Page 40

Forty

W hen the dust settled and the mist cleared, we got to our feet and looked down into what used to be the crystal blue pool. A large rock remained in the center of the depression.

Rowan scowled down at the dark gray stone. “’Tis a rock.”

“The Stone of Scone.” Caiyan slowly worked his way into what was now more pit than pool.

“Stone of who?” Max arched an unimpressed eyebrow as if he thought we were a little off in our heads for dedicating ourselves to the recovery of a rock.

“The Stone of Destiny.” His face awestruck, Rowan dropped down next to Caiyan. He held the lantern closer, revealing the deep red sandstone hidden under the gray age of time. “Kings worshipped this stone.”

“’Tis the symbol of the Scottish monarchy.” Caiyan stood proudly next to the stone. “The Scots are the direct descendants of the queen of the Ancalites. She hid the key inside the stone.”

I slid down to join the others. The ground was surprisingly dry. Beads of water clung to the pores in the rock, allowing me to see carvings in the stone. I recognized the mark I saw every time I time traveled. It matched the one in my outhouse.

“They’re ancient Ancalite hieroglyphs.” Caiyan leaned closer to examine each one of them.

“I’ve heard of such a tribe.” Rowan took a step back. “They’re said to be cursed.”

Uh, boy. Here we go again with the curse.

Marco joined us, holding his lantern to the side of the stone. “There are depressions here. Three of them.”

“The prophecy of three.” I whispered so softly I didn’t think anyone heard me, but Caiyan and Marco echoed my words.

“This one is mine.” Marco pointed to a mark similar to mine.

Sasha hopped in and gave the stone a once over. “It’s a coffin.”

Max took a step back from his position at the edge.

“I’d like to think of it as a time capsule,” I said, sending her an unappreciative glower.

“How do we get the key out?” Marco asked.

I slid my hand into the smallest depression—-the one under my mark. Marco copied me, and then we swiveled our heads toward Caiyan.

He shook his head. “’Tis naugh my mark.”

“But—” I was sure he was one of the three. “Then who?”

Sasha crouched in front of the stone and placed her hand in the last spot. Nothing.

Sasha withdrew her hand. “It’s not my mark either, but I thought it was worth a try.”

“Should we have brought Ace?” I asked.

“That nitwit could never open the stone.” Mortas stood at the entrance and only exit of the cavern. He whistled as he walked inside. “Look at all this treasure. Someone had the perfect hideaway.”

Caiyan drew his sgian-dubh, and Rowan and Max drew their pistols. “Calm down.” Mortas waved them away. “I’m not here to murder you or fight you.”

My eyebrows shot up because a day hadn’t gone by that he didn’t want to kill me.

Mortas sauntered over to us. Was the prick acting cocky? And then I realized the third hand belonged to Gian-Carlo, and he knew it.

“My grandfather told me the story. I always thought he had imagined the entire thing. He was quite the dramatic, but here you all are. And there is that damn rock he went on and on about at every family meeting.” He stopped at the edge and looked down at us. “You need me.”

“He’s right.” I stood between Mortas and the stone. “We do.”

Caiyan and Marco understood and joined me. Sasha and Rowan held the ends. We formed a wall of protection.

Marco crossed his arms over his chest. “You need us too.”

“That brings us to a dilemma. Does it not?” Mortas narrowed his eyes.

“What do ye want?” Rowan boomed. His voice echoed through the cavern chambers like a hundred angry giants.

Mortas cut his eyes at Max. “I want Max.”

Rowan leaped from the pit like a mother cougar whose cub was in the clutches of a werewolf. He stood between Max and Mortas, shielding Max from his evil half-brother. “I’ll no allow it.”

“Ye cannae bargain a person,” Caiyan scoffed. “We willnae accept it.”

Max stepped forward, placing his hand on Rowan’s arm. “Yer right.” He nodded at Caiyan. “I am a person. I have my own mind, and I make my own decisions.” He squeezed Rowan’s arm in a calming gesture.

“No, Max, you can’t.” I stepped toward him, but I’d need a boost to get out of the pit.

Max studied each of us, ending with me. His eyes held mine. “This key ’tis important, yeah?”

“It’s the most important thing we’ve ever discovered.” I lowered my eyes. I couldn’t lie, not even to keep Max and Mortas apart.

“I’m willing to give up my claim to the stone in order to know you, Max.” Mortas extended his hand, palm up, and moved it across his waist like a game show host asking Max to pick a card.

“Your claim,” Marco chuffed.

“That’s bullshit.” Sasha stepped forward. “You don’t give a shit about him. You want the key.”

“He’s right,” Caiyan said.

My head snapped hard in Caiyan’s direction, and he held up a hand for me to be patient. “Mortas has jest as much claim to the stone as any of us. We’re supposed to work together. ’Twas my grandfather’s last wish.”

“And mine,” Marco said, “I realize that now. One of the last things he said to me was he wanted to turn back time, change his mistakes, forgive his enemies, win back his friends. I think he died trying.”

“That settles it.” Max moved in front of Rowan. “I weel return to yer time.”

I sucked in air. I wanted Max to return, but with me, not join the Mafusos. Jake would never forgive me for allowing this to happen, not to mention the general. He’d ground me for life.

Max turned and spoke to us. “In exchange for Captain Crunch joining hands with you, I’ll agree to spend time with him. Get to know my family. Decide for myself if my family is good or bad.”

Mortas grimaced at the fake name. I’d told him it was silly. “Please, uhm, call me Mortas.”

“Captain Mortas Crunch it is then.” Max smiled innocently at Mortas.

A giggle escaped from Sasha. And then Marco laughed, and everyone laughed, except Mortas and me.

I swallowed my uneasiness, and my lips drew tight. I promised Rowan I’d look after Max. I couldn’t do that if the Mafusos brainwashed him and turned him against us.

“Choose yer battles,” Caiyan said softly.

Rowan dropped his head, hiding the shine in his eyes I’d seen in the lantern light.

Max turned to Rowan. “Row, ye have raised me well. And ye need to trust me, no? I’ll make the right choice, but withoot the decision to be placed in front of me I willnae be able to choose.”

“Aye,” Rowan nodded.

“Wait a damn minute,” Sasha held up her hand. “Max, you’re my family too. I want you to live with me in my grandfather’s castle. It’s what our mother would have wanted.”

“Joint custody then?” Mortas asked.

Max laughed. “My family is fighting over me. A castle or—” he paused and looked over at Mortas. “Where do ye call home?”

“New York City.” Mortas sent Max a devilish smile that I assumed women who loved bondage might consider attractive.

“A castle and Nuyerkcity. I’ll have a roof over my head and plenty to eat, yeah?” Max gave Rowan an I’ll-get-on-fine expression.

“You can’t even imagine the fine taverns near my home,” Mortas said.

“Can we get on wit’ it?” Caiyan motioned at the stone. “The moon cycle ’tis closing.”

Mortas joined us. Before he touched the stone, he turned toward Marco and me. “Just for the record, I didn’t kill Marco’s grandfather, or your aunt. Gian-Carlo ordered the hit.”

I nodded. We each placed our hands beneath our marks. A murmur began deep inside the stone and escalated into a vibration. Heat radiated up my arm. A bolt of lightning flashed through the skylight, followed by a sharp gunshot-sounding bang. It knocked us on our asses. A crack snaked across the stone.

We gained our feet as the Stone of Destiny split up the middle. Inside glowed the King’s key. Instead of a single moonstone, the key was a golden armor large enough to fit a king the size of Rowan. It lay nestled in a bed of blue moon diamonds.

“Whoa.” Max raised his hands like he’d scored a goal. His hair stood straight up on his head from the static in the lightning. “That was awesome!”

I’d have to speak to Ace about the words he shared with Max.

Rowan smoothed his hair as he and Max gathered with us around the key.

We marveled at it like admiring parents at a newborn baby. An Ancalite crest covered the sternum. At the level of each rib, the armor had indentions, each with a sign corresponding to our keys.

“These are the grooves that hold our keys.” I ran a finger across the indention with my mark.

Rowan held up a blue diamond the size of his thumb. “Magnificent.”

“That’s the most beautiful diamond I’ve ever seen.” I glanced down at the smaller ones glowing with an azure light that seeped a warmth under my skin and traveled straight to my soul. We’d found it.

And then a cold sense of dread squeezed the warmth of victory from me.

“Won’t Mahlia be angry that you let us have the King’s key?” I asked Mortas.

His mouth twisted into an almost smile. “Yes, furious, but I’ll have fun trying to steal it from you.”

“And I’ll have fun taking your key.” I reached to tap his key, and he jumped away. His hand covered his key in case I tried to snag it from him.

Sasha bounded out of the pit and onto the ledge. She swiped the pink diamond from its niche in her family crest and dropped it in her pocket. “I’ll keep the eye. In case we need it to locate the King’s vessel.”

“I should keep the eye; you’ve had it long enough.” Marco didn’t climb out of the pit quite as gracefully as Sasha.

“Try and take it from me.” Sasha quirked her lips, dodged Marco, and fled from the cavern.

Max spread his arms wide. “Family feuding, jest like the pirates. I think I’ll feel right at home.”