she
could find her footing behind him. It took a moment for Tory’s eyes to adjust.
“You rat, you said I’d have a hot bath.” She followed behind him closely, looking anxiously about the
narrow cavern. “And room service. There’d better not be any bats in here.”
“No bats.”
The cave smelled damp and unpleasant, but that was par for this course, Tory thought crossly. Trust him
to promise a hot bath just to get her moving. They walked straight ahead for a while, then turned a corner
and went straight again. They continued down a slope, walking for what felt like at least another mile.
She stumbled over a protruding rock, stubbing her toe, and then had to scurry behind him as he forged
ahead. “Marc,” she called, taking his hand gratefully when he stopped to wait for her.
“Okay?” His voice bounced off the narrow walls, his fingers warm as they closed more tightly over hers
and he moved forward again.
“Oh, I’m just peachy.” Tory lowered her voice as she heard how nervous she sounded in the echo.
“Considering that the man I’ve trusted with my life is leading me through a cave, after lying to me about a
hotel. What happens if this path runs out and there’s nothing up ahead?”
“If I fall down a black hole, just let go of my hand. Someone’s sure to rescue you if you go back down
to the beach.”
Tory’s footsteps slowed at the thought that they might end up at the bottom of some deep dark hole,
never to be heard from again. She shivered in her wet clothes, holding on to his hand like a lifeline. Could
she let go, as he’d instructed?
Probably not, she thought, moving close enough to his back to feel the heat of his body.
The thin beam of the flashlight illuminated only a few feet in front of him. The cramped walls of the cave
closed in around her, the rough surface of the rock snagging on her sweater.
After a minute or two Marc said into the silence, “I’ve been here before. There are no holes to fall into, I
was joking. Don’t worry.”
Easy for him to say. Tory stuck as close as she could without tripping them both. Her bare feet hurt, as
did a hundred other spots on her poor, unheroic body.
She bit her lip as they were suddenly plunged into darkness when Marc clicked off the light and
stopped. “Close your eyes.”
Tory was only too glad to comply. The darkness was oppressive. “Now what?”
“Trust me.”
An inner voice laughed at that. “Do I have a choice?”
“No.” She could hear the smile in his voice as he urged her on. “Keep ’em shut. You’re going to like
this.”
Tory kept her eyes closed but she muttered grimly under her breath, “If it’s going to be another scenario
where you’re the hero and I’m the shivering coward—”
“Open your eyes, princess.”
Slowly Tory slitted her eyes open, then stared with eyes and mouth wide. “Marc…” They were standing in an enormous cavern. The ceiling was a hundred feet or more above their heads.
The entire area was filled with a shimmering iridescent turquoise light that made everything look
somewhat unreal. In the center of the giant natural auditorium lay a placid lake. Mist floated above its
surface and draped over the lush emerald ground cover and ferns at the water’s edge.
“Oh, Marc.” She
was utterly speechless. She’d never seen anything quite so beautiful in her life.
“Grotta Zaffiro,” he murmured reverently. “The Sapphire Grotto.” He got just as much enjoyment from watching her expressive face as he did from the grotto and the
thought of…Tory shivered and he cursed under his breath. She was exhausted, and her broken arm must
hurt like hell. He’d dragged her halfway around the world and tossed her into a stormy sea. She needed
food, warmth and rest.
“You can take in the sights later.” Marc propelled her toward the back of the cavern.
“Let’s find a
relatively safe place to bed down and then you can take that hot bath.”
“I thought
could find her footing behind him. It took a moment for Tory’s eyes to adjust.
“You rat, you said I’d have a hot bath.” She followed behind him closely, looking anxiously about the
narrow cavern. “And room service. There’d better not be any bats in here.”
“No bats.”
The cave smelled damp and unpleasant, but that was par for this course, Tory thought crossly. Trust him
to promise a hot bath just to get her moving. They walked straight ahead for a while, then turned a corner
and went straight again. They continued down a slope, walking for what felt like at least another mile.
She stumbled over a protruding rock, stubbing her toe, and then had to scurry behind him as he forged
ahead. “Marc,” she called, taking his hand gratefully when he stopped to wait for her.
“Okay?” His voice bounced off the narrow walls, his fingers warm as they closed more tightly over hers
and he moved forward again.
“Oh, I’m just peachy.” Tory lowered her voice as she heard how nervous she sounded in the echo.
“Considering that the man I’ve trusted with my life is leading me through a cave, after lying to me about a
hotel. What happens if this path runs out and there’s nothing up ahead?”
“If I fall down a black hole, just let go of my hand. Someone’s sure to rescue you if you go back down
to the beach.”
Tory’s footsteps slowed at the thought that they might end up at the bottom of some deep dark hole,
never to be heard from again. She shivered in her wet clothes, holding on to his hand like a lifeline. Could
she let go, as he’d instructed?
Probably not, she thought, moving close enough to his back to feel the heat of his body.
The thin beam of the flashlight illuminated only a few feet in front of him. The cramped walls of the cave
closed in around her, the rough surface of the rock snagging on her sweater.
After a minute or two Marc said into the silence, “I’ve been here before. There are no holes to fall into, I
was joking. Don’t worry.”
Easy for him to say. Tory stuck as close as she could without tripping them both. Her bare feet hurt, as
did a hundred other spots on her poor, unheroic body.
She bit her lip as they were suddenly plunged into darkness when Marc clicked off the light and
stopped. “Close your eyes.”
Tory was only too glad to comply. The darkness was oppressive. “Now what?”
“Trust me.”
An inner voice laughed at that. “Do I have a choice?”
“No.” She could hear the smile in his voice as he urged her on. “Keep ’em shut. You’re going to like
this.”
Tory kept her eyes closed but she muttered grimly under her breath, “If it’s going to be another scenario
where you’re the hero and I’m the shivering coward—”
“Open your eyes, princess.”
Slowly Tory slitted her eyes open, then stared with eyes and mouth wide. “Marc…” They were standing in an enormous cavern. The ceiling was a hundred feet or more above their heads.
The entire area was filled with a shimmering iridescent turquoise light that made everything look
somewhat unreal. In the center of the giant natural auditorium lay a placid lake. Mist floated above its
surface and draped over the lush emerald ground cover and ferns at the water’s edge.
“Oh, Marc.” She
was utterly speechless. She’d never seen anything quite so beautiful in her life.
“Grotta Zaffiro,” he murmured reverently. “The Sapphire Grotto.” He got just as much enjoyment from watching her expressive face as he did from the grotto and the
thought of…Tory shivered and he cursed under his breath. She was exhausted, and her broken arm must
hurt like hell. He’d dragged her halfway around the world and tossed her into a stormy sea. She needed
food, warmth and rest.
“You can take in the sights later.” Marc propelled her toward the back of the cavern.
“Let’s find a
relatively safe place to bed down and then you can take that hot bath.”
“I thought
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