Page 40 of Forty Deaths Till Us Part
Rene and I exited the conference room, with Manu following us. Cass was already waiting in the foyer and Con gave Manu a disapproving look as we approached.
“Be nice. He is helping us,” I whispered to the large warrior.
His lip twitched, but he nodded gracefully. “Of course, my queen.”
I rolled my eyes. “I see why Cass wants to stake you.”
Cass laughed and winked at me. “This is why I like you.”
Con sighed. “I admit Raven has a certain appeal. Shall I drive you in the vehicle or do you wish me to follow you?”
Rene arched an eyebrow. “I am capable of protecting myself and my woman. Cassara will be with us.”
Constantine stared at Rene without expression. “We both know I will not allow you off this property without an escort until we have neutralized this rebellion.”
I had to admire Constantine’s nerve. Few would openly defy Rene like that. I would say that he was the male version of Cass, but Constantine was far older and Rene’s oldest friend. He probably taught Cass how to handle the overseer and keep him on his toes.
Rene motioned toward the door. “You can ride with us, Con, but you need to work on your people skills.”
“Why?” Con asked as he followed Rene and me toward the door.
Cass grunted. “And you thought I was bad. Con has the tact of a bull in a china shop.”
I was still shaking my head as we exited the mansion to find a large four-wheel-drive Bronco with blacked-out windows. “Wow.”
Cass smirked. “I love that vehicle. I’m bummed I am with Manu.”
A dark-blue dune buggy pulled up behind the black Bronco, and Cass whistled. “Well, color me impressed. Manu has some tricked-out wheels.”
Cass jogged ahead and got in the passenger’s seat of Manu’s dune buggy, but he cast a leery glance at Constantine as the large warrior got into the driver’s seat. Rene and I got into the back, and we pulled away from the mansion, with Cass and Manu following us.
We drove through the forest, and I was completely lost before Constantine took a path so grown over the branches scratched the side of the vehicle.
“You are going to need a new paint job after this.”
“Probably. The cave entrance is just ahead,” Rene said.
With the crunch of gravel beneath the tires, Constantine brought the Bronco to a halt. My heart thumped with a mixture of anticipation and fear as I stared at the entrance of the cave nestled amidst the dense forest. The air was thick with mystery, and an aura of time’s passage hung over the deserted and overgrown area. Shafts of moonlight pierced through the wavering canopy, casting dappled shadows that danced like ancient spirits on the forest floor.
The Bronco’s engine ticked as soon as Constantine turned it off. It was the only sound that dared to break the eerie silence. The entrance of the cave beckoned like a portal to another world where stories of a brutal past prayed to be rediscovered.
With a mixture of trepidation and determination, I swung open the door and slipped to the ground. My thick-soled boots sank into the earth, reminding me I was a visitor in this natural oasis. The cave’s mouth yawned wide, revealing a tunnel that seemed to lead into the heart of the mountain. The jagged rock walls were rugged and worn, a testament to the passage of time and the eons they had endured.
As I approached the entrance, a shiver traced my spine, both from the coolness emanating from the cave and the realization we would discover another piece of the prophecy. My prophecy. Manu pulled up behind us and exited with his flashlight, directing its beam into the gaping darkness.
The light’s reach was limited, but I no longer required its help. The remnants of ancient symbols etched into the walls were plain to me, but their meaning was lost to the ages. The uneven ground beneath me crunched as I moved deeper into thecave, accompanied by my friends. I felt a surge of exhilaration mingled with fear, hoping the latest revelation would help us in our bid to save the vampires and stop a war.
Rene led us through a series of tunnels, but after a few minutes, they all looked the same. He didn’t stop until we were inside a massive cavern with nothing but sand for a floor. “This is it.”
I glanced around. “There is nothing here.”
Rene pointed to the center of the room. “This was their training area. There are several smaller rooms where the hunters lived and raised their children. Males were trained for combat and the females were traded to other hunter families to strengthen bloodlines.”
Cass grunted. “Breeding stock. Great.”
Manu was already running his hand over the rough walls. “Look for a lever or a hole you can place your hand in. If there is nothing here, we will start checking the living quarters.”
Rene began to shuffle his feet in the sand. “It will be here. They revered their training area. The personal space was meager in comparison. They didn’t even value their male children until the boys proved they had a certain level of skill.”