“Let’s keep moving,” Mathias stated quietly. “I don’t want to linger down here any longer than necessary. This place is only fit for dragons and fire elementals to visit for long.”
The lava flow had formed lavacicles that appeared deceptively pretty. When the tunnel sloped up once, I tripped and caught myself on the wall. An action I instantly regretted as a lavacicle sliced my palm open. Mathias slathered it with gauze and then wrapped it tightly.
He stuck even closer to my side after that. I was surprised that Raz Yakov was so steady on his feet, using his cane with expert finesse to keep his balance, even when the tunnel took an abrupt turn down and I was struggling not to fall again.
The air grew hotter until there was no more humidity. It was a dry heat that reminded me of the summer I had hidden near Death Valley. I drank more water, trying to stave off dehydration, while sweat soaked my shirt and made my jacket feel suffocating. Mathias murmured in my ear that he’d allow five more minutes. I nodded. Etna could keep its piece of the crown for all I cared at the moment. I didn’t want to be in the volcano any longer than I absolutely had to, and this was beyond reckless now.
I started to ask Mathias if we could turn back when Raz Yakov shouted, “I’ve found it! Look!”
He wasn’t far, just a couple of yards ahead of us. Mathias cupped my elbow as we made our way over to where the older Spotter was standing. He gestured with his cane, and my breath caught in my throat. We were standing on an overlook. Below I could see the red glow of lava to one side and to the other a huge forge stood silent and cold. My gaze went back to the glow of the lava. The heat alone should’ve killed us before we got this far. Then, I made out the hazy traces of a protective glamour. It had to be, because that was the only way we were still standing.
Mathias looked grim, his jaw clenching, when I glanced at him. He met my gaze and stated firmly, “Ten minutes no more. I don’t trust that glamour to hold.”
I nodded. “We’ll do it faster then.”
We’d found the Forge of Hephaestus. Now we just needed to get the missing piece of the Crown of Nimrod and get out before anything bad happened. Easy, right?
Yeah, I didn’t really believe that either even if I was trying to be ridiculously optimistic that our quest was nearly over and done. Why did I have the feeling that there was going to be at least one more surprised in store for us? And, I probably wouldn’t like it.
* * *
Chapter Fifteen
Lauren
The Forge of Hephaestus had been built for a giant. Everything from the bellows to the anvil to the stone tub that would’ve held water to cool Hephaestus’ creations towered above me. The bellows were cold though their bronze chains still ran up to the ceiling of the chamber. I could see the protective glamour shimmering in the open space behind the bellows. It looked as though Hephaestus had truly used the lava of Mount Etna to power his forge. I didn’t see anything that would point to where a piece of the crown might be hidden, however.
I checked my watch. It had only been two minutes since we entered the room, but Mathias was already moving with nervous energy on the other side of the room where the tub stood. The top of his head was just even with the rim of the tub. He kept glancing over at me too. No doubt, worrying. I couldn’t say I blamed him as I took another sip of my water. The air was slightly cooler in here, but not by very much.
My steps slowed as my attention snagged on the wall in front of me. It was a couple yards away from the forge proper, but there was something . . . I moved closer, studying it more carefully. There. About nine feet up was a carving of a hammer and anvil, the sign of Hephaestus and of Vulcan.
“What have you found?”
I glanced around to see that Raz Yakov had made his way over to me. Returning my attention to the wall, I replied simply, “I’m not sure yet. Depends on if there’s anything to find.”
“Your husband is not a patient man.”
“He’s being cautious about the safety of this place.” I nodded toward the lava chamber. “Can you blame him?”
“Are you certain it isn’t something more? Could he have . . . betrayed us?”
I jerked my chin up at the hesitant suggestion. Raz Yakov drew back slightly, his light brown eyes filling with consternation, but I didn’t give him the chance to speak as I whispered fiercely, “There is nothing on this earth that would move him to betray me. He’s only concerned about our safety.”
He waved a gnarled hand. “Of course, of course. Forgive me. My survival has depended on being . . . suspicious of others. Has not yours as well?”
“To an extent,” I admitted before once more returning my attention the wall. Was there something there? I could feel . . . something. I just wasn’t certain what it was or where exactly. It felt more muffled than the pieces in the jars had, until I pressed my hand to a rounded area of stone that I had to stretch to reach. I heard a click and then the outline of a door appeared. I shoved against it until it swung open.
For a moment, I was tempted to go inside myself. Then, I glanced at Raz Yakov. He was standing a little straighter even with his stooped shoulders and a light of excitement gleamed in his light brown eyes. He was just as invested in this quest as I was and had risked so much to be here. I cleared my throat, and he looked up at me quickly almost as though I had startled him. I offered an apologetic smile, then waved toward the opening. “Would you like to find it?”
“Are you certain?”
I nodded.
A slow grin stretched his weathered cheeks, and then he nodded. “I believe I shall accept your kind offer, Lauren Hope. Pardon me.”
I watched him toddle into the room, a flashlight held in one gnarled hand, and then I hurried over to where Mathias was still standing beside the tub. He looked more worried than he had before . . . no, he looked uneasy. When I joined him, he leaned down to whisper, “There’s something here.”
“What?”
He shook his head slightly. “I don’t know. I can’t figure it out. However, there’s something here that makes me feel . . . threatened. I never feel that way.”
And that terrified me, more than a little.
* * *
Mathias
I scanned our surroundings, but the only other signs of life in the forge were the two Spotters. It wasn’t as though someone could have snuck past us to get here first. As for the rumors about the original rogue dragon Typhon being trapped down here . . . well, I rather doubted he would still be alive after all this time. And on the off chance that he was, he would have been trapped much deeper in the bowels of the volcano where only dragons and fire elementals could walk unscathed.
My gaze strayed to the protective glamour that was all that allowed us into the forge. All right, maybe he didn’t need to be much deeper than us. Nevertheless, all the stories agreed that Typhon was buried beneath Hephaestus’ forge not beside it.
The ground shook and magma flew into view before dropping again. Then the glamour grew fuzzy, not enough to drop even for a millisecond thank God, but it was a very dangerous sign. I touched Lauren’s arm, and she moved closer to me.
It was past time we headed back out. I glanced at the overlook, then at the rocks hanging over the entrance. It wouldn’t take more than another good shake to send that tunnel collapsing on the overlook.
Lauren stayed close as I started walking again. This time I was looking for something different. I found a tunnel, but didn’t enter because I could see the boulders filling it not even five meters beyond the entrance. One down.
“I hope that’s the summit exit,” Lauren whispered.
I nodded. “It would be better if the summit wasn’t our only way out right now.”
I kept moving until I reached a narrow space of wall between the tunnel we’d come in from the overlook and the oversized anvil. I nudged Lauren’s arm to gain her attention and then nodded toward the space. “That’s a door. If anything goes wrong, we go out that one.”
She worried at her bott
om lip even as she murmured her agreement.
I opened my mouth to reassure her as best I could, but stopped when Raz Yakov let out an excited yell. “Come and see! It’s magnificent!”
Maybe I would need to drag the old man away from the forge. Now that he’d found the missing piece of the crown, I intended to get us out of here.
* * *
Lauren
Mathias was already striding toward the secret room. I followed more slowly. Now the door was open, I realized it hadn’t been the only source of muffled power. There was a strange feeling, like I was being pulled, but not toward the room. I was being pulled toward the forge and the bellows.
It didn’t make any sense. I couldn’t seem to stop myself from going over there, however. Then, I sensed something near the bottom of the bellows. Crouching down, I peered into the shadowed space beneath the bellows. There was something there after all. A box.
I pulled it out and shone my flashlight on it. It was formed out of crystal, and there was something dark inside. I managed to pry the lid off by using the knife Mathias had given me, and then I froze as I stared at the gem inside. It was a large sapphire, just a little smaller than my open palm.
Golden numbers flashed across its faceted surface chased by strange symbols I didn’t recognize. But, they looked like the same odd language that had been on the map. Then they vanished, leaving only the sapphire’s deep blue hues to be seen. Well, that was weird.
I hesitated for half a heartbeat and then scooped the sapphire up. It felt warm to the touch.
“Lauren, what did you find?”
I got to my feet and turned around to find Mathias escorting Raz Yakov by the arm. The older Spotter’s eyes widened and he let out a hissing breath. “The Sapphire of Shinar! It was here too!” He raised his hand to reveal another wrapped piece of crown. “I have the final piece. We need to put it together.”
“No, we need to leave,” Mathias interjected.
“We can’t waste time,” Raz Yakov countered. “Lauren Hope, we need to confirm this is the Crown of Nimrod. We can only do that by fitting the pieces together. We have time. If it’s the crown, we can dissemble it and then throw the pieces away as you planned. Or we could toss it through the glamour. Whatever you like, but we must confirm it first.”
Mathias pinned me with a hard stare. “Lauren. We need to go now with or without him.”
“You do not appreciate the importance of this moment,” Raz snapped. His gaze was frantic as he turned back to me. “Lauren Hope, we must confirm this now! I must know!”
I looked from him to Mathias. “It won’t take more than a minute to do it. It will be easier to leave if you aren’t being forced to drag him out of here.”
Mathias looked at his watch then cast an uneasy look at our surroundings. “All right. Try to hurry. We’re running out of time.”
I nodded as I slipped the Sapphire of Shinar into my jacket pocket and then pulled the box out of my satchel. Finally. I couldn’t deny that I felt a rush as I opened the box and began fitting the pieces together. They went together perfectly, almost as though they wanted to be reunited. The three pieces I had found formed the back half of the circlet. The fourth piece from Naples snapped into place with half of a cradle for a stone. Then, Raz Yakov handed me the fifth piece. The crown snapped together and the empty cradle stood proud above the center of the crown’s front.
“Now the jewel,” he urged.
I almost refused, but didn’t for fear he and Mathias would get into a scuffle. I didn’t want the old man to get hurt even if he wasn’t being very practical. I took the sapphire back out of my pocket and set it into the cradle.
The crown glowed as soon as the Sapphire of Shinar joined it. Then, the numbers one through ten appeared . . . wrapping around the crown and hovering just above its surface. The numbers and strange symbols from both flashed across the surface of the sapphire and then they all vanished, leaving the crown to look rather ordinary save for the gorgeous sapphire in its crest.
Catching my breath, I blinked. “It’s . . . It’s confirmed. This is the Crown of Nimrod. I can’t believe we actually found it.”
Mathias shifted on his feet impatiently. “That’s wonderful to hear, however, we need to go now.”
“I know, I know. Just let me take it apart. I can put it back together to document it properly when we aren’t standing in the heart of a volcano that’s attempting to wake up.” I reached for the sapphire, intending to pluck it free of its cradle, and then stopped as a slow clap echoed through the chamber.
Raz Yakov was clapping in a slow almost, no, in a most definitely mocking manner. His face was creased with a smile more cruel than excited. Then, Mathias pulled his knives out. Ten hunters rushed into the forge from the overlook, the scarred hunter at their head. The one Mathias called Khalid.
“Wonderful. You made it.” Horror coursed through me as I realized Raz Yakov was addressing the hunters. “Did you have any difficulties?”
Khalid’ scarred face twisted a smile into more of a sneer. “No. The woman left a blood trail that was easy to follow.”
“Excellent,” Raz Yakov murmured. He turned to me, and I realized Mathias had moved so he now stood next to me with the hunters ringed around the three of us. Raz Yakov’s smile turned vicious and a wicked gleam entered his eyes as he waggled his wild eyebrows. “I must congratulate you, Lauren Hope and Mathias. I never imagined you would succeed in finding all of the pieces of the Crown of Nimrod. Of course, I hadn’t expected you to survive the Colosseum fights either. I probably should have killed you, Lauren, when you sought me out. But then, I am still a curiosity seeker at heart and I wanted to see how a trembling terrified little coward of a woman could hope to best Weard Enterprises. You surprised me. You are made of much sterner stuff than it appeared.”
I stared at him, all the pieces sliding into place with mounting horror. “You are not a Spotter.”
He laughed. “No. I confess I am not, but you were quite eager to believe otherwise weren’t you?”
His number was flickering, changing. It wasn’t a harmless 3 anymore. It was a 9 blazing above his head and still flickering to hint at a 10. Oh no! Oh dear God in heaven, what had I done?
Raz Yakov or whoever he was stood straighter, no longer stooped. He held out his hand to me with an imperious set to his movements now. Steel entered his voice as he demanded, “Now, little Spotter, return the Crown of Nimrod to its rightful owner.”
Mathias wrapped his hands around me as a tremor shook the ground. All the hunters stumbled, even Khalid. But Raz Yakov barely even swayed, and his form was flickering much like his number had. He must have been using a glamour of some sort to disguise his true appearance. Only now, he didn’t need to pretend. I looked up at Mathias, and then around at the hunters who had already regained their balance.
We were trapped with eleven powerful paranormals. One of whom I had trusted like a complete and utter fool. And, the glamour shielding us was threatening to collapse. Mathias’ hands tightened on my arms, and I knew he was planning to do something. The problem was, I had a sickening feeling of absolute certainty that Raz Yakov wouldn’t let us escape his clutches unscathed. Certainly, not with the Crown of Nimrod.
I frantically tried to summon my Jinn talent. It didn’t work. We were still trapped. The ground shook beneath us again. Raz Yakov held out his hand once more. “Surrender the Crown of Nimrod, Lauren Hope. This quest is over and you, my dear foolish Spotter, have lost.”
* * *
Note from the Author
Woo, this book has been a rush to write! I’m already hard at work on the next and final book of Rogue Spotter, Fight by Numbers, so stay tuned for its release.
Timeline wise, the Rogue Spotter series mostly occurs between The Therian Way books two and five. Quests by Numbers coincides partially with the events of book four of The Therian Way and brings in one of Raina’s brothers last seen in book three, Tiger’s Strength. Some other characters appearing in this boo
k will soon be starring in other spinoff series beginning with The Fae Billionaires, a clean paranormal billionaire romance series. This series is due to launch in October of 2019.
My heartfelt thanks to everyone who has helped and/or encouraged me. I would not have been able to complete this story without you. Special thanks goes out to you, the readers, who have taken the time to get to know Lauren and Mathias on another adventure. I hope you have enjoyed it! Lauren and Mathias return for their final adventure in Fight by Numbers!
My favorite author-related meme on Facebook would have to be the one that says, “Feed an author! Write a review!” Reviews can be an author’s lifeline. I love hearing what readers think about my stories, my characters, and anything else you care to mention. It doesn’t have to be a long, detailed review. Just a few lines about the book will do. If you enjoyed Quests by Numbers, please consider taking the time to leave a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads.
If you would like to connect with me and be the first to learn about book updates, sales, and behind the scenes peeks, sign up for my newsletter and/or join my readers group on Facebook, Readers of Kimberly A. Rogers!
Thank you!
Until our next meeting,
Kimberly A. Rogers
Rogue Spotter
A clean supernatural romantic thriller series
Threats by Numbers
Everyone has a number but only a few can see them. I’m one of those few. And now it might get me killed.
I’ve been in hiding all my life. Working as a secretary for a paranormal relocation and PR firm is quiet, simple, and above all filled with low numbers. But then I see a man who’s registering as a Ten — They aren’t supposed to exist. To make matters worse, he’s the firm’s new security specialist.
Quests by Numbers (Rogue Spotter Book 5) Page 15
