I take it from her and give her a smile. "Thanks, Mom."
She laughs as Luis and I head out the door to the waiting jeep.
???
Dense foliage whips by on both sides of the jeep as Luis speeds through the forest. Heeding Alba's warning, I concentrate on rubbing thick bug repellent all over myself.
"Is there something wrong with the waterfall?" I ask.
He looks confused. "No. Why?"
"I just got the impression Alba didn't want me going there."
He chuckles. "My lovely wife listens to too many ghost stories, and she believes the waterfall is cursed."
"A cursed house and a cursed waterfall? Wow. No wonder Liam got this place for a song."
Luis laughs again. "Well, if you believe my wife, the waterfall is the source of the evil spirits who haunt the house. You see, this island has not always been so idyllic. Many years ago, it was the home of a particularly brutal tribe who believed their god would only keep them safe if they offered human sacrifices. There's a large stone altar near the waterfall, and legends tell us that was where the sacrifices took place."
"You don't believe it?"
"Oh, I do. When the Sultan bought the island, they cleared nearly a hundred sets of human remains from the area. I just don't believe that means it's cursed. But then again, my wife has a far better imagination than I. When workers were building the Sultan's mansion, they claim to have seen something in the jungle they called, Espírito Vingativo, or The Vengeful Spirit. They swore it sabotaged them on several occasions by moving their work tools or interfering with machinery." He gives me a quick glance. "Do you believe in these superstitions, Miss Holt?"
I shrug. "Not really. The only superstition I believe in is something called the ghostlight. You see, in most theaters, the stage managers leave a tall lamp in the middle of the stage when everyone goes home for the night. Some people think it's just for safety to stop people crossing a pitch black stage and plummeting into the orchestra pit. But a lot of theater folk believe that theaters are haunted, and the ghostlight allows the spirits to perform while no one is there. They think if the ghosts are happy, they won't cause accidents in the theater."
"Do you think that's true?"
"To be honest, I'm not sure. But I still put a ghostlight on every night when I'm running a show. Better to be safe than sorry, right?"
He smiles. "Right."
We turn off the road and head down a dirt track, and it's not long before I hear the sound of running water. As the car emerges from the forest canopy, I get my first look at the sapphire-blue lake I saw from the air.
"Wow. It's gorgeous."
Luis pulls the car over and cuts the engine. "Yes, it's a beautiful spot."
In front of us is a white beach, and on the opposite side of the circular lake is a tall, basalt cliff, over which is spilling a stunning waterfall. The lake is crystal clear, and I can't wait to see if it feels as good as it looks.
Luis leads me down to where a luxurious 'beach hut' sits by the water. By this point, I'm completely unsurprised to discover it's the size of a small house.
"There are drinks and snacks in the fridge here," he says as he opens the French doors to a spacious living area. "And also a full bathroom with spa. If you need me, just lift the handset over there and press the button. It will come straight to my phone."
"Thank you, Luis." I look around at the dark border of forest that surrounds the lake. "Alba said there were dangerous creatures here. Is that true?"
Luis shakes his head. "Not to my knowledge, and I've covered every square inch of this island over the past few months. There are some monkeys, the odd pygmy boar, and a whole bunch of reptiles, but nothing that should give you any trouble. Most of them will run a mile if they see you."
"Okay, cool. Just as long as there are no Elissa-eating jaguars or anything."
"Oh, there were a few of those,” he says with a smile. “But I made sure to banish them before you arrived. You’ll be perfectly safe.” He points to the hut's phone. "When you get bored, just buzz me and I'll come pick you up."
"Will do."
He waves before jumping into the jeep and driving away.
I have a quick snoop around the hut, and after uncapping an ice-cold cola, I discover a small library of books.
"Excellent."
I grab a random book and take my drink and bag out to the beach. The heat of the sun isn't too bad, so I ditch my sarong, spread out my towel, and make myself comfortable.
Sitting in the sun is a bizarre experience for someone who spends most of her time in the dark. Even though I'm a semi-vampiric New Yorker, I could get used to this.