Read Rivers of Fire (Atherton, Book 2) for Free Online Page B

asked Isabel.
    "No!" he shouted, surprising himself and Isabel. "My father showed me how. I can do it."
    "No one's going to come in here, like you said," offered Isabel. "Whatever it is you're doing can take as long as you need."
    Something clicked on the floor behind the two, and Isabel swiveled around. "What was that?"
    Samuel stepped in front of her and pointed to the floor amid the twisting ivy. "It will take both of us to remove the cover, but it's unlocked."
    "What's unlocked?" asked Isabel. Dread was rising in her voice as she stood next to Samuel, staring down at the tangled web of ivy that parted over a space not much wider than her head. Samuel knelt down, pushing the creeping ivy aside, and revealed the door leading to Mead's Hollow.
    "The source of water is somewhere behind this opening," said Samuel. "My father told me how to find it." Samuel pulled
    48
    the slip of folded paper from his pocket. "He wrote it down for me, so I could find my way."
    There was a sound coming from outside the door, as if someone wearing heavy boots were approaching. Samuel shot a glance past Isabel's head.
    "You locked the door, right?" He didn't think anyone would try to enter, but with Lord Phineus and Sir Emerik away, maybe someone would be so bold as to try. Isabel shook her head no.
    The two went directly to work lifting the stone slab, frantic but careful to stay as silent as they could. Isabel was sure she did not want to make the journey to the source of water, but it was a place to hide, at least for a moment.
    The sound of boots on stone stopped outside the door to the main chamber, then seemed to move from side to side, as if the person outside were unsure about trying to enter. A soft knock came on the door.
    "Lord Phineus? Are you in there?"
    It was Tyler, who was actually hoping not to find anyone. He thought he'd heard a strange scraping sound coming from behind the door, but he couldn't be sure. He hadn't slept in a long time. Maybe his mind was playing tricks on him.
    Samuel and Isabel had already started down the steps leading into Mead's Hollow when Tyler put his hand on the latch to the door. Samuel crouched on the fourth step with the torch in one hand, while Isabel sat above him on the second step.
    "Close it!" he whispered harshly.
    Isabel slid it across the floor until it clicked into place. But the clicking sound sent panic rising within her and she tried to
    49
    push up, regretting the decision she'd made. Suddenly, she didn't care if she was caught; she only wanted to make sure she could get out. Isabel pressed all of her weight against the stone above her, but it would not budge.
    "Please, Isabel," whispered Samuel. "Be quiet. There are things down here you don't want to wake up."
    Isabel turned to Samuel, the whites of her eyes wide and shining in the flame. She had been scared before, but never like this.
    Tyler was surprised to find the door to the main chamber unlocked. He was also apprehensive about going inside and called out instead. "Is that you, Sir Emerik?"
    No sound came from inside, and Tyler slowly peered around the corner of the door into the room, holding a flame into the air before him. There was no one, only the dark empty space of the main chamber and the window behind it. He ran his hand over his forehead and felt a cold sweat. Through the window he heard a commotion at the wall. Joseph had returned, and with him news of whatever Horace had wanted him to see.
    Tyler closed the door and ran for the stairs, hoping the night would somehow come under his control as he made for the wall below.
    50
    ** CHAPTER 7 DAWN BREAKS ON A CHANGED WORLD
    By the time Tyler raced down the stairs and through the courtyard, everyone had returned to the wall where the giant doors stood secure to hear what Horace had to say. Tyler could already hear his unbearable, booming voice. For a man like Tyler, left in command of a great many things and losing control of them all, it was a maddening sound.
    "Don't anyone