A grinding of stone on stone growled through the air, and slowly the entire standing tombstone rotated, angel and all, onto its side. That opened a hole in the ground that was pitch black, to my aged eyes. I snorted at the thought as I peered into the dark. Cool air rushed up and out, curling around us, smelling of old graves. I thought maybe I heard a voice come with the air, but I couldn’t be sure.

Corb brushed past me, going down first.

I smiled. “Agreed, Corb, ladies first.”

His back stiffened for just a split second, and then he continued down the stairs. Tom let out a low laugh. “Oh, girl, you are going to be so much fun.”

I shrugged and winked at him. “I don’t have time to be bothered with fools. I mean, especially at my age. Gawd in heaven, what have I got left? Ten years at best? I’ll be dead before you know it.”

Tom waved for me to precede him. “Oh, only five, girl. Assuming the consumption don’t take you, or you fall and break a hip.”

I laughed. “Or yellow fever?”

Old-school banter, I could do that all night. Only they didn’t laugh at that bit, none of them did. Crap. So much for my moment of levity. If anything, Tom’s eyes went deadly serious.

“Yellow fever wasn’t much what people thought it was. But you’ll find out nearer the end of your training.”

“Really?” I tipped my head to the side.

Louis went down the stairs next. He glanced over his shoulder. “Not yet, Tom. She doesn’t need to know that until she gets through the training.”

Intrigued, I leaned toward Tom. “I can keep a secret. And now I’m curious.”

Gran had never mentioned the history of yellow fever being anything but what it was—a devastating disease that had terrified people.

“Ah, don’t be getting me in trouble already.” Tom sighed. “Maybe you can get Eammon to talk to you about it.”

And that was that. All the men had gone down the stairs, leaving me at the top all by myself. Well, not quite. From the corner of my eye, I noticed a swaying body.

Robert tapped a finger bone on the wrought iron fence. “Friend.”

“Robert.” I gave him a little salute, somehow feeling better that he was there, watching over me. Silly, I know.

The space was so dark I couldn’t see a single stair, but there was a good railing on the one side. I gripped hard, took a deep breath, and followed it down in a long curve that led to the right in two big loops. I found myself counting the steps. Eighteen, that was an unusual number. Like a flight and a half.