The Secret Songs of D.C. Silverenn

Chapter Twenty

My flashlight follows the curves of the cave so we walk along them, not into them. I hope we can get out of here soon before the last twenty-percent drains from my phone's battery. Then again, Emi and I might not leave this cave, ever.

Something brushes against me, and I jump. The light whips onto Emi. I'm not sure how long she's been shifting next to me, but it was slow enough that I didn't notice. I face the flashlight forward, though the corners of our eyes connect.

"Call," she whispers.

I squint at her. She mouths 9-1-1. I mouth 'can't.' She inhales sharply, eyes making an arc in frustration. I still don't catch her meaning and edge away from her. She's right, we need a plan to escape. It's only a question of how.

"One more turn," the man says.

We bank to the left. A glimmer of light mingles with my phone's, lightening the black stone to gray. The narrow walls open, inching upward like in a vaulted ceiling. Pale sunlight coats a large, stone room. It's like an amphitheater deep within the earth, though the seats are tiny terraced ledges and not large enough to sit on. And on the left side, a large metal chest presses against the wall.

"This is where the treasure is," the man says. "Assuming the map is correct."

"W-why wouldn't it be correct?" Emi asks.

"Emi," I cut in. "You ought to know by now that nothing is certain when dealing with Silverenn."

The man regards me for a moment. It might be my imagination, but the faintest smile tugs under his mustache. Whatever it was, it vaporizes as quickly as it came, and his gun flicks toward the metal box.

"Let's get a move on it. We need to be out of here before the others reenter the waking world."

Emi and I walk slowly to the giant box until we stand right in front of it. A tarnished padlock hangs on the lid. For the first time in days, I remember the key we found in the warehouse. Once again, I want to smack myself. How could I have forgotten it?

"Where's the key?" Ivan barks.

I shrug, glancing at Emi. She follows suit.

"Come on, there's got to be a clue for it," he says.

"There is," I say. "There's one more clue on the page that we haven't solved."

The man angles a scrutinizing glare on us. "Silverenn wouldn't send you all this way only for there to be another clue."

"She plays by her own rules. Besides, who's to say there's treasure inside that box?" I say.

"What else would be inside?"

I shrug. "Only Silverenn knows. Emi, show him the scores. We'll solve the last clue right now."

Emi's brow furrows. Now she's the one having trouble processing things. "I-I don't have them."

"What? I told you to bring them with the map."

"No, you didn't."

"I most certainly did. And you said that you'd bring all the stuff from the car if I took flashlight duty." My gaze bears into her. I hope the intensity is enough to make her understand.

Slowly, Emi shakes her head. "I thought you had them. I only volunteered to take the map."

I throw a hand up and let it drop against my side. "Well isn't that great. What—"

"Quit your bickering, you two," Ivan snaps. "We don't need the supposed last clue." He raises the edge of his ragged sweatshirt so I glimpse a toolbelt. He has a bolt cutter a moment later and sets to work on the padlock.