The Ruins (An Avernus Island Tale) (4 page)

“This plane is nicer than my apartment in college.”

Ellen laughed. “This plane is nicer than the apartment I have now.”

“Do you travel a lot?” Julia asked and scooped up a bite of mixed berries. The strawberries were sweet and ripe and the perfect contrast to the slightly tart blackberries.

“It depends on who we have coming to the island,” Ellen said. “But I probably make the trip back and forth three or four times a week.”

“Good morning, ladies.”

Julia looked up from her breakfast as the pilot’s voice came on over the speakers.

“Ms. Davenport, Ms. Black thought you might appreciate an aerial view of the area you’ll be investigating. If you take a look out the left side of the plane, you’ll see our destination.”

Breakfast forgotten, Julia pressed her nose to the window as the plane broke through the clouds. The Mediterranean stretched for miles in all directions, a never-ending blanket of cerulean blue. From this elevation, the sea appeared calm but white caps started to appear as they continued to descend.

No land in sight, Julia was afraid she’d missed it, but then the pilot banked right, and Avernus Island appeared.
 

Like the entrance to the underworld it was named for, it opened up beneath them. The land was rugged, the terrain mountainous and covered in thick forests that ended at sandy beaches.
 

“It’s beautiful,” Julia whispered.
 

Wild and wind-swept, it appeared deserted, and it suddenly struck Julia just how far from home she’d come.
 

Ellen’s face appeared, reflected in the window beside Julia’s.
 

“There’s the Big House,” Ellen said and pointed to a sprawling manor that sat on top the northern-most peak. “And those are some of the guest villas. You’ll find them all over the island.”

Julia noted that some of the “villas” were the size of small mansions.

“The guests don’t stay at the Big House?” Julia asked.

Melisandra had said she managed a resort, and Julian had expected to find the type of massive hotel that epitomized so many destinations these days. Instead, the buildings below were constructed to work with the land’s natural scape, adding to its beauty instead of dominating it.

“Some do,” Ellen said and went back to securing the plane for landing. “But many of them prefer the privacy of the villas.”

“Hmm,” was Julia’s noncommittal answer as she continued to stare out the window. She didn’t have time for celebrities and was happy to leave them in peace and quiet. She was after something much more interesting.
 

Searching the unfamiliar ground below, her brain struggled to process the changes in the landscape and vegetation. The island was a rich patchwork of colors and textures–greens, blues, and browns passed by with amazing speed as the plane hurtled toward what must be the landing strip.
 

Julia’s stomach did a little flip at the idea of trying to land a plane on that narrow piece of land. Thinking it might be better if she weren’t watching, she was about to turn away from the window when she saw it.

“There!” she said, to no one in particular. Her eyes scanned the beach, saw what others might think was nothing more than a pile of rocks, but what she recognized as toppled columns and crumbled walls. “There it is.”

The site was on the other side of the island and about as far away from the Big House as you could get without getting wet. Rich vegetation grew wild and untamed, this side of the island appearing untouched by man. The mountains created a natural barrier that would offer inhabitants of this area some protection from the tropical storms that blew through this area.

It was beautiful and remote and Julia could understand why Melisandra Black would consider expanding.

Too soon, the pilot was banking again, taking them around for their final approach. Julia was asked to buckle up and her breakfast cleared away. Disappointed at not getting to see more, she comforted herself with the knowledge that the next time she saw the ruins it would be up close and personal.

Julia’s feet touched down on Avernus, and a thrill shot up her spine. Her first look at the ruins confirmed that they were definitely worth investigating.

She hurried across the tarmac as heat from the afternoon sun bounced off the black surface and hit her square in the chest. Coming from the pacific northwest, she wasn’t used to this kind of heat, but the warm air felt good and heated the chill that had been in her bones since October.

A tropical breeze tasting of salt came up from the sea and the temperature dropped to a more comfortable place on the thermometer.
 

Her hair danced around her face, the curls forever untamed, as she reached the waiting jeep. Her bags were already in the back. A handsome young man, his skin tanned to a Mediterranean gold, smiled at her as she climbed in.
 

“Welcome to Avernus.”

Julia flashed him a smile and held on as they pulled away from the plane. The airstrip quickly disappeared behind them; the runway swallowed up by trees and brightly colored flowers.
 

The ride to the Big House was quick and quiet. Julia found she was having a hard time sitting still. To be this close! She could practically feel something waiting for her in the sand.

Is this how it had been for her father? A fever in the blood, need rushing beneath the skin, the feeling forever driving him to seek out and find what was lost, buried under the sands of time and forgotten?

Julia had chosen museum work because she had seen what that kind of fervor had done to her father. The endless quests had taken him away from his daughter, and the disappointments had driven him to near depression until the next expedition came along.

Of course, all of that was at an end. Her father was no longer chased by the demons who had driven so much of his life. In that way, the Alzheimer’s was a gift and not just a curse.
 

Julia glanced over at her driver. A young man, he had the dark hair and dark skin of a local. His white shirt and khaki pants were perfect for the tropical weather, and brown eyes smiled at catching her staring.

She was here to work; Julia reminded herself, and to secure a future at the museum for her and her father. However, something about this place demanded she take a moment to close her eyes and turn her face up to the sun.

In that moment, she felt young and carefree. Thoughts of Ted and worries over her father’s quickly deteriorating condition slid into the background. They weren’t gone, but for now, there wasn’t anything she could do about them.

The jeep turned and started up a steep drive. An army of gardeners were working to keep the forest from reclaiming the land lost to the road. One or two of them turned to wave at her driver who waved back enthusiastically.
 

“Where is everyone?” Julia asked. So far, theirs was the only car she’d seen on the road. She’d spied guests walking on the beach from the plane, but the island seemed quiet for such a big place.

“Several of our guests left this morning,” her driver said. He kept his eyes on the road as he drove into a circular driveway and stopped in front of the main entrance. “You’re part of a new group that will be arriving today and tomorrow.”

“I’m not really a guest,” Julia corrected as she got out of the jeep. “I’m here to work.”

The driver smiled and hopped out, grabbing Julia’s bags from the back. “People come here for all kinds of reasons,” he said.
 

“That will be all, Brad.”
 

Julia turned as Melisandra Black stepped out onto the wrap around porch. She was joined a moment later by a pretty blond.
 

“Please see to Ms. Davenport’s bags.”

“Yes, Ms. Black.”

Brad tipped Julia a nod that was surprisingly formal for his sun-kissed face and disappeared inside.

“Welcome to Avernus, Ms. Davenport, I am pleased you decided to join us.”

“Please, call me Julia.” Julia went to join Melisandra and offered to shake her her hand. There was a brief pause, as if Melisandra was surprised by the gesture, and then Julia’s fingers were encased in a surprisingly strong grip.
 

That same prickling of awareness bloomed in the base of Julia’s spine where it tingled until her hand was released.

“Only if you call me Mel, and this is my assistant Suri. She will be responsible for making sure you have everything you need.”

Julia tried to hide her surprise. Short and sweet, that’s how she would describe Mel’s assistant. Suri’s big eyes, cheerleader smile, and tennis star skirt seemed completely at odds with Mel’s cold professional beauty and struck Julia as a strange odd choice.
 

“Hi.” Suri gave Julia a perky wave. Her fingernails were painted a startling orange, and the young assistant practically vibrated with energy, but her words all business. “I received your list; you’ll find all the equipment you requested waiting for you in your room.”

Julia decided Suri’s college girl-on-spring-break look was for show,or to please the male guests. “Great, thanks. I saw the site from the air.”

Mel indicated the way inside. “I have a car and a guide ready to take you to the site first thing in the morning.”

“I’d like to get started now,” Julia said. She could practically hear Theseus calling for Asterion. She’d brought the statue with her, packing him in her carry-on, in the event she found the second piece.
 

“I’m afraid that’s not possible,” Mel said. She had a schedule to keep, and things were not quite ready. “The soonest I can spare someone is tomorrow.”

“All I really need is a car and some basic directions,” Julia said, not yet ready to give up on the idea of seeing the ruins. “I don’t mind going by myself.”
 

In fact, she preferred it.

“Oh, but you’ll need a guide,” Suri said, her voice chipper. “The roads here are like a maze. You could get lost.”

Mel glared at Suri.

Suri flashed Mel a blinding smile and blew her a little kiss from behind Ms. Davenport’s back.

The imp!
Mel thought and struggled not to laugh.

“I see,” Julia said, trying to hide her disappointment. There was no telling how long it might take her to find something, and she couldn’t afford to be away from home for long.

“Besides, there’s a reception tonight, a small gathering really, for our new guests,” Mel said. “I hope you will join us.”

Julia stepped into the Big House and entered another world. The place was beautiful with towering columns common to the region and bold colors.

“I’m not a guest,” Julia reiterated. This was not her world. Oh, she could pretend, sit back and enjoy the complimentary mimosas and private jet, but eventually she would be going back to her old house and comfortable life.

“Whatever gave you that idea?” Mel said and led the way up a wide, curving staircase. “Your stay here is part of your compensation. You should feel free to take advantage of all the guest services we have available.”

“We have a seaweed body wrap that will make your skin sparkle brighter than any vampire,” Suri said, ticking off activities. “And there’s a yoga class on the beach but be careful, Henry, the instructor, is a closet sadist.”

“Thank you,” Julia said. “But I doubt I’ll have time.”

“You should make time,” Mel said. “And plan to stay for a day or two after you finish looking over the ruins.”

“I’ll think about it,” Julia said but they both knew she lied.

“Good,” Mel said. In the end, it wouldn’t matter. Ms. Davenport would either find what she was looking for, or not. “Then you’ll join us for a drink?”

Julia didn’t mistake Mel’s question for an invitation.

“Of course,” Julia said, frantically searching her memory to see if she’d packed anything that would pass for a cocktail dress.
 

“This is your room,” Mel said and opened the door.

Julia stepped inside and decided she never wanted to leave. Not just a room, she’d been given a suite with a separate bedroom and bathroom as well as a private balcony overlooking the water. A fan circled lazily overhead, stirring the breeze, and outside the sound of the sea would be all that she heard when she finally laid her head down to sleep.

“If you’ll excuse me,” Mel said. “I have another guest to greet. I will see you downstairs at seven.”

Julia nodded, her attention on the view outside her room.

“Can I get you anything else?” Suri asked.

“Actually, is there a gift shop or a boutique?” Julia asked. “I’m afraid I don’t have anything to wear tonight.”

Suri looked Julia Davenport up and down. Mel hadn’t voiced her reasons for choosing the twenty-nine-year old, but then again, she never did. Julia was tall with generous hips she tried to hide behind sensible shorts, and Suri decided whatever Mel’s reasons they could stand to extent to the woman’s fashion sense.

“Avernus isn’t that kind of resort,” Suri said and Julia wondered what kind of resort it was. “But I’m sure I can find something for you to wear.”

“Thank you,” Julia said, relieved.