The squeak of the window hinges had her cringing when she pushed it open. She poked her head out, gingerly looking around for any sign of activity nearby. As it became apparent that no-one had heard them protesting, the breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding left her in a sudden, relieved rush. A small ledge, created by the roof of the room below, made for an excellent standpoint from which to launch herself at the tree growing closest to the house. She crept toward the edge, being careful of her footing, and called for the trunk to bend a little closer and catch her as she flew, arms flailing, into its waiting branches.

Footsteps tapped a rhythm on the porch decking seconds later when a guard approached from around the corner of the house. Adie froze in place, willing him not to look up as he passed within feet below her. He stopped and sniffed the air, looking left and right. Adie held her breath, the sound of her accelerated heart rate hammering in her ears.

He reached across his chest and pressed a button on the side of the radio attached to his shirt pocket. "Eastside clear. I'm taking my break now; any of you want a coffee?" The radio squawked four times. "Roger that. Back out in ten." He spun on his heel and entered the house through the front door, allowing it to slam at his back.

She had to assume the four squawks meant there were four others close by, possibly more if they worked in pairs. After edging her way down to the ground and to the far side of the tree trunk, she gathered her wits and listened intently for minute noises; anything that would give away the positions of the guards. A sniffle to the left about twenty metres away; a cough straight ahead on the far side of the tall hedged border; rhythmic scratching followed by ticking of claws on wood around the far side of the adjacent building; lastly, the scrape and hiss of a match being struck, it's flame illuminating a face as he lit a cigarette.

Deciding that stealth was her best course of action she crept from the shadows, tiptoeing across the soft grass to the trash area to hide behind the bins. Again she listened before crawling on her knees under the kitchen window, warily snatching glances around the corner. Bright lights swung in her direction when a car pulled into the parking area, the headlights remaining strong and blinding her from seeing the occupants beyond. The crunch of gravel under a heavy boot let her know a guard had left the small hut to investigate the unscheduled arrival. She made a dash for the hut, slipping behind it.

Nicolas laughed at something the guard said and dipped the lights. "It's been too long since I had a date, Hugh," Nicolas replied. "But this little filly's been begging me to take her out and who am I to refuse a pretty face?"

Hugh chuckled. "Aye man, tomorrow's my night off. Mindy's wants to try that Chinese place, so let me know what the foods like."

Nicolas snorted. "I'll not be tasting the food, but I'll let you know what she thinks. Night."

Gravel crunched as Hugh wandered back inside the hut, closed the door and turned the TV up loud enough that Adie could hear it through the thin, wooden walls. She waved at Nicolas to bring the car closer so she could get in. He reversed back, leaving only a split second for her to jump in the back of the convertible before he drove away into the night. Adie crawled over the seat to plonk her butt on the passenger side. He grinned at her. She grinned back. She couldn't help it, the adrenaline rush of her daring escape pumped through her veins. She flung her arms up into the air stream, revelling in the wind as it rushed by.   

They pulled into an empty car park at the base of the mountain. The distinctive roar of the waterfall could be heard in the distance when Nicolas switched the engine off. 

"We have to leave the trail for the brush about three quarters of the way up. Are you sure you want to do this? There's no light and it can get tricky in places," Nicolas asked.

"Yup. I need that information. We'll be grand, you can see in the dark and I'll just follow you, simple."

He shook his head, both in disbelief and in acceptance, and flicked the switch to put the roof up. "We best get moving then."

It wasn't long before they reached the river they needed to follow along the overgrown trail. While the terrain was steep in places, it was relatively easy going. Much easier than when her and Rick had come at it from the other side of the mountain. They were however, by Adie's estimation, on the wrong side of the river to reach the cave entrance behind the waterfall.

"I hate to ask, but do you know where the entrance is?"

"No, I assumed you did."

Adie stopped in her tracks and spun to face him. "What...?"

"I'm joking. Relax, it's not much further. We leave the trail just behind the big boulder there." He pointed at a huge rock that was taller than her house back in Ireland and seemed to have an iridescent glow. "The entrance is about one k away, along a narrow ridge."

Nicolas cut a path for them through the thick undergrowth until they came to a steep bank. He climbed first, waiting on the narrow ledge he mentioned, to help her up the last couple of feet. He hoisted her to stand precariously on an edge that was only marginally wider than her feet with her back to the rock face. Turning her head and shuffling sideways to keep him in sight, she grasped at crevices in the rock. He moved quickly; Adie struggled to keep up with his pace. Her foot slipped on some loose pebbles. Arms flailing, she attempted to keep her balance. She screamed as her foot dipped below the edge.

A strong hand clasped hers in an iron grip, stopping any descent in a sudden jar to her shoulder. The joint wrenched from the socket causing excruciating pain. He pulled her up quickly, holding her against his chest, his arms circling her waist. He continued to hold her like this while he shuffled sideways towards a vertical split. Once he turned the corner he was able to set her down on her feet in a narrow cavern.

She fell back against the rock face, slowing sliding to rest her butt on the cold, dusty ground and cradled her arm.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he knelt in front of her.

She shot him a pain-filled, disbelieving look. "Do I look okay?" She grunted, gasping as a jolt of searing pain shot down her arm with the small movement.

He removed her hand and inspected her shoulder. "It looks like it's dislocated. I can put it back in place if you want, or I can call for help to get you out of here. The choice is yours, but I don't think Vince will be very pleased with either of us if he has to come get us."

"I'm not leaving without the information. Just put it back in."

He helped her lie on the floor and took a firm hold of her hand. With a foot against her upper chest, he twisted her arm up while he pulled it. The satisfying pop of the joint as it repositioned itself was swallowed by Adie's agonised scream.

Breathing in short pants, she waited for the pain to subside enough to make a coherent thought. Her head swam in a sea of oxygen-deprived stupor.

Nicolas sat beside her and cradled her head in his lap, sweeping her hair from her forehead.

"Shh," he whispered. "The pain will ease in a moment."

"I thought," she forced the words out between pants. "You said... I'd be harder... to hurt."

He chuckled, sadistically. "Yeah, that doesn't mean you can't be. Normally that kind of injury would take months to heal. You should be back to normal within the hour."

Her breathing stabilised with the lessening pain. She called for a little healing energy to relieve the ache that developed soon after. Sitting up with his help, he let her rest against his chest, putting his arms around her to hold her in place when she tried to move. 

"Just wait a few more minutes," he told her, revelling in the feel of her in his arms.

It felt right to have her there, as if she belonged there and nowhere else. Lowering his head to her neck, Nicolas inhaled her scent. Her skin smelled of the evening dew mixed with the pine and fresh scents of the trail bracken. Beneath the scents of the forest, her musk crept through to stir his senses. He kissed her at the hollow of her shoulder, his arousal becoming obvious as it grew and hardened at her back.

Adie shifted, suddenly uncomfortable with the rock at the base of her spine and dragged herself to her feet. The pain in her arm was almost gone.

"Let's get moving," she stated, already heading further into the crevice to find it opened up into a long carved hallway.

He took her hand in his. "To guide you," he stated when she looked at their joined hands, her eyebrow raised in question. "There're a lot of traps set up and I don't want you to get hurt again."

The carved entrance gave way to natural formation the further along Nicolas led her. "Mind the..." He stopped and looked at her. "How did you know to step over the rock?"

"Because I can see it," she said and made a duh face at him as if it were obvious. "I'm not blind you know."

"You should be. It's as dark as the black hole of Calcutta in here. Are you telling me you can see the wall over there?"

"Yeah, I can see the double tunnels at the end and the rock over there. And the snake in the corner."

"Ss snake?" he stuttered, backing up against the wall. "Where is it?"

"It's just a little one, I think. One of the wee brown ones that Rick said weren't poisonous." She grinned at him. "Don't tell me you're afraid of snakes."

"Ha, no." He grabbed her hand again and dragged her through the second tunnel.

"Wait." She called fire to her hand and sent it to the torch on the wall, followed by most of the other torches in series.

"Wow," Nicolas stated in awe. "They're lighting the right path. The torches that didn't light lead to dead ends or danger of some description."

Adie smiled. "I know. It's great isn't it?"

"Hmm hmmm, how did you do that?"

"I've no idea, it just does it."

They walked further, following the lights. Adie became quiet and distracted, listening to the sound of water dripping from overhead to form small pools they had to dodge.

"Do you think my being able to see in the dark has something to do with being marked by Devon?"

"Possibly," he answered, sparing her a glance. He pulled her to a stop again, saying with shock, "Your eyes are glowing!"

Adie groaned. "I figured as much."

"Wait, you're a Shaman? Shit! Does Devon know?"

She shrugged.

"I take that as a no then."

"You guessed right." She took the lead, rounding the next corner to step out into the open top area where her adventure started.

A small wooden house sat in the middle of the circular area on a slightly raised mound. The grass around grew a lush, rich green of health. The walls enclosing the area were at least thirty metres high and as smooth as glass. Flickering light drew her attention to the window where a ghostly figure stood in the shadows.

"Come. Come child, and ask for what you seek," the figure called to her before it wavered and turned to glide inside the house.

Adie walked forward, cautiously. The apparition beckoned her on with a wave of its hand.

"Adie wait!" Nicolas called after her. "I can't move. Adie...Adie!"

Adie didn't hear him. The door to the quaint, little house clicked closed at her back