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Rieka took the first step. The metal beneath her swayed. A dark look of concentration crossed her features as she squared her shoulders.

“Let’s get this over with.”

Chapter 41

“Onethousandandthreefucking steps.”

Rieka hated stairs with an intensity she didn’t think she had in her. Whoever had built the staircase was a masochist. It must have been an hour since they started their descent into what she could only describe as hell. She was covered in a cold sweat. Dante had been there the entire time, catching her every time she had almost tripped. The pounding in her head continued to grow louder, but at least it drowned out the pain in her arm.

Every so often, Dante would look at her. Bless his icy Atlantean heart—he hadn’t outright asked her about it. This way, she didn’t have to lie.

The air was stale, with a hint of a metallic aftertaste. She scrunched her nose; the smell of damp earth was overwhelming. The pale blue lights had transitioned into a pale-yellow glow as they had descended.

At the landing, there was an open, dimly lit empty room. Disappointment flared through her for a moment until she realized that the room was in fact a large corridor.

“Finally.” It took all her energy to not kiss the ground she was walking on.

Dante waited patiently for her. He looked unbothered, as if he had just gone for a stroll. Not spent the last hour navigating a staircase that belonged in a haunted house.

A large silver web glistened under the yellow light. Rieka let out an involuntary shiver. At least there was no sign of the long-legged monsters she knew would go with the webs. The shifting stairs and the light must have forced them to retreat into the darkness. “How are you so calm and collected?”

Dante raised an eyebrow. “Practice. Atlanteans attack any form of weakness. Perception is a powerful tool.” Dante walked over to where Rieka stood, towering over her. “You did well, Wildfire.”

Uh-huh. If Dante was trying to distract her, he was doing a damn good job. All thoughts of anything but Dante fled her mind.

“I can sense your desire.” Dante lowered his mouth until she could feel the warmth of his breath. His fingers grazed her hips. “Don’t tempt me.”

It should have mortified her. Instead, it sent a thrill through her as she clenched her legs together. Rieka sighed as she forced herself to walk away from Dante. They were here for a reason. “They must have built the Arx on the foundation of an older building.”

She wandered farther down the corridor. Dante’s gaze continued to burn into her as he watched her. It added an extra bounce to her step.

The cavern walls were unnaturally smooth. No hint of how it was built. The crystals continued to flicker, oscillating between pale blue and gold. The stone was ice cold under her fingers. “Do you think they booby-trapped the area?” Rieka didn’t know exactly whotheywere, and if she was being honest with herself, she didn’t really want to find out. A glimpse of the serpopards had been enough to last a lifetime.

“Most likely.” Dante walked to her side. “I would have.”

A slight hum thrummed through the air. More of a vibration than a sound. “Do you feel that?”

Dante looked down at Rieka. “No.”

Rieka grimaced. “Maybe it’s my overactive imagination.”

He reached out to touch Rieka’s arm, gently pulling away her sleeve until he could see the pulsating bracelet. “Or it could be linked to what you are wearing. Were you going to tell me it restarted?”

She wanted to snatch her arm back. “Eventually. It’s gotten more insistent since we started walking down the stairs from hell.”

Dante raised an eyebrow.

“Would you have tried to make me go back?”

“There would not have been any trying,” Dante sighed. “Talik and Khalida would have made their way down here. They may still be on their way.”

They had no way of knowing. Their tech seemed to have stopped working as soon as they’d gone in the vault. A coincidence that Rieka would not look too far into. Just like the temple in Turkey, but this time, she wasn’t alone.

“No. I need to be down here. I know the tomb is here. What my mom and your father were looking for.” Had she gone too far? Bringing in his father—no.

“If the tempo increases, we return to the surface,” Dante ordered in a tone that would not broach any arguments. “No ifs or buts.”

Rieka nodded. It wasn’t just the bracelet that had seemed to come to life. Her pendant thrummed against her chest in time with it. She glanced up at Dante. He wore a blank expression, but the small tick on his jaw was doing double time. She started walking, but she didn’t need to wait long. Dante was not far behind. She was quickly getting used to having an Atlantean shadow.