Chapter Three

The dusty box resting at the pinnacle of the dais revealed a few glittering spots of silver in the torchlight. Carissa walked over to kneel before the dais. After bowing her head, she repeated the words she had been taught since childhood. "Mother Earth, Father Time, Sisters Wind, Water, and Fire, hear my plea. Bless this servant before you. Allow me to grow in wisdom and to follow your ways with all power. Grant me success in my quest. Blessed be."

Carissa stretched out a tentative hand and touched the box. Rather than cold metal, it felt almost like warm, pulsing flesh. She gently brushed away the dust. Her instructions were to recover the box and return home with it. The treasure was needed at the next ceremony, planned for the night of the blue moon, which for the first time in many years fell on Samhain, or the day following All Hallow's Eve, as most knew it. The stars and planets would also be in perfect alignment on that night. These events would not all occur simultaneously for at least another hundred years.

The silver gleamed in the firelight and beckoned to Carissa. Under strict orders, she knew not to open the box, but the temptation to peek tugged at her like a living thing, almost overwhelming her. Something about the box drew her as a magnet would draw iron shavings, or as whiskey would draw an alcoholic. She felt herself tremble as she fought the need to open Pandora's Box.

Instead, she grabbed the box from the dais, wrapped it with a soft piece of velvet, and hastily shoved it into her backpack. Feeling as if there were eyes upon her, Carissa swiftly traded her barely flickering torch for one from a sconce. She located the hole where she entered and dropped to her knees to crawl out. Remembering her instructions, Carissa touched a round impression in the inner wall to the right of the opening and quickly scooted into the tunnel. The stone tablet noisily slid into place behind her, once again sealing the secret chamber.

After removing the five specially-shaped crystals from the stone tablet, Carissa wrapped them, placed them in their velvet pouch, and returned the bundle to her backpack. She began the long climb out of the bowels of the earth.

* * * * *

Carissa arrived home days later, exhausted, but elated. She had successfully smuggled the silver box through customs mixed in a selection of cheap trinkets and a few odd silver pieces she purchased in a large market.

Because she often bought pieces for her shop and always paid the duty on them, no one had even raised a brow at her at the airport. Now, she could lock the treasure in the safe and wait for the ceremony on the night of the blue moon.