Thero shook his head. “I don’t feel any evil here.”

“What about the curse on the skull?”

“First the seal.”

Together they sorted through all the stone lying on the cave floor at the base of the wall, but there was no sign of the golden seal or its gem.

“A workman could have taken it,” said Alec.

“That’s quite likely.” Thero sighed. “Of course it couldn’t be this easy. Remind me, what did the tablet that sealed this cave say?”

“ ‘Grief resides here.’ That’s all.”

“I wonder if the tablet and the seal were somehow linked? If so, then when the tablet was removed, it might have triggered the rockslide. I can only imagine that very complex magic had been set in place to guard the lower cave, magic that might well have faded over the years.”

“All right. So someone probably stole the seal after the wall fell. A workman sent in to clear the rubble, wouldn’t you say?”

“Yes, that seems likely.”

“So we need to find the person and get it back. Now, what about the skull?”

“What, indeed?” Thero made his way back to the skull and bent over it for a moment. There was nothing obvious emanating from it. He held a hand over it, but there was still nothing. “I’d have to touch bone to get anything from it, if that’s even possible, and that would mean removing the stone coating it.”

“What about the eye sockets?” asked Alec.

“Ah, good observation.” Thero touched the delicate stalactites that veiled the left eye; they fell away with a tiny tinkling sound. Reaching in with one finger, he felt for bare bone and found it at the top of the socket …

A tall, handsome ’faie man with flowing dark brown hair stood here with a beautiful black-haired woman. They were both naked and had just made hurried love on the cave floor surrounded by the whispering spirits of the ancients who’d made this place a sanctuary. She wore only a familiar-looking golden arm ring and now she took it off and gave it to him. He pressed it to his lips as a tear slid down his cheek—

“Thero! Thero, are you all right? Say something.”

The wizard opened his eyes slowly to find himself sitting on the uneven ground next to the pillar, with Alec gripping him by the shoulders. “What’s wrong?”

“You fell over.”

“How long after I touched the skull?”

“About half a second.”

“Interesting. I had an extended vision just now. I think I saw our ghost, and a woman with him.” Thero explained the vision. “The golden arm ring she wore—I think it was the same one Lady Zella showed us at the governor’s house. I must have another look at it, and see if any impressions remain as to who the woman was. She was black-haired, like the one you described. May I?”