Chapter Nine
Ella
The cave looms before us. I really don”t want to go in there.
The excitement and curiosity of the others are not contagious this time.
Ade hands me my clothes. ”You better put these back on. It”s going to be cool in there.”
I take my time getting dressed, trying to delay the inevitable.
”Come on, El,” Rhia says impatiently from the cave entrance. She”s already halfway inside. ”This will be fun.””I”m coming,” I grumble and take Ade”s outstretched hand. He smiles at me and presses a soft kiss to my lips.”Who knows, we might find treasure,” Rhia”s jovial voice comes from inside. ”Maybe pirates came here over the centuries to hide their loot.””Yeah, yeah… and of course we”re going to be the first to stumble across it,” I reply sarcastically, as I squeeze through the opening.
The cool, damp air sends a shiver down my spine. For a split second, the memory of entering the dark cave the first time I tried to escape from Tiero flashes before my eyes.
Taking a deep breath, I remind myself that this time it”s very different. I”m not alone, I”m not scared for my life, and there”s light. I can see what”s surrounding me. In fact, the light of the two flashlights illuminates the small space as if it were daylight.
So it”s really not that scary… nor is it that interesting.
”There are only rocks,” I comment. ”We”ve seen it all now. Let”s go for that mud bath.”
”You”re not looking close enough,” Ade says, pointing at something on the side of a wall. ”We”re definitely not the first ones here. There are symbols carved into the rock. Look.”
He shines the flashlight onto it, and we gather in a half-circle, examining it.
”Wow,” Rhia says, winking at me over her shoulder. ”Pirates might really have been here. This symbol looks like a treasure box.”
”It”s a square,” I deadpan.
”Exactly. It could be a treasure box.”
I roll my eyes and spot another carving higher up.
”There”s also a star.” I point at it. ”And one ray is a lot longer. Do you think it”s pointing us a certain way?”
”Only one way to find out,” Lex says.
He shines his flashlight in the direction the star indicated, and there might actually be another opening in the rock. It”s a lot smaller than the entrance of the cave and somewhat concealed. Our guys will have to duck low to fit through.
My curiosity is lit now. What if these symbols really point to something?
The flashlights cut through the darkness as we press forward. The cave walls echo our footsteps and even the sound of our breathing seems magnified.
On close inspection, we discover more markings, each one ramping up our excitement. These clues are like breadcrumbs leading us closer to some elusive prize. The air grows thick with anticipation as we navigate the narrow passages, the suspense driving us onward.
My senses are heightened by the possibility of the unknowns lurking in the shadows. So far, we”ve not come across any signs of animals. It”s a relief, though my mind insists it only brings us closer to an unwanted surprise.
But hey, what can possibly happen when Rhia and I are sandwiched between two guys who are practically invincible? At least, that”s what I”m telling myself.
Finally, we reach some sort of grotto. The air is stale and tinged with the scent of ancient stone… and maybe even Indiana Jones.
The chamber is small. There”s just enough room for the four of us, but we can”t turn easily.
”Is this it?” I ask.
”Now what?” Rhia”s voice echoes off the walls. ”I can”t see anything out of the ordinary. Do you think there”s a hidden hollow somewhere in here?”
”There has to be,” I reply. ”Otherwise why would the markings lead us here?”
Ade and Lex shine their flashlights systematically along each inch of the rock, before setting them on the ground to serve as an uplight.
Nothing stands out.
”Pick a wall and run your hands over the surface. See if any of the rocks are loose and come out,” Ade instructs.
We do just that, hoping to find some secret hidey-hole.
”Got it,” Ade suddenly calls out.
He wiggles a loose rock, revealing a hole.
We wait with bated breath as he shines his flashlight inside.
”You won”t believe it, but there really is something in there.”
”What is it?” Rhia asks, jumping up and down on the spot.
Ade reaches inside and pulls out a flat metal container.
”Treasure!” Rhia claps her hands together. ”Oh my gosh, this is exciting.”
It really is.
The carvings suggested something was hidden in this cave, but to be honest, I didn”t think we would really find something. I mean, what are the odds?
Ade hands the box to Lex and double-checks the hole, but nothing else seems to be hidden inside. Then he pushes the rock back in place to seal the hole, leaving it just as we found it.
”This isn”t much bigger than the box of oracle cards I have at home,” I say, staring at our find. ”Not a large treasure, then.”
Lex turns the container in his hands. ”It has an eight-digit number lock,” he says not a second later.
”What?” Rhia wrinkles her nose in displeasure.
”It”s not old pirate treasure then,” I tease, nudging Rhia with my elbow.
”Perhaps not. But it”s still treasure,” she replies, craning her neck to see the box better. ”Now what?” she asks.
”We”ll take it outside and see how we can open it. It”s too cramped and dark in here,” Lex replies.
Ade nods in agreement. Turning around, he leads the way back to the entrance.
It occurs to me that we should have made our own markings to ensure we find our way out. But then again, with two supermen at our side, we”d never get lost.
Still, when I see the light streaming through the rock opening, I let out a sigh of relief.
The sun is bright—too bright—when we step back outside. I squint, wishing I had my sunglasses to let my eyes adjust more gradually.
Still, the excitement of our discovery means nothing else really matters right now.
We find a shady spot under a tree and sit down in a circle, the small metal container in between us, our curiosity piqued by the sight of the number lock securing its contents.
”Do you think this was Tiero”s?” Rhia asks.
”Why would he hide anything in a cave? It”s not like many people knew about this island. And besides, he has a safe that”s very well hidden in the house. No, this has to be somebody else”s,” I argue.
”Well, whatever is inside this box has to be important,” Ade says thoughtfully. ”Why would anyone otherwise go to all that trouble? Not only to hide it in a cave, but also to put it in a locked container.”
Lex picks up our mystery item and studies it thoroughly.
”We”ll need the number combination,” he concludes. ”There”s not even the smallest ridge to wedge something in it to pry it open.”
”Crap,” Rhia whines. ”The possibilities are endless.”
”Well, there are eight columns of digits zero to nine, which is ten digits per column. Since each digit can be used in each column, the number of possible combinations is ten to the power of eight. So… hmm… one hundred million,” Ade adds dryly.
Rhia just stares at him, blinking a few times. This is too much even for her analytical brain to compute. When she looks at me, I smirk.
Yes, I have one hell of a brainy fiancé.
”Let”s assume this is Tiero”s,” Lex suggests. ”What important dates of his are you aware of, El?”
All eyes go to me. ”Are you serious? How would I know? We were together only a few weeks?”
”Try El”s birthday,” Rhia suggests.
Lex turns the wheels until they all line up. But nothing happens. The box stays as locked as before.
Hmm.
”Try it backward,” I say. I”m not sure where that thought came from, but it feels weighty in my mind.
Shrugging his shoulders, Lex follows my suggestion. And… what do you know, the box pops open.
”Well, that answers the question of who it belonged to,” Ade comments.
”Wow. It can”t have been that easy,” Rhia says. ”How did you know, El?”
I shake my head, lost for words. I can”t believe that actually worked.
This means this really did belong to Tiero… and he hid it after we met. I can”t get my head around it, but one thing is for sure: I”m doubly curious now about what”s inside.
Not much, is the answer.
Lex sets the box back on the ground, and we all lean over to peek inside.
A neatly folded set of documents sits on top, the edges yellowed and delicate. Ever so carefully, Ade lifts them out and unfolds them.
The paper is thick, with a slightly rough texture, hinting at its age. Faded ink marks the surface in a messy, flowing script. It carries the faint scent of must and history. The top sheet shows the faint outlines of an ornate watermark; it”s barely visible, but I recognize it anyway.
”That”s the De Marco crest,” I say, pointing at it.
”What does the letter say?” Rhia asks.
Ade shakes his head. ”If it were just the Italian, I could have a crack at it, but the handwriting is hard to read. We”ll have to get one of Freemont”s handwriting analysts on it.”
”Damn, I really hoped it would be something more interesting, like a love letter to El or some jewelry,” Rhia says.
I take the paper from Ade and carefully flick through the pages. ”It”s signed by Leandro De Marco. From what Tiero told me, he”s the one who set up la famiglia.”
”So he was Tiero”s great great-great-grandfather?” Rhia asks.
”Something like that,” I reply. ”Maybe this spells out the family secrets.”
Lex takes out more folded papers. These look new by comparison. ”Look, there are also some computer printouts, but again, they”re in Italian. I”ll study them later,”
As he unfolds them, a necklace falls out. The pendant is an old-fashioned clay coin, weathered and worn, with two-thirds of it missing. The remaining third is threaded onto a leather strand, giving it a rustic, timeworn charm.
”Is that the De Marco crest again?” Ade asks as he examines it closer.
I lean against him, resting my head on his shoulder as I study the piece in his hand.
”Yes, I think it is.”
Then a frown draws my brows together. ”I”ve seen him wear this. I”m surprised he took it off.”
Cocking my head to the side, I take it from Ade and lift it to my eyes. ”It looks different though.” I shake my head, unable to put my finger on it. ”Then again, I only looked at it once up close… I could be wrong.”
”What are we going to do with it?” Rhia asks. ”It would seem silly to put it back.”
”Mateo should have all of this,” I reply.
”But he”s missing.”
”I know that. We”ll keep it for him until he resurfaces.”
I refuse to believe he”s dead. Tiero”s little brother has to be out there somewhere, alive and well.
”You should wear the necklace,” Rhia suggests. ”You”ve got Tiero”s heart, so it”s kind of yours, anyway.”
I laugh. ”That”s stretching it.”
”Not really,” Rhia insists. ”Plus, it”s like a wedding present to you, given the timing.”
My gaze goes to Ade to weigh his reaction. I like the idea, but if it makes him uncomfortable for me to wear Tiero”s necklace, then, of course, I won”t.
His thoughtful eyes study me. ”You should wear it,” he agrees. ”In a weird way, it cements this three-way bond we seem to have.”
And as if reading my earlier thoughts, he adds, ”You”re going to wear my ring. That”s all that matters to me.”
”It”s settled then. Ella gets the necklace, and we”ll take the papers home to Atlanta to get analysed. Once we know what they say, we can decide what to do with them,” Lex summarizes.
”Agreed,” we all say.
Ade leans over to take the necklace from me. He slides the leather band with the clay pendant over my head, and it settles comfortably against my chest, right over where Tiero”s heart is beating.
”Now, after all this excitement, let”s go and relax in that mud pool,” Ade suggests.
”Yes!” Rhia all but shouts. Dialing back her enthusiasm, she adds. ”Normally, brides and the bridal party get a spa treatment. It”s just fair that the groom and his best man should get a pampering, too.”
”Are you going to rub our feet while we soak in the mud, Trouble?” Lex winks at her.
”If you”re lucky.” She gives him her most flirtatious smile.
How Lex doesn”t catch on that his beloved girlfriend is up to no good is beyond me. Surely, he knows her well enough by now.
But what do they say?
Love is blind.