CHAPTER 32
Keenan
Princess Sakura latched onto his arm as if it were the only thing keeping her upright.
Keenan felt a bit unsteady himself. He could brush aside her wild claim that Kasumi’s dead brother was sharing the cavern with them.
But a disembodied voice calling the cavern its lair?
Right after telling them their escape was cut off?
“Who are you?” he demanded, pleased that his voice remained steady. “And what do you want with us?”
A sound like shaking out a canvas tent drifted down to him. “Me? Nothing. I did not bring you here; you did that yourselves.”
“But you trapped us here.”
A thoughtful silence. “That was not my doing. But did you think you would be able to come and go as you please? You did not stumble across this place by accident.”
That depended on one’s point of view, Keenan thought wryly. Finding the tree hadn’t been an accident, but opening the gate had been.
Keeping his eyes on the darkness above them, Keenan inched his way toward the exit. He didn’t plan to take the word of a stranger. Although if the princess’s contraption wasn’t at the bottom of the shaft…
“It’s no use,” the voice said idly. “The only way out is to obtain what you came for.”
Princess Sakura’s grip loosened. “And what do you believe we came for?”
He would have sworn their host was laughing at them, but he’d never heard a laugh like that. From a human, at least.
“There is only one reason you would come here, Princess Sakura. If you think I don’t know it, you are a greater fool than the rest of your line.”
“And if we find it, you’ll let us go?” the princess asked.
“If you find it?” the creature echoed thoughtfully. “It’s not hidden.”
“Yes, I keep all my things in an underground cavern protected by a magically controlled door,” Keenan muttered.
His heart sank as he patted the wall and low ceiling.
Bits of dried wax bore testimony that he was in the correct spot, but surprisingly cold stone completely blocked their route.
If he didn’t know better, he wouldn’t have known that the shaft had ever existed.
The creature laughed again. “Not hidden from you now. Come, I’ll take you.”
“What about our friends?” Keenan demanded.
“Only one person can claim it.” There was a shrug in their host’s voice. “Why invite more competition?”
As if Keenan cared who claimed the dratted thing as long as he could deliver it to the queen and learn Liesl’s location. “The supplies are all down here. And what if one of them was coming down when the gate closed? It isn’t just the crack in the tree that disappeared!”
The voice was silent for a few moments. “I do not believe the entry hallway would have closed around a person. It begins at the bottom, so anyone on his way in should have had time to escape.”
Hardly comforting.
“Shouldn’t you know? This is your lair, after all.”
“Hmm.” Their mysterious companion hummed thoughtfully. “That might not be an accurate word to describe it. But it was fun to say, wasn’t it? I’ve always wanted a lair.”
“Oliver said he would be right behind me,” the princess whispered. “Did you notice when it started?”
He shook his head. “No. Hopefully, that means it was slow enough that he made it out.” After a moment, he added, “But Mori knows how to open it. They’ll surely follow soon.”
“I wouldn’t count on that,” the voice said cheerfully. “The riddle changes frequently.”
“Mori loves puzzles. He’ll figure it out,” Keenan replied with feigned confidence. If failure was dangerous, would Oliver even let the boy try?
“It also won’t open more than once per month.”
“We’ll be down here for at least a month?” Keenan gaped. Their supplies wouldn’t last that long, even with all the packs.
“From the outside,” the creature amended. “Once you succeed – if you succeed – you will be free to leave whenever you wish.”
Keenan rubbed his jaw. “It doesn’t sound like we have a choice.”
“Oh, there’s always a choice,” their host said with far too much pleasure for the circumstances. “Sitting here for the next month wouldn’t be mine, but you’re free to make it if you wish.”
To Keenan’s surprise, the princess’s lips compressed, her shoulders bouncing forward as if she was suppressing a laugh.
He didn’t know why. He certainly didn’t find anything amusing.
“In that case, we should get started.” Keenan marched toward their gear. “We’ll load my pack with the essentials and leave the rest.”
“What about her pack?” the creature asked.
Keenan frowned up at it. “Why do you care?”
“Just curious.”
While Keenan dug through the bags, Princess Sakura stood at his shoulder, her right hand gripping her elbow as she debated the merits of each item with him.
Keenan would have enjoyed it more if they hadn’t been forty feet underground, forced to rely on a creature that wouldn’t reveal itself, and unable to leave until he “claimed” the tinderbox.
Add the fact that the princess might be suffering hallucinations and the concern that their host might have friends? His nerves were as tight as Geoffrey’s purse strings.
“It would be improper as well as unsanitary to share,” she argued calmly. “A second spoon will not take up much space.”
Keenan clenched his fingers around the rough burlap, trying to funnel his tension into the fabric instead of his voice. “If it’s that important to you, put it in your pocket,” he growled. “Or better yet, fill your own pack.”
Her eyes widened with surprise. Keenan ducked his head, rummaging through the pile for more necessities. They were unlikely to need spoons at all. Why did she have to make things so difficult?
And why was it so cursed hot down here? He swiped the back of his hand across his burning forehead, but it came away dry. If the smithy had been this warm, he would have been sweating like a liar under oath.
A few pebbles clattered to the ground behind him. The anomaly drew his attention to a low groaning sound that had been growing steadily louder while he packed. Frowning, he looked over his shoulder at the closed shaft.
The princess took a small step toward it. “What in the heavens…”
He grabbed her wrist. Every one of his instincts was screaming at him to stay away. “Not the time to investigate, Princess.”
Larger stones jumped away from a crack in the ceiling. It spread, little offshoots splintering off the sides.
Snatching the straps of his mostly filled pack, Keenan staggered to his feet and hauled the princess toward the center of the room. The candlelight reflected off something creeping through the opening. It almost looked like—ice?
With a loud crash, a section of the ceiling collapsed. Keenan threw his arms up to protect his head, then stepped in front of the princess to shield her from the small rocks pelting them. A cloud of dust came next, setting them both coughing.
“Whoops. I guess the gate will close with someone inside it,” the creature observed with a disturbing lack of concern.
Carefully lowering his arms, Keenan peered through the darkness. The cave-in had blown out his candle, but he could hear rocks shifting. Dropping his pack, he scrambled to find a match. As soon as the candle’s flame was merrily burning again, he extended it toward the mess.
His jaw dropped. “Oliver?”