Pure Blood (Time Spirit Trilogy, #3) by Melissa Pearl

day?”
    “Make out day?”
    “Okay, you guys aren’t seriously expecting me
to believe that you two just happened to be away on the same
day.”
    “I was sick.” Gemma’s eyes rounded with
innocence.
    “Yeah, you look sick.”
    Gemma couldn’t help a smile. She blushed and
dropped her head. Darren rolled his eyes, mumbling about the
unfairness of it all.
    “Courtney won’t even skip one class for a
little,” he whistled, “behind the bleachers.”
    “She’s a good girl.” Harrison slapped
Darren’s shoulder.
    The bell echoed through the hallway. He
turned to Gemma with regret.
    “It’s okay.” She kissed him. “I’ll tell you
later.”
     
    The day seemed to drag. Now he had two things
to worry about. Questions had been swirling in his head like a
tornado all morning.
    What does Gemma want to tell me? She looked
pretty worried. What are her parents up to now?
    His thoughts turned black then veered left as
they collided with the second twister.
    Will the box be there? Will Mom even buy it?
What if she thinks I’ve forged the letter somehow?
    The final bell rang clear and Harrison jumped
from his seat, listening to his classmates snicker as he fumbled
with his books.
    Gemma was right on his heels as they made a
beeline for the exit. He’d already arranged for Rosie to get a ride
home. She was a little peeved, but when he explained he needed some
quality time with his girlfriend she forgave him. Sweet Rosie, she
was a sucker for romance.
    They took both the car and the bike, knowing
Gemma would have to ride double time to get home without too many
questions. She didn’t have any fake excuses for Thursdays and was
expected at home on time.
     
    The cemetery was near empty as they
approached. Gemma’s relief was palpable.
    “I was worried we’d have to come back another
day and with you guys moving so soon, we’re running out of
time.”
    “Well, let’s not waste any more.”
    She squeezed his hand and led him to a back
corner, out of sight of the basilica. Nestled beneath a clump of
trees was a tiny headstone that was impossibly hard to see.
Dropping to her knees, Gemma brushed away the earthy debris then
turned to him and smiled.
    The plaque was bare, barring a tiny N carved
into the corner.
    “This is it.” Gemma produced a small trowel
from her bag.
    He tipped his head doubtfully and she just
smiled.
    “I told him to make it as inconspicuous as
possible… and also as shallow as was safe.”
    “Well, he’s certainly taken inconspicuous to
heart. How did you know this hiding spot would even be here?”
    “I found this spot when we first moved here.
I used to skateboard down here and hide when I wanted to get away
from... everything. It’s such a good spot, don’t you think?”
    Harrison nodded, watching her scrape around
the edges of the plaque.
    “These trees have been here for centuries.
They may not have been this big when Nathaniel hid the stuff here,
but they would have been sizable.”
    Harrison drummed his fingers as he took in
the monstrous roots that were popping free of the earth. He
imagined Nathaniel stealing here under the cover of darkness and
burying his treasure with a small prayer.
    “Do you want me to have a go for a
while?”
    “No it’s okay.” Gemma grunted as she dug a
little deeper. “Just keep an eye out for me.”
    Reluctantly Harrison turned away to make sure
they were still alone. A young couple with tourist backpacks were
ambling through the gardens taking photos of everything. They
looked to be coming this way, but veered down the path and headed
towards the large cross on the water’s edge. He turned back and
released his breath.
    Gemma had dug quickly; the edge of a small
wooden box was now exposed.
    “Here, help me lift it.”
    Dropping to his haunches, he joined Gemma in
wiggling and pulling the box free. They both landed on their
backsides with a huff, each clinging to an iron handle.
    Gemma’s eyes danced as she scrambled to her
knees. Studying