Glad to hear it. We ate breakfast without saying much. tortillas, beans, and coffee strong enough to wake the dead. The kind of meal that belonged to country like this. When we finished, Seiya set her cup down and looked straight at me. Are you ready?
Ready for what? To begin. To go after the treasure. I leaned back in my chair. Seya, before we take one step, there's something I need to understand.
What? How dangerous is this really? She didn't hesitate. Very dangerous. Desert trackers have been following me for years.
Some only want the gold. Others want something much worse. What could be worse? They want my skin. A cold feeling moved through me.
Sea continued. They honestly believe they can cut the map from my back and carry it away like a piece of hide. The thought sent a chill straight through my bones. Would that even work? No.
Nako made the map differently. It's bound to my blood and to my life. If they cut the skin away, the markings would disappear. But those men don't know that. Or maybe they simply don't care.
Who are they? The most dangerous one is Boon Voss. He's a ruthless treasure hunter. He has killed plenty of men and he's been hunting me for years. Where is he now?
I don't know. Her answer left the kitchen dead silent. That's why we have to move fast, she continued. We need to leave before Boon Voss finds me. I pushed back from the table and stood.
All right, then we start now. What does the map show? Seiya rose as well. Come with me. I'll show you.
We went upstairs to her room. She closed the door, turned her back to me, and once again loosened her blouse. I tried to look only at what mattered, but it was nearly impossible not to stare. Not for any improper reason, but because the thing stretched across her skin was unlike anything I had ever seen. "Look here," she said, pointing near the top of her back.
This mark shows where we are right now. A small star-shaped symbol rested on her skin. It marked the place where my ranch stood. And here, she said, pointing lower down, is the first landmark. They call it three rocks.
It's a stone formation about 3 days north of here. And what are we supposed to find there? The first clue. The map is divided into three stages. Each one takes us closer to the treasure.
What about the second stage? I don't know yet. It won't reveal itself until we reach the first. How can a map do that? Seiya glanced back over her shoulder.