Dark Nights Part 3

Comment away, Traian. You're not real and neither is this conversation, so insult me all you want.

"You're always looking down when you should be looking up, Joie," Gabrielle said with a sigh. "If you reach straight up, you might be able to catch a cloud. Have you even noticed the flowers? They're gorgeous. I wish I knew what they were called. For once in your life, think of something besides caves." She waved her arms to encompa.s.s the countryside. "This is Dracula country. If you'd forget your obsession with caves, we might be able to explore the old castles for a change."

The flowers that are pink with a yellow middle are called Tratina. The white daisies are Marguarete. I cannot remember offhand what the blue ones are called, but it will come to me.

Are you eavesdropping on our conversation?

You are thinking loudly-and denying my existence-which seems to be a habit of yours lately.

Joie gave a little sniff. He was a figment of her imagination and he knew the names of the flowers. She glanced over her shoulder at her sister.

"Gabrielle, the pink ones are Tratina, and the white daisies are Marguarete. I have no idea what the blue ones are called."

"You're a walking encyclopedia," Gabrielle said, impressed.

"That should teach you to tell me I have no interest in anything but caves," Joie said. She s.h.i.+vered, although she was dressed for the cold. There was just something a little off about the place and a part of her felt as if they needed to get off the mountain fast. She glanced up at the sky. Maybe there was a storm coming.

Jubal stared at the wild countryside surrounding them, on either side and below. There were many deep gorges and several caves. Green valleys and plateaus made the view breathtaking. Below them, in the heavier depressions, water had soaked the ground, causing peat bogs. There were vivid green beds of moss and numerous shallow ponds winding their way around stands of birch and pine. The area was magical, and yet Jubal was uneasy. The air was crisp and cold and the sky seemed clear, yet a strange mist covered the surfaces above them. At times he thought something moved in the mist, something alive and terrifying.

He studied the towering heights rising above them. They were halfway up the mountain and the mist seemed to be slowly descending. If they were caught out in the open, they had the equipment to spend the night, but it would be a nasty night.

"Joie, give it up and let's get out of here," he said. "This place feels haunted to me. I don't like the vibes."

Gabrielle turned her head to stare at her brother. "Really, Jubal?" She arched a winged brow at him. "That's strange, because I feel exactly the same way-like we shouldn't be here, or that we're intruding in some way. Do you suppose it's all the vampire stories we were listening to at the inn last night that's made both of us jumpy? Normally, creepy stories are amusing, but I definitely feel apprehensive." She raised her voice. Her younger sister had moved around the outcropping and appeared to be examining another limestone boulder jutting out of the side of the mountain. "What about you, Joie? Does this place give you the creeps?"

"We came here to explore the caves," Joie said firmly. "We're always very respectful when we're on the mountain and never leave anything behind, so there's no reason to be nervous. The mountain G.o.ds have no reason to be angry with us, if there are such things. I know the opening is here. I'm feeling it very strongly. I know I'm close."

Joie ran her hand up a long crack and then walked carefully back around the outcropping of the mountain, stepping over her brother's outstretched legs without even glancing at him. Her heart began to pound, a sure sign that she was close. She closed her eyes and tried to image the opening, to "feel" her way with her mind. Her obsession was growing stronger and with it, the conviction that this was the place.

"The entrance is here, I know it is," she muttered aloud.

The others feel the threat of the vampires. You must go, Joie. Traian's voice came to her softly in warning, slipping into her mind, bringing with it an ominous chill.

Oh, now you're going to tell me you believe in vampires. I just picked up that thought from Gabrielle. You aren't real, so be quiet and stop trying to frighten me away. I'm not leaving until I know for certain. She was not buying a vampire story to scare them all away.

You already know; you just cannot admit the truth. I am trapped and will not be able to rescue you should you come upon them.

"Rescue me?" Joie nearly shouted the words, her eyes flas.h.i.+ng with indignation. She turned her head to smile in rea.s.surance at her brother and sister.

Gabrielle and Jubal exchanged a long, amused glance, used to Joie and her ramblings when she was on the scent of a new cave. Few people were as adept as their youngest sibling at discovering magical worlds below the surface.

Rescue me? She hissed it into his mind. You can just bite me, Traian. Do you have any idea how annoying it is for someone like me to be treated like a ditzy little woman who can't fend for herself? The trouble with arguing with the voice in her head, Joie decided, was trying to determine whether it was all imagination or real.

I would not mind biting you. This time his voice purred with s.e.xual innuendo. But another time would be better. Seriously, I'm in some trouble and if you managed, by some fluke to actually join me, I am not certain I could adequately protect your party from harm.

Joie s.h.i.+vered in spite of herself, yet heat curled deep inside her. If you keep this up, my brother and sister are going to figure out I'm crazy and have me committed. Then where will you be? Strands of dark hair blew across her face, hiding her expression from her siblings.

And just for your information, Sir Galahad, I am not the "in need of rescue" type, so get over that one fast. Sheesh. First it's vampires and now it's rescuing. Will you just be quiet and let me figure this out? I don't suppose you want to tell me, give me a hint or two, if you're really down there and know where the opening is.

Jubal leaned back in the tall gra.s.s with his hands behind his head, studying the cloud formations. The mist had begun to reach them, long streaming tendrils that looked as if giant hands were reaching for them. A few of the thicker streams had dropped low and looked almost as if they were winding their way around Joie's legs as she made her way back around the outcropping, drawn again and again to the same place.

"You're like a hound dog on the scent of a criminal, Joie," he said, narrowing his eyes, watching the snake-like ribbons of mist. "You would have made a great detective."

"She would have," Gabrielle agreed with a little grin. She concentrated on the bright blue flowers with their symmetric petals, lying on her back waiting for her sister to call it a day. The beautiful ma.s.ses of flowers were unusual, yet something sinister seemed to lie beneath the ground, just inches from the soft petals, an obscene, malicious presence.

The wind rushed over the mountainside. The flowers shook, some closing quickly. Gabrielle gasped and drew her feet up. She sat up quickly, blinking rapidly.

"What is it?" Jubal asked.

"I don't know. For a moment I thought I saw something moving beneath the soil. I know this sounds crazy, Jubal but the soil rose up an inch or so as if something alive tunneled beneath it." She looked around her, noting the mist streaming down toward them. "This place definitely gives me the creeps."

"Joie, come on. We're getting out of here," Jubal decided, reaching a long arm to gather their gear. "The sun will be down in a couple of hours anyway."

Joie examined every inch of the outcropping and the niche on either side. The rock was grown over with scrub and gra.s.ses. Wildflowers lifted their bright heads toward the diminis.h.i.+ng sun as if soaking up the last of the rays. Joie narrowed her gaze and stepped up as close as possible to the large outcropping, focusing completely on the jutting surface and every crack and shadow. "I've never felt so driven in my life. I don't think I can leave without finding it," she admitted honestly. "I'm sorry-if you two want to take off, go ahead. I'll come along as soon as I can."

Jubal and Gabrielle exchanged a long, knowing look. "Sure thing, sis, we'll just leave you up here all by yourself. Knowing you, you'd disappear into a cave and mate with a troll," Gabrielle said. "Just like Mom is always saying is going to happen."

"Ha ha," Joie answered, the frown still on her face as she studied the outcropping.

"What's the name of this mountain range?" Jubal asked idly, but his gaze was on Joie as she scanned the rock surface. "The bogs are even beautiful. If it wasn't so freaky up here, I could live in this area." When Gabrielle arched a black eyebrow at him, he laughed. "I could. I don't need to live in a city. I've got the same genes as the two of you. I just like to have money, you know. I need it for the two of you, to bail you out of all the trouble you get into."

"You idiot," Joie said affectionately, although she didn't look at him. "You have enough money to retire from that silly job of yours and do something useful with your life. Something humanitarian. There's a small crack running the length of the rock here. There's something funny about this, Jubal, come look at it. It just isn't right the way it is and you're exceptionally good with puzzles."

"My humanitarian contribution to the world is looking after you two thrill seekers," Jubal pointed out as he got lazily to his feet. "Without me to curb your antics, the world would be a frightening place." He looked up at the strange, moving mist. "Rather like this place." He sauntered slowly over to examine the surface of the outcropping.

"We're in the Apuseni Mountains, part of the Carpathians, you heathen," Gabrielle informed her brother. "If you paid even the slightest attention to anything we said, you'd know that. And you could no more give up your luxury condo and live in the mountains than you could swim the English Channel. And, I might add, we take care of you."

"Here," Joie said triumphantly. "I feel the cave's breath on my face. It's here. I just can't figure out how to get in."

"Hey! I can swim," Jubal objected. He ran his hand over the rocks, frowning as he did so. "Just because I don't like to swim doesn't mean I can't. I wasn't born with gills like the two of you. She's found something, Gabrielle. This is a pattern, but it needs to be ..." He trailed off, dug his fingers around several of the smaller rocks, and began to rearrange them.

"There's a surprise," Gabrielle said and rose to her feet also. The cool mountain air fairly vibrated with excitement. "You could always come and research hot viruses with me," she invited, slinging her arm around her brother.

"Yeah, I'll get right on that, Gabrielle, because I'm a crazy man and want to die a miserable, but n.o.ble, death," Jubal said, ruffling his sister's dark hair. "I think I'll stick to my stocks and bonds and let you do your wacko research all by yourself."

"Feel that," Joie spun around to face her brother. "The mountain is exhaling into the cave's entrance."

Jubal nodded in satisfaction. "There it goes. Wow, look at that. As usual, Joie finds the entrance and this one is d.a.m.ned strange."

The mountain s.h.i.+vered. Creaked. He placed the last rock in the sequence he saw as a pattern. The crack widened, the rock grinding with a loud groan. Ice cold air rushed out as if the mountain had exhaled.

"This is man-made, not natural. d.a.m.n it, Joie, don't go in." He snagged his backpack and pulled out a logbook, carefully entering the time. "We're just doing a cursory exploration, and it's nearly sunset. No one knows where we are."

It was too late. Joie was too driven to wait for anything, ignoring the time-honored rules they always followed for safety. She squeezed into the crack, dragging her gear behind her.

Cursing, Jubal hastily anch.o.r.ed the logbook near the crack with a couple of rocks, marking the entrance for a rescue team to find should they get lost inside the network of caves he was certain they were about to descend into.

Gabrielle shouldered her gear and followed. "It's extremely tight, Jubal," she cautioned. "Pa.s.s me your gear; it's the only way you're going to get through."