon of study together at his townhouse when they’d first met. He’d taught her many things that day, principally the technique of silent casting—an extremely useful skill as it was turning out, if incredibly tricky—but also some more simple, practical spells. Well, not exactly simple. The spell she was about to cast was a combination of a light spell, like the ones used to power the light orbs in the Basement under McCain Library, and a levitation spell Allen had invented to give his construct “helping” hands their power of flight. While she hadn’t had time to master it that very day, she’d carefully memorized it and had practiced it several times since. Now, motioning her companions to back up, just in case, she calmed her mind and sharpened her will, using the Enkinim words of power to bring first light, then weightlessness to her small orb covered in etched dimmu runes, to anchor and preserve the spell.
After carefully outlining the spell’s parameters, she poured her magic into the orb, reveling for a moment in the exhilarating rush that casting always brought. But only for a moment. As soon as the orb was appropriately charged, she cut off the flow and spoke words of sealing that would prevent the magic from dissipating. She really should have used this opportunity to practice her silent casting, but they were in a hurry and she didn’t want to hold everyone up. It might have taken several tries to get it right.
Letting go of the orb, she stepped back to inspect her handiwork. The enchanted ball hovered in the air right above their heads, shining bright, but not blinding, light all around them, illuminating the cavern. Sebastian whistled, twirling his flashlight around his finger before sticking it in his back pocket for future use.
Cyril came over, peering curiously at the ball of light. “Very impressive, Ms. Singer. I can’t say I’ve seen such a spell before. You must teach me sometime.”
“Um, thank you. And, sure.” Lily ducked her head, trying not to blush at the unexpected praise. “It’s really not much.”
Wanting to avoid any more awkward conversation, she turned toward the back of the cave and set off. The orb followed her, having been linked to her ward bracelet as part of the spell so that she didn’t have to worry about keeping track of it.
Sir Kipling, who had perched on a nearby ledge while she worked, now stretched and yawned before jumping down and sauntering over to lead the charge. “I can think of several excellent cat toy applications for that trick,” he meowed over his shoulder, back to his old smug self.
“You play with toys? How adorable.” Yuki trotted over to join them and Lily could swear she saw a very Sebastian-like twinkle in the fox’s eyes.
“They’re hunting simulators,” her cat hissed at the interloper, smugness vanishing as he attempted to establish some semblance of dominance. After all, he was the one whose job it was to lead the way, poking his nose into all the places where it didn’t belong.
“Yuki, could you stand watch outside the cave?” Lily asked diplomatically. “We really wouldn’t want to be surprised in here, either by my father or the changing tide.”
“As you wish. I shall leave the spelunking to the mighty toy-hunter.” With that he trotted off back the way they’d come.
Sir Kipling gave an emphatic sniff of disdain as if to say “good riddance” and turned back to exploring the cave. The humans followed him, Lily’s orb giving them plenty of light to see by, though Hawkins’s flashlight was still useful for illuminating dark crevices and clefts in the rock. They followed the cavern back as the sand turned to pebbles and then rock. All too soon, however, the cave began to narrow, and then ended, leaving only a tiny crack that not even Sir Kipling could slip into.
“Well, this is rather disappointing,” Cyril commented, voice echoing in the enclosed space around them.
“Don’t be so quick to cry defeat, Mr. Hawtree,” Sebastian said in a not-quite mocking voice, mispronouncing the professor’s name—deliberately, Lily was sure. “We haven’t searched the walls thoroughly for marks or hidden cracks yet.”
“Ah, yes. Of course.”
Sebastian pulled out his flashlight and tossed it to the professor, who actually managed to catch it, though he almost dropped it as he fumbled to turn it on. Hawkins gave Sebastian a third flashlight and all four of them turned to the walls, Lily and Cyril to one side and Hawkins and Sebastian to the other. They started at the very back of the cave and made their way slowly and painstakingly toward the front. As they worked, Lily reflected that it was a shame the entrance to the cave was submerged twice a day, or else they might
have found footprints. That was, of course, assuming John Faust’s location spell had led him to this cave, and that he’d managed to find his way down without the help of a magical fox.
About halfway back toward the mouth of the cave, Lily stopped. Cyril had already moved on, having checked that section of wall previously. But Lily had noticed something flicker in the corner of her eye as she’d turned away. Now, looking directly at the wall, there was nothing unusual to be seen. Yet when she turned her head, the edges of her vision flickered like they often did when she looked at Grimmold or Pip. It was the telltale sign of fae glamour that, because of her heritage, didn’t seem to affect her.
“Sebastian, come look at this. Tell me what you think.”
Everyone crowded around, examining the wall while Sir Kipling sniffed suspiciously at the rocks forming its base.
“I don’t see anything,” Cyril finally said, and Hawkins murmured in agreement.
Lily, however, looked at Sebastian.
“It’s definitely fae glamour. The problem is, I don’t see what it’s supposed to be hiding. There isn’t anything there.”
“Or is there?” Lily said, deciding not to trust her eyes. Closing them, she reached forward to touch the cool stone, slowly feeling her way along the cavern wall to the spot where she’d seen the glimmer. Unexpectedly, the wall seemed to fall away and her hand touched only cold air. She heard Cyril gasp beside her. Opening her eyes, she saw that her hand appeared to disappear into the wall. Withdrawing it, Lily grinned. “It’s a dual layer, don’t you see? Both fae glamour and a wizard’s glamour spell. Morgan must have been incredibly paranoid. I would have thought the fae glamour would be enough, since her descendants would be the only ones who could see through it. And she wanted them to find her.”
“You’re forgetting something,” Sebastian said, reaching forward to feel for himself and grinning when his hand disappeared into the rock.
“And that is?”
“Thiriel.”
“Who?” Cyril asked, confused.
“No one you need to worry about,” Sebastian assured him in a suppressive tone. Pulling Lily aside, he spoke quietly. “If Morgan wanted to hide from mundanes, other wizards, and the fae, that would have been plenty reason to use double spells. Remember, she and the fae weren’t exactly bosom buddies after she decided to use their gifted magic for her own schemes.”
Lily nodded in agreement. At least now she knew what to look for. Though even when she went back to the wall and examined it for traces of magic, she couldn’t detect any. It was perfectly masked, and they wouldn’t have found it if Lily hadn’t known what the glimmer in her vision implied. They would need to be very careful. Though she knew ancient wizards were said to have been much more powerful and skilled than modern-day ones, it was hard to conceptualize. She only hoped she was up to the challenge. Well, no, she knew she wasn’t. But she had her friends, allies, and beloved cat to help her. They would manage somehow.
Now that they knew where the crack was—even if they couldn’t see it—they were able to carefully feel their way around the edges and determine that it was just wide enough for a grown man to slip through, though the headspace was cramped. Despite everyone’s protest, Lily went first—well, technically second. Sir Kipling had already nosed his way to the lower edge and hopped through, his whiskers telling him what his eyes couldn’t. Lily’s orb of light followed her, though she had to physically manhandle it through the opening since it hovered a bit too high to fit through on its own. Beyond the crack was a tunnel, completely different from the cavern they’d first entered. Its walls were smooth, with no sign of tool work, which indicated they’d been created by magic. The floor was stone covered in a thick layer of dust.
While Lily examined the walls, the others squeezed into the tunnel. Sebastian almost got stuck, but with a bit of tugging they finally got him through, though he complained about the scratches it left on his leather jacket. Putting a finger to her lips, she warned them all to be quiet as she pointed at the floor.
In the dust at their feet and disappearing down the tunnel were footprints.
Since everything in the tunnel was dry, there was no way to know if the footprints were recent, or if someone else in ages past had found this tunnel and explored it. Lily felt it was safer to assume they belonged to John Faust.
Now on their guard, they started slowly down the tunnel, their flashlights and orb the only sources of illumination. Though there had been no mention of any such thing in Morgan’s journal, Lily kept on the lookout for booby traps and whispered to the others to do the same. She also kept a sharp eye out for more fae glamour or any magic whatsoever that might indicate a spell had been cast. She’d bet…well, something, that John Faust had left them a nasty surprise, or at the very least a conveyance spell to spy on them.
Contrary to her fears, however, they encountered nothing at all but bare tunnel, which turned several times as it wound deeper under the island. After what felt like ages, they rounded one last turn and came face to face with…
A wall.
“Seriously?” Sebastian whispered. But Lily and Cyril looked at each other with a smile. They were finally on familiar ground. This wall blocking the tunnel was described in Morgan’s journal, and she’d left an ancient incantation so that her descendants would be able to open the hidden door.
“Would you like to do the honors?” Lily offered Cyril, feeling generous in their moment of triumph. Of course, the reminder of what lay behind that door, and what she was going to have to do, quickly squashed her momentary elation.
The professor looked sorely tempted, but shook his head. “You’re her descendant, just like the book says. I think it would be best if you opened it.” He stepped back, but took a small notebook out from his pocket and began scribbling, no doubt taking notes on their discovery.
Lily extracted her clear sleeve from her bag and opened it, shuffling through the papers until she found the incantation. It had been written in Enkinim, of course, and so John Faust would no doubt know it as well, assuming he’d been able to figure out what it was for. Judging by the footprints disappearing where the wall met the dusty floor of the tunnel, Lily guessed that he had.
Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself in preparation to tap the Source. It wasn’t easy. Her mind was awhirl with excitement, apprehension, curiosity, dread, and much more. But she reminded herself that, based on Morgan’s instructions, she and Cyril knew what to expect. As long as there were no ancient traps or unexpected barriers, they would be in and out of there in fifteen minutes and safely back at the hotel in a few hours. Then the real work would begin.
Focusing on the task at hand, she readied her magic and slowly, carefully read the spell from her sheet of paper. This was a completely unfamiliar and unpracticed spell, so there was no way she would attempt to silent-cast it. She was nervous even reading it, there being words that neither she nor Cyril recognized, which meant she had to guess at their pronunciation. Yet, as she finished and sealed the spell, forcing her will upon it, she felt the words come to life and the wall respond. It was a very simple response: it disappeared.
Having no idea what to expect, the others jumped in surprise, peering suspiciously down this new tunnel that had been suddenly revealed. With careful steps they advanced in ominous silence, their light illuminating only ten or so feet in front of them. Everything else was swallowed up in inky blackness thick enough to cut with a knife. As they crept forward, Lily’s tension mounted and she caught herself holding her breath.
Without warning, the walls on either side of them disappeared. Lily stopped, looking around anxiously before realizing they’d entered a plain stone chamber, its ceiling higher than that of the tunnel and its walls stretching out a good fifteen feet on either side.
Desperate to know, Lily took a few quick steps, hurrying to the middle of the room. She had to see, had to know…but no. With a whoosh of air Lily let out the breath she’d been holding and sagged in relief.
Turning to her companions, she gave them the thumbs up. Sebastian, who’d looked alarmed when she’d turned around, now relaxed, arms lowering as if they’d been raised in preparation to summon a certain staff.
Making more motions with her hands, she used a series of crude gestures to indicate that they should all stay silent, but split up and search around the edges of the room. The silence was necessary because, as she’d been expecting, she finally spotted a fresh conveyance spell in the corner of the room, no doubt courtesy of John Faust. It didn’t look as if he’d even tried to mask it. She would have to take care of it eventually, but first, she needed her father to see them poking about the tomb.
As Lily’s companions began to scour the room, she turned around to examine what she’d sagged against: a rectangular stone plinth about waist high and six feet long. The top was bare, as she’d expected, though the sides were decorated with graceful twining knots common to Celtic cultures. Sir Kipling, scorning the others, had joined her instead and now jumped up on top of the stone platform to observe her labors. Giving the stone an experimental sniff, then a lick, he finally plopped down, sprawling across its surface as if he were the king of the jungle and it was his throne.
Ignoring her irreverent cat, Lily thought carefully, checked off the signs they’d found so far that confirmed her and Cyril’s theory. Hidden passage: check. Enchanted door: check. Empty tomb: check. Now there was only one piece missing.
Finding nothing else interesting on the plinth, she did a quick survey of the room, then joined the others at the far end. They were staring at an arch of dimmu runes on the stone wall. Though she didn’t recognize all of them, she recognized enough to know what it was: a portal. It was not, however, active. There was no trace of magic, just the dimmu runes etched into the stone. Without knowing where it was meant to lead, there was no way for her to set it up. This was in contrast to the portal in John Faust’s old workroom at the LeFay estate which Lily, Sebastian, and Madam Barrington had used to track down his new hideout—had it only been a week ago? It felt like years. In that instance, the portal had already been enchanted and locked onto its counterpart. All they’d had to do was charge it up and “turn it on” so to speak. But this one was stone cold. It wouldn’t be taking anyone anywhere unless its creator one day returned.
Love, Lies, and Hocus Pocus Legends Page 21