The Diablo's Curse by Gabe Cole Novoa

Author:Gabe Cole Novoa [Novoa, Gabe Cole]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2024-02-20T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 25

It takes most of the morning to trek through the jungle to Black Rock Cove. When Silas steps out of the tree line onto the shiny dark rock, he closes his eyes and breathes in the sea air. The thunder of waves crashing against the rocks makes him smile. It’d oddly soothing, and the cool, salty air feels good after such a long trek.

“Wow,” Dami says, peering across the cove. The jet-black rock stretches down for close to a quarter mile, jutting out into the ocean. At the far end, right up against the water, the rock towers high in a natural monolith. Silas must admit it is rather impressive to look at. Even if the treasure isn’t here, he’s glad they made the trip.

“Be careful as you walk,” Marisol says. “The rock is smooth and slippery when wet, and it’s uneven. You don’t want to roll your ankle here.”

Together, the three of them walk carefully over the bumpy ground. Marisol wasn’t jesting about the slickness of the rock—Silas almost immediately slips, but luckily he lands on his ass. Marisol stares at him wide-eyed while Dami laughs and Silas grimaces at his throbbing hip bones.

“Be careful,” Marisol hisses.

“I’m not dragging you through the rain forest again,” Dami says.

“Apologies,” Silas mumbles to Marisol, his face flushing.

The demon doesn’t get an apology.

By the time they reach the monolith, Silas can feel the cool sea spray on his face. The seas are rough, and the tide seems high. This side of the monolith is far enough from the waves, but peeking around it confirms what he suspected: the back side is only about a foot away from the cliff’s edge, and the entire area is soaked.

But between the crashing waves there’s something else, too. A sigh, directly in his ears. Someone whispering against his cheek…

“All right,” Marisol says. “We need to stay on this side of the monolith. The seas are rough today—we could easily get swept into the ocean if we get too close.”

“Noted. I’ve done enough swimming for a lifetime,” Dami says.

Silas presses his hand against the rock, frowning. If he closes his eyes, he can almost make out—

“Silas, are you all right?” Marisol asks.

He nods, opening his eyes. “I thought I heard…Never mind.”

“So what now?” Dami asks. “We’re here. The rocks are…abyss-like.” They look at Silas. “Any ideas?”

Silas continues examining the monolith in silence. He has nothing to say to Dami—and anyway, even if he weren’t angry with them, he doesn’t have any ideas. Just a strange inkling that he should look more closely at the other side of the monolith.

“How did you find the first clue?” Marisol asks behind him.

Silas presses his ear against the cool rock and closes his eyes again. Dami is saying something—responding to Marisol’s question, probably—but Silas forces his focus onto something else. The hiss inside the rock as if—

Silassss…

Silas jerks back, heart pounding as he stares at the monolith. The pitch-black rock is so shiny he can make out bits of his reflection, but the surface is so uneven it breaks his image up into oddly shaped ridges and planes.

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