The Devil Doesn't Bargain (MatD part 2)

Chapter FORTY TWO - Schematics and Betrayal

The darkness of the entrance soon lightened until bright rays of sunlight filtered down in hazy ribbons from a crack in the stone near the ceiling of the mine. Deep green vines and gentle leaves dripped down from the fissure like droplets from a waterfall, curling up and around thin slabs of rock nestled into each other in an arch too precise not to have been formed by hands. A few bouncing, sharp horklumps dotted the meeting of floor and wall and nearly concealed the dulled glint of some sort of copper tubing that had been drilled into the walls.

If it hadn't have been for such an object or the prick of my hair on my arms, I may have forgotten where we were. The space frighteningly peaceful.

We picked our way around the walls, careful not to catch the edges of our clothing on the thorns of the violet mushrooms at our ankles.

Abruptly, the peace returned to the intricate rounded walls of the entrance, the fine metal work and pipe wheels adorning each side until opening up once more. The cave around us had ceilings too high to see without squinting, the small pipes now grand and grotesque, curving around every rock and branching out into holes in the stone. At the center of it all sat a grand metal arch with a pointed fence on either side and a platform nestled in the center. 

A lift. 

It seemed all entry or exit to the mine was through the way we'd just come or the metal contraption before us. There were no other openings. 

A pebble at the toe of my boot skittered across the floor, tapping against the stone and echoing around the cavern along with the gentle tinging of cogs. I worried the hum of voices below would pause but they continued on unwavered.

Sebastian inched closer to the lift, our entwined hands pulling me along with him. 

He scoffed quietly. "Oh I'm sure this thing is quiet as a mandrake."

Ominis furrowed his brows.

"A lift." Anne explained, the light of Ominis' wand nearly brushing against her lips and whispered words. 

"This ought to make for quite the sneaky entrance. Just as we hoped! Don't you think Ominis?"

"Would you be quite serious already Sebastian?"

"What if Anne charmed it? Like in Hogsmeade?"

The boys ceased their bickering and turned their heads in frightening unison.

Anne watched me curiously. "You mean the protective charm? Cave inimicum?"

I nodded.

She shook her head gently. "I've never tried it on anything moving."

"But it could work?"

"In theory I suppos-"

"Perfect. Then we do that."

Sebastian clenched his jaw. "And what if there are goblins at the bottom of this thing and they see us coming down. Won't much matter then if this death trap makes noise."

"Actually..." Anne shrugged. "...if I can cast it well enough, anyone outside of it wouldn't be able to see, hear or even smell us. It'll be just as if the lift malfunctioned or something to that degree."

"Could you?" Sebastian's eyes narrowed and though our voices were still hushed, his rang slightly louder. "Cast it well enough?"

Anne matched his gaze, a bit of defense latched to her words. "If it can work while we are in motion, absolutely. "

"I'm hearing a fair amount of 'ifs' in this scenario." Ominis' voice sung the quietest of us all.

Her eyes flashed to mine and my gut answered. "I trust you. If anyone can do it, it'll be you."