Four

Elisa climbed down into the cavern just as Goliath, Angela, and Bronx were waking, but the sand was now at their knees. Bronx was nearly consumed by sand and whined at the trouble he was having. "Stay calm!" Elisa insisted in a whisper. "The tide's coming back in, so the sand should loosen up soon enough."

Goliath gritted his teeth, his legs felt as if they were in cement. "A trap!"

"Maybe so," Angela put her hand on the cavern wall to stay balanced, "but right now we've got to worry about getting out of here before doing anything about it."

Growing furious, Goliath roared and pulled himself from the murk, then calmed slightly and pulled Angela, then Bronx from the sand. Brushing the barnacles from his elbows, Goliath glowered at Elisa, making her shrink. "Where are they?"

"Goliath, there's something bigger we need to worry about right now."

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Fabian shook the stone from his wings as Maria gasped. The twins were gone, along with their big, black dog, and Feste was sniffing the ground, confused by their absence. "Duke! The Sinclairs!"

"That wretched human must have found them!" Duke's eyes glowed and then he glared at Valentine and Fabian. "How could she survive the tide?"

"Duke, you didn't!"

His rage lessening, Duke turned to Olivia, speechless as she glared at him. "Hey everybody!" A head poked down into the cavern.

Olivia, Maria, and Andrew all sighed in relief while Duke yanked the young man down into the cavern. "Where's your sister?"

"She's up there," Sebastian's mouth went dry, "why?"

"Viola!"

"Hush!" Viola commanded, following Antonio down into the cavern. "We're not alone anymore!"

Sebastian began to explain everything. "There's people up there with ships and all kind of equipment!"

"Were you seen?" Duke gazed at Viola.

Viola quickly shook her head and Duke sighed, relieved for a moment. "With all the racket the three o' ya make, it's hard not ta notice." Toby grumbled.

"Quiet," Olivia insisted, staring at the old man and then looking back to Duke, "perhaps we should take to the air."

"Elisa said they're developers—"

Duke roared with fury. "What!"

"Sebastian!"

Duke glared at Viola, making her back away. "You said no one saw you."

"Don't get mad at her," Sebastian defended, "I was the one who found Elisa."

"I'm not surprised." Duke's face became dark. "From this point further, no one leaves this cavern without permission. Olivia, come with me."

Olivia gently placed her claw on Sebastian's shoulder affectionately and then followed her mate, the pair disappearing. "Don't worry," Curio assured, patting Sebastian on the arm, "he'll get over it."

Maria went to Viola. "I was so worried!"

"We were fine," Viola replied, "Elisa was nice…"

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A thump came from behind and Goliath turned, Bronx growling at the intruders. Duke and Olivia appeared. "Forgive us," Duke insisted, "we have many things to protect. We shall explain all of this to you when there is more time."

"Yes," Angela agreed, speaking for Goliath, who was looking wrathful, "there are men everywhere. Elisa's gone to speak with them."

"They're machines are much bigger this time." Olivia shuddered. "And there's a lot more than the last treasure seekers."

Goliath looked at the two with suspicion. "We have had many people on this island and have successfully eradicated them…there's many things on this island to hide."

The gargoyles stayed hidden within the brush, watching the interaction between the humans. Elisa was speaking with a tall, handsome blonde haired man, who seemed to observing her with much interest.

"So let me summarize your story." The man stated. "You came here looking for children who've been missing, presumed dead, for over two years? How come I was not aware of this taking place? This island is private territory, my territory."

Elisa was slightly taken aback and then shrugged. "You mustn't have gotten the memo."

"No." The man, who introduced himself as Malcolm Volio, retorted. "Let us say that there was a memo, that these two children are on this island, with their Labrador, but that still doesn't explain why you so brazenly decided to investigate here. In short, you are intruding, and you have no right to be here."

"Excuse me?"

"No, excuse me, my lady," Malcolm replied as a pair of large men appeared, "but I'm going to kindly escort you off of my island as soon as possible, but until then, I hope you'll find your new home most accommodating."

The men moved forward and Elisa stepped back, but right into someone else. Grabbing her arms, the man behind her subdued her until the other pair of them came to hold her as well. "Take her to my trailer, I won't need it tonight."

"You can't do this!"

Malcolm watched his men take Elisa away. "This is my island; I can do whatever I want."

In the brush, Goliath was prepared to attack the men, but Duke and Olivia stopped him. "You have much more to lose than her should you show yourself," Olivia commented, "she'll be all right for now, but until then we must regroup. We gargoyles have limited moonlight."

Angela looked up at Goliath, awaiting his reaction. "Come with us," Duke insisted, "there's some things we need to show you."

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"Duke and Olivia are back!" Andrew shouted. "What you see?"

Duke and Olivia went into the cavern, followed by the three visitors from the night before. "Enough," Duke replied, "to know that our secrets will be harder to keep this time."

Sebastian spoke up. "Where's Elisa?"

"Speaking with the other humans," Olivia comforted the boy, "all is well for the moment, Sebastian."

"These are the Sinclairs," Duke said, looking to Goliath and Angela, "among our secrets on this island, Viola and Sebastian are the greatest we keep."

Goliath nodded to the pair, who eyed the newcomers with curiosity. Toby then continued the story. "They're heirs o' the men who came here long ago, the men who brought the first eggs to this island. Six hundred years ago Henry Sinclair led the expedition 'cross this sea from his homeland, in Scotland, and he came upon this island where he buried the things he treasured most."

Olivia sighed. "And since we are now their guardians, we thought the pair of them were not old enough to hold the secrets of the pit yet."

Viola raised her brow. "What secrets? It's a depression filled with mud"

"Not so, lass," Toby replied, "only Henry Sinclairs heirs, heirs of the Templar Knights legacy, were the ones who could successfully read the ancient epigraph and understand it. Andrew, the stone."

Andrew nodded and went to the eggs. He gently moved them out of the way and then produced a huge stone with things written across it. It was shaped as an oval with peculiar writing carved into it. When Andrew set it down, making Curio jump out of the way as Sebastian instantly went to the stone.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Viola glared at Duke, her eyes a message of hurt.

Fabian and Valentine all glanced at each other with uncertainty. "He didn't want any harm to come to you." Maria spoke up. "We thought it was best for you."

"It's all in weird shapes…" Sebastian replied, "like runes or…directions…nobody could read this!"

"I remember letters like this in Avalon," Angela said, going toward Sebastian, "it's a protection spell…not codes or directions, but one that would protect the treasure until the heirs came. But what are the templar knights?"

Goliath spoke up again. "Poor knights of God. A faction like the illuminati or Free Masons."

"Our dad was a Free Mason," Viola said, "remember, Sebastian?"

"What about Elisa?" Sebastian diverted the subject. "Shouldn't someone be watching her?"

"Oh they are," Goliath replied, "very closely."