And took the leap.
She landed in the water with jarring impact. Balancing herself before the panic could set in, she glanced down. She was standing in water no deeper than mid-calf. Apparently reflecting pools were shallow. That kind of made her feel like a huge dumbass. Here she’d been stressing for no reason.
Max and Boone joined her in the pool. While Boone waded toward the sundial in the center, Max hugged her, his expression one of immense pride. “You’re amazing, sweetheart.”
Okay, that definitely added some much-needed salve to her shriveled ego.
“Here we go, folks.” Boone’s announcement drew her attention, and she turned toward him as he rotated the dial. A brilliant flash erupted, and the next second they were under water. Lots of it. She instinctively screamed, but instead of sucking in all that ocean water, she expelled a bunch of tiny bubbles. Stunned, she yelped. More bubbles trickled free.
Holy crap. She was breathing. Under freaking water. Max had told her she could, but…wow. Fascinated, she poked one of the oxygenated bubbles. Glancing sideways, she caught Max looking at her. They grinned at each other like idiots before he took her hand and began swimming toward the surface. She was surprised to discover that she had no problem keeping up with him. They soon gained on Boone, and the three of them broke through the waves. Bobbing amongst the whitecaps, she noticed the strobing light in the distance. It was the same one from her memory.
The lighthouse.
Another wave came in, jettisoning them close enough to shore they easily swam the final few laps to the beach. Staggering through the dunes, she shivered in the night air, the waterlogged state of her clothes adding to her chill. They reached the top of the rise, and she stared at the various buildings scattered on the horizon, some of her excitement fizzling. She’d completely forgotten the search would involve more than just the lighthouse itself. “Crap. It could be anywhere.”
Well, at least they weren’t looking for a needle in a haystack. Yeah, Poseidon’s trident had to be at least a fairly decent size. The dude hadn’t exactly been a midget. “Um, guys? How big is this trident?”
“In a mortal’s hands?” Max swept his gaze down her length. “Probably about the length of your leg.”
Okay, so not quite Titan status, but still pretty sizable. Not something that could easily be hidden in plain sight without someone noticing.
Unless…
Her giddiness returning, she stared at Max. His forehead scrunched. “Did you remember something else?”
“No, but color me curious. Exactly how much does the trident actually resemble a pitchfork?”
“Well, it’s not designed for the same tasks as a pitch—” His words back-piling each other, Max blinked. A slow smile stretched his mouth. “Damn, you’re brilliant.”
“Not usually. Tonight must be a fluke.” She surveyed the cluster of buildings spread before them. “There’s got to be a groundskeeper’s shed somewhere on the property.” Another thought occurred to her, so worrisome it almost led to a minor heart attack. “Oh my goddess, what if they threw the trident out? Or donated it to some gardening organization?”
Boone was the one to speak up this time. “I doubt it. Since it’s on the grounds, it’d be considered of historical value.” He chuckled. “Shit, if they only knew.”
Max took her hand again. “Come on, let’s get a start on those buildings first.” He pointed to the ones nearest the dunes. They took off across the grass. She couldn’t believe her luck when she peeked in the darkened window of a whitewashed structure that had a large nautical wheel leaning against its rear wall. Even in the gathering dusk, she made out the bulky silhouette of a riding lawnmower. She whispered for Max and Boone, who were scoping the adjacent building.
They came running, and Max eyed the tiny window skeptically. “Somehow I doubt Boone and I will fit through that.”
“I could squeeze in there and then see if I can’t open the door from the inside.” She scanned the grass for something to break the window and spotted a rock that was slighter bigger than the size of a baseball. “This should work.” Bending, she retrieved the stone just as an odd wrenching noise sounded from above. She jerked her head up. Max was holding the window—frame and all.
He glanced at the rock in her hand. “Sorry, did you want to use that?”
“Uh…no, your technique works fine with me.”
Max placed the window down and easily boosted her through the opening in the wall. Thankfully the jump to the floor wasn’t bad. She rushed to the front of the building and spotted the switch that operated the large garage-like door. She pushed the button and stepped back while the door rolled open. It was fairly noisy. Hopefully there was no security guard posted on the grounds or anything.
Max and Boone stepped inside. “We better not turn on any lights,” Max said, apparently sharing her thought about the guard. They began systematically investigating every inch of the interior. She came to an enormous walnut wardrobe that must have been converted into a storage container of sorts. Tossing aside some old hoses and a rickety ladder, she spied a glint of silver near the back. Her pulse performing a mambo, she dug through the remaining items and tugged the object from its resting place.
Blood pounding in her ears, she stroked the handle of the trident, a sense of awe washing over her. “Guys, I think I’ve hit the jackpot.”
There was a rustling from Max and Boone. She turned in their direction and noticed several shadows darkening the doorway. Enough moonlight illuminated the opening to reveal Reva Bellemuir’s icy smile.
“No, my dearest. I believe I’m the one who’s hit the jackpot.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Willa clutched the trident, her heart galloping as seven thuggish-looking characters banded around Reva. Okay, six thugs and a guy in a butler’s uniform. A freaky collection of henchmen, if ever there was one. Still, her fear was no match for the rage welling in her chest. “Where is Aurele, you bitch?”
“I killed her.”
Pain and fury exploded within her. Her vision a red haze, she barreled toward the duchess. She heard Max and Boone yelling, the pounding of their feet, but the only thing consuming her at the moment was putting an end to Reva Bellemuir’s life. Holding the trident like a battering ram, she charged at the siren. At the last second, Reva swung away and Willa tumbled through the doorway. The trident went sailing, sinking into the grass with a reverberating wooong.
“Willa!” Max’s worried shout rang out, and she rolled onto her back just as Reva pounced on her. From the corner of her eye, she saw Max and Boone rushing to her aid. Before they even cleared the doorway, they were tackled by the thugs. Claws sank into her shoulder, bringing her focus back to the duchess. With a growl, she punched the woman in the nose. Reva’s head snapped back, blood trickling from her nostrils. Taking advantage of Reva’s momentary shock, Willa decked her again, this time nailing her in the chin. She struggled to roll away from the duchess, but the nails biting into her shoulder dug in deeper, pinning Willa in place. Fingers twisted in her hair, cruelly enough to make her tear ducts sting. Her eyes sizzling with hate, Reva wrenched Willa’s head to the side, smashing her left cheek into the turf.
“You have no idea how much delight I got out of killing your precious Aurele. I only wish you could have witnessed it firsthand.”
Bitter tears leaked from Willa’s eyes, soaking the grass. Aurele. If it was the last thing she ever did, she would annihilate Reva for ripping one more loved one from Willa’s life.