Curse of the Druids by Aiden James Read Free Book Online Page A

end up here on its own.”
    “All right… but what if it’s not here right now?” I said, uttering the first thing that came to mind, without considering it could further ignite my gal’s temper. “You’re not expecting us to hang around here all day waiting for it to show up… or are you?”
    “Of course not!” she snapped.
    Even in the dimness, I could almost see a cloud settling upon her—despite the fire in her response. It appeared she hadn’t considered the possibility that the amulet might not be present.
    “But you said it would be here,” said Ishi, pointing his flashlight beam in her direction again. “That’s what you told us in France, and again in London.”
    “Hey, take it easy with the light, man,” I said, protectively.
    “Sorry Boss.” He lowered it to her feet.
    “Yes, that’s what I said,” Marie admitted, her tone sounding forlorn, which pulled on my heart to where I felt like a callous asshole… at least for a moment.
    “Then what gives?” I asked, finding it damned near impossible to remain compassionate. “You said your father told you it had been returned here in 1735 by Lord Carleton, who laid it on top of the mound at dawn on the winter solstice that year, and watched the amulet disappear. You said Carleton claimed it was apparently pulled into the crypt through the frost-covered grass by an unseen hand, and that’s the last time anyone visited the mound in search of it. Especially after he later claimed to be haunted by ‘something from the banks of the River Avon’. The very same thing he spoke about on his deathbed.”
    “If the amulet’s not here, I’m going to be seriously pissed!” added Ishi.
    “It should be here,” Marie insisted, but with meager enthusiasm. She shook her head worriedly, and began sifting through the remains closest to where she stood. “But, we are wasting time debating instead of looking. I would appreciate your cooperation for the time being, and we can fight about it later.”
    “How big is this thing supposed to be, again?”
    Marie didn’t answer my question for nearly a minute, while she and Ishi worked feverishly to sift through the skeletal remains closest to them. Many still contained tattered garments that crumbled as they pushed them out of the way. Surely Marie was thankful for the gloves she wore, protecting her from the grime and occasional worms and dormant insects. Maybe it was the same for Ishi, since he moved quickly, sifting through two corpses and then prepared to explore the more noxious, and possibly poisonous, remains lying upon the lower shelves.
    “Be careful, little buddy,” I cautioned.
    His response was a mere grunt. But unlike me, it seemed he had a clear idea of what to be on the lookout for.
    “The sapphire should be three inches tall and two and a half inches wide, and about an inch thick,” Marie advised, when she finally addressed my question. “The dragon holding it is solid gold, giving significant weight to the amulet. Also, the gold chain is large enough for a grown man from two thousand years ago to drape across their collarbone.”
    “So, about twenty to thirty inches in length for the chain?”
    “Yep. Now… how about helping us find the damned thing, Nick?”
    “I’m on it, sweetheart!”
    Her latest zinger was delivered like a spitball from a southpaw pitcher. I didn’t hang around for a second admonishment, and went to work on the smaller remains of a female of significant social importance. At least the jewels near the skeleton’s sternum indicated as much.
    “Don’t even think about it,” warned Marie, as I picked up a ruby and diamond necklace and prepared to slip it into my pocket.
    “Even though this baby might pay for our expeditions for, I don’t know… the next ten to fifteen years?”
    “Did you not hear what I said a few minutes ago? You must be thinking with your other head!”
    I whirled to face her, and her flashlight was pointed at my crotch.
    “Very funny,