Playing for Keeps (a PIL fanfic)

Chapter 24

" Ruler over many, subject to none. Queen, Prince, Princess, Loyal subjects. I am an object, that he uses, and can see all aforementioned from where I stand. What I am?" She reads out loud for me once, though she scans it multiple times as we walk. I watch her mouth the words to herself, and I smile at her.

"Well.. Are you gonna help me or what?" she asks, smirking at me, when she catches me watching her.

I shrug, and she narrows her eyes at me, before elbowing me in the side. "Come on Eduardo." She says laughing. Is it bad If i like the sound of her laugh? Damn she's beautiful, but i'll be dammed before I admit it.

"Okay, okay. It's talking about a king right? So where would he see everyone from?" I ask her, though I think I already know the answer.

She furrows her brows, looking at the paper before looking at me, beaming. "The throne room!" she exclaims happily, and grabbing my arm, she goes off in search of the throne room. We reach it, and she looks around, before going up to a big old chair, at the front of the room. I follow her, watching her, as she bends down, and looks under the chair. "Here it is! it looks like a piece of a map.." she says, showing me the piece of paper that was tied around the chair leg.

"Good job." I say, taking the piece of paper from her and examine it. "It looks like there's more pieces." I tell her, and she rolls her eyes at me.

"Well no shit sherlock." She says snarkily, as she smirks at me. I feel a smile tugging at my lips, at her sarcasm.

"Next one." I say simply, prompting her to look at the paper once more.

"Many rest here. Some stay permanently, others only visit. Visitors often leave with heavy hearts, but those that stay cannot feel theirs. I am an object, that most make their final stay, what am I?" she reads aloud once more. "Shit. I bet it's the tombs, and we have to go in the basement." She says, not even giving me a chance to answer, and I smile at how quickly she figured it out.

"Yes. Most likely its in a coffin as well." I tease her, though actually it probably is in one.

She rolls her eyes at me, and starts to head towards where we believe we can get into the basement. We slowly walk downstairs, with only a small lantern for light.

We reach the basement, to find many coffins in the walls, with one lonely big one set against the wall, on the other side of the room. We look at each other, then at the coffin, eyeing it warily. "You scared?" I tease her, gesturing towards the coffin.

She narrows her eyes at me, glaring."The hell. I'm not scared." She huffs, before walking right past me over to the coffin. I follow her, and watch in amazement as she digs through the coffin, before producing a piece of paper. "Oh and here catch." she says, throwing something at me, that I grab out of reflex.

"Very funny." I say, rolling my eyes at her, when I look at the skull she threw out at me. She laughs, before heading towards the stairs, though she stops and waits for me at the bottom of them. I shake my head, as I follow her once again. Yes, I've met my match here, especially with the teasing and the sarcasm.

When we get back upstairs, she hands me the paper, letting me read what appears to be the last clue. " Sheep, boars, mountain lion, any above will do, to satisfy the offering, one must pay their dues. The stone gods watch the offering, held outside. I am an object that the offering is laid on, what am I?" I read aloud for both of us, before scanning the words again.