Bad Romeo Christmas: A Starcrossed Anthology (Starcrossed #4)(40)

I shrug. "Not really. The only superstition I believe in is something called the ghostlight. You see, in most theaters, the stage managers leave a tall lamp in the middle of the stage when everyone goes home for the night. Some people think it's just for safety to stop people crossing a pitch black stage and plummeting into the orchestra pit. But a lot of theater folk believe that theaters are haunted, and the ghostlight allows the spirits to perform while no one is there. They think if the ghosts are happy, they won't cause accidents in the theater."

"Do you think that's true?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure. But I still put a ghostlight on every night when I'm running a show. Better to be safe than sorry, right?"

He smiles. "Right."

We turn off the road and head down a dirt track, and it's not long before I hear the sound of running water. As the car emerges from the forest canopy, I get my first look at the sapphire-blue lake I saw from the air.

"Wow. It's gorgeous."

Luis pulls the car over and cuts the engine. "Yes, it's a beautiful spot."

In front of us is a white beach, and on the opposite side of the circular lake is a tall, basalt cliff, over which is spilling a stunning waterfall. The lake is crystal clear, and I can't wait to see if it feels as good as it looks.

Luis leads me down to where a luxurious 'beach hut' sits by the water. By this point, I'm completely unsurprised to discover it's the size of a small house.

"There are drinks and snacks in the fridge here," he says as he opens the French doors to a spacious living area. "And also a full bathroom with spa. If you need me, just lift the handset over there and press the button. It will come straight to my phone."

"Thank you, Luis." I look around at the dark border of forest that surrounds the lake. "Alba said there were dangerous creatures here. Is that true?"

Luis shakes his head. "Not to my knowledge, and I've covered every square inch of this island over the past few months. There are some monkeys, the odd pygmy boar, and a whole bunch of reptiles, but nothing that should give you any trouble. Most of them will run a mile if they see you."

"Okay, cool. Just as long as there are no Elissa-eating jaguars or anything."

"Oh, there were a few of those,” he says with a smile. “But I made sure to banish them before you arrived. You’ll be perfectly safe.” He points to the hut's phone. "When you get bored, just buzz me and I'll come pick you up."

"Will do."

He waves before jumping into the jeep and driving away.

I have a quick snoop around the hut, and after uncapping an ice-cold cola, I discover a small library of books.

"Excellent."

I grab a random book and take my drink and bag out to the beach. The heat of the sun isn't too bad, so I ditch my sarong, spread out my towel, and make myself comfortable.

Sitting in the sun is a bizarre experience for someone who spends most of her time in the dark. Even though I'm a semi-vampiric New Yorker, I could get used to this.

I'm five chapters into a terrible book about a zombie apocalypse when I hear a noise behind me in the trees. When I turn to find out what made it, I see a clutch of long-limbed monkeys studying me from high in the canopy.

"Hey, guys. Wassup?" They blink at me. God, they're cute. "FYI, avoid this book. It's terrible. Don't get me wrong, I'm going to totally keep reading it, but get ready for some ranting, okay? The author has zero clue about how to fight zombies. Total idiot."

More wide-eyed blinking.

"Okay, good talk. I'm going to have a swim now. Watch my stuff for me, alright?"

I drop my book and walk down to the water. Without thinking too much, I run and dive in. The cool temperature is a shock to the system after the warm sun, but at least it's refreshing. Feeling energized, I swim out into the center of the lake. Even out here, the water is so clear, I can see fish below me, as well as crabs and rocks on the sandy bottom.

In awe of the incredible location, I lie back and float for a while, enjoying my first real tropical experience. I'm just bummed I'm not sharing it with Liam. I pray the time passes quickly until he arrives.

After a few minutes of floating, the sound of the waterfall lulls me into dozing, and I close my eyes as all my limbs relax.

Balancing on the edge of consciousness, I lose track of time. When I open my eyes again, the sun is lower in the sky and has been dulled by a bank of dark clouds on the horizon.

"Okay, that doesn't look good."

I swim back to the beach and grab my towel. As I'm drying myself, I see that the monkeys are still in their spot, staring at me. I also notice my book and drink are missing.

"Alright, who's the thief?" I wrap my towel around my chest and head toward them. "I asked you to watch my stuff, and you steal it. Not cool, guys." They watch warily as I approach. "You can keep the drink, but how about you give back the book? I have to see how that train wreck ends, okay?"

Looking up at them, I can't see any evidence of my stuff. Maybe they dropped it.

I scour the ground before going farther into the forest to see if it's in the undergrowth. I've only gone a few yards when I see a break in the trees. It's a clearing, and smack bang in the middle is a huge piece of rectangular stone.

"Oh, wow. Could that be the creepy death altar? I think so."