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“Are you finished?” Dante asked, the masculine smirk on his face unmistakable.

Heat flushed through her; she should be ashamed that she’d been caught ogling Dante. But she wasn’t in the least. Dante was out of bounds, but it didn’t mean she couldn’t torture herself with some innocent flirting. “For now.”

Chapter 20

Therewasmorethanone hundred thousand years of history at Rieka’s fingertips.

She stared at the glittering jewels laid out on the table, but she didn’t know where to start. Even the smallest piece was worth more than the equivalent of the GDP of a small country. It all belonged in a museum, not hidden away. At least not housed this far underground.

The growing thud in the back of her head couldn’t dampen her enthusiasm. But it was beginning to affect her concentration. And it was turning into the headache from hell. She had been staring at the pieces for at least twenty minutes. The quiet had originally been soothing, but now it had taken an ominous tone. Being left alone with her thoughts was not always helpful for her productivity levels.

“Am I even allowed to be in the same room as the jewels?” Rieka half-jokingly asked Dante as he walked back into the room.

Most of the elite Atlanteans had archaic notions of bloodlines, and as a hybrid, she was low in the pecking order.

Dante’s eyes narrowed; he stood on the other side of the table. “Yes.”

A one-word answer, as if anyone would be idiotic enough to argue with him.

“You don’t seem overly impressed with the jewels.”

“I am. I can’t even describe how beautiful they are,” Rieka began. She was being honest. The glittering stones, the gold and silver pieces, the diamond that was almost twice the size of the infamous Cullinan diamond. The collection would have most people in awe, but they just didn’t have the same pull for her. “They are too perfect.”

“An interesting problem to have,” Dante said in a deadpan tone.

It sounded weird, but it was the best way to describe it. The jewels were all gorgeous, designed to elicit an emotion of awe and wonder. But she much preferred to analyze pieces that were not so pristine. Pieces that held a story within them that was beyond their aesthetic value. The broken or forgotten pieces. Their stories were always so much more encompassing and interesting.

“I agree.”

Rieka turned at the male voice behind her. She hadn’t heard a sound before he spoke. A huge dark shadow came into the light. Giant was an understatement. The Atlantean took up most of the archway. He looked close to seven feet tall but moved as silently as a cat stalking its prey.

“Idris,” Dante said, a genuine smile lighting up his face.

Idris grinned; white teeth flashed as he turned to look at Dante. Rieka took a moment to stare at the newcomer. Dressed in black from head to toe, he could easily pass as a shadow, even in the light. His dark Mediterranean skin was a stark contrast to the silver-streaked black buzz cut. Intelligent bright blue eyes peered back at her.

For a second, she had the impression he could see straight into her soul. He was ethereally beautiful but masculine. There was also a level of serenity within him that she had never come across, something that instinctively calmed her more than any meditation class ever would.

“The illustrious Dr. Sinha,” Idris said as he half-bowed with a flourish that should have been reserved for royalty. “Your reputation precedes you.”

“Rieka. And I hope it’s only the good parts,” Rieka said.

“I would listen to no other.” Idris winked at her. “It is not every day I am graced with the presence of another scholar. We truth seekers need to work together.”

“Idris,” Dante warned.

Idris ignored him and continued as if he had not been interrupted, “The main collection is kept separate and doesn’t include the trinkets you are studying. I can show them to you.”

Trinkets. The small delicate pieces she had been studying were magnificent, each piece outshining the previous item. But she was intrigued. And not just at the promise of more artifacts. “Of course.”

“Dante, you are also invited,” Idris added as he turned and disappeared back into the shadows. “Come.”

For someone Idris’ size, he moved with the elegance of a dancer. And just as noiselessly. Rieka was not naïve enough to believe the gentle-giant persona. The plain clothes hid muscles that looked like they had been forged in battle and not in the gym.

“Idris will be insulted if we do not follow him,” Dante said as he brushed up against her. “And he will never let me forget.”

Rieka’s skin tingled in response. If she wasn’t careful, she could quickly become addicted to Dante’s presence and touch.

Riekawanderedthefloor.The urge to frolic and touch everything was overwhelming. She had gone to heaven. Talik had been right. The archive, as they called it, had nothing on what was held within the cavernous vault. It appeared never ending. Priceless artifact after priceless artifact surrounded her.