So I Married a Sorcerer (The Embraced #2)

“I could see your lantern in the distance.”

“Do you know how dangerous it is to be close to the cliffs at night? And this entire area is riddled with caves. The ground above us isn’t safe. There are holes in the surface where you can fall into a cave and break your neck.”

“I didn’t realize…”

He scoffed. “The villagers know it’s not safe. They should have stopped you.” He stuffed a ruby ring in his pocket. “I’ll take you back to the village.”

“No.” She lifted her chin. “I’m not leaving until I see Rupert. It’s important.”

Stefan hesitated. “I suppose you two have some talking to do.” He gave her a stern look. “You’ll have to follow my directions carefully. One wrong turn and you could be lost in the tunnels forever and never found.”

She gulped. “I understand.”

He motioned with his candle. “You see this path that goes along the stream? If you follow it, you’ll reach the grotto.”

Grotto? “Is that where Rupert is?”

“Yes. Here.” Stefan handed her the candlestick holder. “I’ll take one of the torches back to the village.”

“Thank you.”

Stefan removed a torch from a bracket on the rock wall. “Don’t venture off the path. Even if you see another one, don’t take it. Follow the stream till you reach the grotto.”

“I understand.” She nodded. “Thank you.”

“Good evening, then.” He inclined his head and strode through the entrance of the cave.

She was alone. Brigitta steeled her nerves. Lost in tunnels forever? But it seemed simple enough if all she had to do was follow the stream.

Slowly, she walked deeper into the cave, making sure the stream was always to her left. The sand gave way to gravel, and the cave grew more narrow. As she went around a bend, it became much darker. The torchlight at the cave’s entrance was no longer visible.

The light flickered on her candle, and with a wince, she cupped a hand around the flame. If it went out, she’d be surrounded by darkness. It was odd, though, that the breeze seemed to be going toward the sea. Perhaps the wind was coming from those holes in the ground that Stefan had mentioned.

After a while, she heard the tinkling sound of running water. As she rounded a curve, she saw where a pile of rocks had dammed up the stream. A small waterfall was slipping over the rocks, but behind it, there was a pool of water. And more light in the distance.

Was that the grotto? She started toward it, then noticed another path that veered off to the right. A series of stone steps leading up to another room.

Don’t venture off the path, Stefan had warned her. She could get lost. But surely, as long as she could retrace her steps to the stream, she would be all right. Her insatiable curiosity poked at her. The room was close by. What would be the harm of a little peek?

She climbed the short flight of stone steps and peered into the cave room. It was long and narrow. She crept forward a few feet, then stopped with a jerk as something flickered into view.

A trunk. A long line of trunks. She opened the first one and gasped. It was full of gold coins! The next one had even more gold coins. The next one was filled with sparkling jewels—rings and necklaces made of precious stones and pearls. She lifted the candlestick high and spotted more trunks against the other wall. Holy goddesses, she’d discovered the secret place where Rupert hid his horde of treasure.

No wonder Stefan had warned her not to take this path. No wonder Rupert only allowed those he trusted to know that this island existed.

She peered at the far end of the room, wondering how far it went and how many more trunks there could be. Was she just imagining it, or was there a dim light at the end of the room? She eased toward it and realized the floor was sloping slowly downward. The room suddenly ended with a rock wall, but to her left, there was a narrow opening. And that was where the light was filtering through.

She peered outside and gasped. Holy goddesses, this was the grotto! A cavernous room stretched out before her, big enough to fit a three-story house inside. Below her, a large pool of water shimmered in the moonlight. She glanced up and saw a ragged hole way up in the ceiling. Long trails of ivy dangled from the hole, and stars twinkled in the sky.

It was breathtaking. She stood still for a moment to admire the view. A lantern was sitting on a flat rock that jutted out over the pool. The rock walls were green with moss and clumps of ferns. To the right, there appeared to be a hole in the wall, a sheltered ledge. Inside she could see a pile of furs and blankets. Did Rupert sleep there? In front of the ledge, a rope ladder descended into the pool of water.

She heard a splash of water. Was Rupert in the pool? It was a tight fit, but she managed to slip through the narrow opening. A steep path led straight down to a narrow strip of sandy beach.

Another splash.

She scanned the water and spotted Rupert swimming toward the ladder. If she followed the sandy path around the pool, she could meet him close to the ladder. She eased down the path, wincing as her feet skidded a few inches in the loose gravel.

Rupert reached the ladder, then turned to dive underwater, flashing a naked rump in the moonlight.

What? The candlestick holder tumbled from her hand. As she made a grab for it, her feet slid out from beneath her. With a squeal, she skidded down the steep incline. Bam. She hit the beach hard and fell forward onto her knees, her hands and face splashing into the water.

“Brigitta!”

She sat up, sputtering as she pushed wet hair out of her face.

“Brigitta, what are you doing here?” he yelled in Tourinian.

“I—” The water had been surprisingly warm. She blinked as she spotted him coming toward her. “Wait!”

He paused with the water up to his navel. “Are you all right? How did you get here?”

“I … walked.” She scrambled to her feet and dried her wet hands on her skirt. “I saw Stefan at the cave entrance, and he said you were here.”

Rupert scoffed. “What the hell was he thinking? He should have walked you back to the village.”

“I told him I had to talk to you. So he said it was all right…”

“It’s not all right! Dammit.” He turned around in the water while dragging a hand through his wet hair. Water sluiced down his broad back, meandering over the bulges of his muscles.

Her heart lurched, and she nearly fell back onto her knees.

He faced her once again. “Are you all right? Did you trip on something?”

“I’m fine.” Her knees stung, but she wasn’t about to lift her skirt to take a look at them.

His eyes narrowed. “You took the path along the stream, right?”

“I—” With a wince, she noted the trail she’d been instructed to take. Rupert was going to be angry when he realized she’d discovered his secret stash. How could she convince him to accept her help if he was angry with her? “Perhaps we should talk later. You seem to be busy right now.”