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The priestly man stopped in front of us and bowed his head. “The spirits tell us a great deal, Lord Thorn. I am Father Silas, the leader of we monks who care for the Grimton.”
I lifted an eyebrow. “The Grimton?”
“The name of our beloved catacombs,” Father Silas explained as he studied me with a curious eye.
“Did your spirits tell you we wished to see the catacombs?” Will inquired.
The priest stepped aside and gestured to the dank hole. “The way has been prepared. Our charges are very much looking forward to your visit.” His eyes flickered to me and his smile seemed to widen. “Very much.” His final words sent a shiver down my spine, and not in a good way.
Will edged closer to me and the priest thankfully returned his gaze to him. “Did they also tell you we desire some information?”
Father Silas blinked at him. “Information, My Lord?”
“About a certain agency in the city,” Will coaxed.
The good father shook his head. “I’m afraid I don’t follow, My Lord, unless you mean to give alms to the poor.”
Will pursed his lips. I felt his disappointment. The man wasn’t going to talk. That is, if he knew anything.
Will nodded at the entrance. “Are there others in the Grimton?”
Father Silas shook his head. “No, My Lord. You are the only visitors.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
That bitof information made me want to bolt again. Will grasped my hand and gave me an encouraging smile before he led me to the entrance. The darkness dove down a set of stone stairs as rough as the church walls. A handrail of dubious age and support ran along the right-hand side of the wall and down into the dark depths.
A strange wind blew up from the catacombs and wafted over us. The air it brought with it smelled of dust and decay. I swallowed the lump in my throat and looked up at Will. He looked more grim than usual.
“Stay close,” he whispered so our priestly ‘friend’ couldn’t overhear him.
Will went down first and I reluctantly followed. It was either that or stay with the priest, and I would have much rather risked the catacombs than remain with those creepily eager eyes.
The stairs descended for what seemed like forever but must have been fifty feet down into the bowels of the earth. The musty smell was nearly overpowering and the only light came from the flickering torches that hung at intervals on the walls. Their light allowed me to see a swinging door made of metal rods like those used in cells. It hung flat against the wall to our right.
The torches also showed me the countless body-length niches in the wall. Some stretched from the floor toward the ceiling and others were horizontal across the narrow tunnel in which we found ourselves.
One thing they all had in common was they were occupied.
I couldn’t help but let out a gasp as I caught a glimpse of my first mummy. Well, outside the realm of a movie theater. Their gaping mouth and empty eyes stared back at me with a hungry look that reminded me of Father Silas. I slipped up behind Will and grasped the back of his arm with both hands.
“T-they’re not going to jump out at us, are they?”
Will shook his head as he scanned the tunnel. His eyes glowed eerily in the dim light. “No. Most are merely husks that the priests keep to ‘liven up’ the place.”
A snort unwillingly escaped me. “Yeah, this place is loads of fun. What about the ones that aren’t just husks?”
“Those are the creatures that marry the living,” Will warned me as he took a few steps deeper into the winding depths. I noticed I couldn’t even see around the first corner, so sharp was it.
“Is there a way to tell which is which?” I wondered.
Will shook his head. “Unfortunately, no, though the bodies that have crumbled beyond recognition are less likely to be inhabited by a soul.”
My face drooped. “Lesslikely?”
“But not completely.” He glanced over his shoulder at the steps. “Let’s move away from the steps. There’s every chance our conversation could be overheard by our curious host.”
We continued down the winding passage. The torches flickered as we passed, causing the shadows to dance along the walls and the many grinning skulls. We skirted a half dozen semi-fresh corpses that still had bits of hair and flesh on their bones. Their plain threads showed they were of humble origin.They stood near a niche that held an elegant skeleton with rings adorning their bony fingers.
