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They continued to follow the wall in silence as it curved around the corner. The crystals had now changed color to a muted red, casting the hallway in a ghastly light. While the blue and gold had added an almost magical glow, the red made it appear as if they were the unwilling stars of a twentieth century horror film.

“I will lead.”

Rieka opened her mouth to argue.

But Dante interjected before she could form the words. “I am far more likely to survive an ambush than you. And unless I’m mistaken, your eyesight hasn’t improved, unlike your other senses.”

Two very valid points. “After you.”

The path became narrower and narrower. At one point, Rieka held out her arms and her fingers grazed either side of her, at this rate they would be crawling soon.

Dante stopped suddenly, stooping slightly, blocking what was in front. She pushed past him and stared at the skinny black door that looked out of place down there. The red light seemed to disappear into it as if it was absorbing its brightness. It reminded her of a black hole or Dante’s uniform. The door didn’t appear to be smooth. Long, disjointed lines were carved into the solid mass.

Dante moved closer. “It has an inscription.” He reached out, tracing the images with his hand. His eyes grew wider.

Rieka let out a slow breath. Tingles rushed through her as she stared at the door. “What does it say?”

“Come read it for yourself. It’s in an early Atlantean dialect that you should be familiar with.”

She didn’t need to be asked twice. She stood next to Dante as she traced the images, and their fingers brushed up against each other.

Rieka looked at Dante. She retraced the words. She couldn’t quite believe it. “Here lies what remains of House Atlas.”

She closed her eyes and slowly opened them. The image of two serpopards and their entwined necks stared back at her, taunting her.

“Oh my,” Rieka said, her voice raspy.

She reached out again, tracing the ancient Atlantean dialect just to make sure she hadn’t imagined it. She pricked her finger. Annoyance flooded through her as she glared at the offending digit. The engraving was a lot sharper than she had thought.

The world around them vibrated. Strong hands pulled her back into the darkness as bright light flooded through the growing gap. Her heart fluttered at the touch. It made her want so much more; it made the secrets of the tomb fade into the background. Rieka swallowed as she allowed herself to lean against Dante.

The surrounding crystals, scattered along the wall, flickered to life, growing brighter than she had ever seen them. The white light was blinding. Dante cursed next to her as he covered his eyes.

“Oh.”

Nothing had prepared her for the sight before her.

Chapter 42

Danteblinkedashegrew used to the brightness. It was not what he had expected; the corridor was lined with beautiful ancient statues, each more elaborate and intricate than the previous one. It was an ancient grotto. But nothing compared to the woman who stood next to him. Her exhilaration pulsed through him; the intensity was palpable. Memories of almost forgotten emotions teased him, made him want more.

“The tomb may actually be here,” Rieka whispered. Hope tinged her words.

“Where to now?”

The renaissance masters of his childhood had not even come close to the realism of what he was looking at. Dante moved to the nearest one. A giant male towered over him. Sculpted entirely out of a pale pink marble. It was realistic enough that, for a moment, he wondered if he touched it, would it feel like flesh or stone? If the muscles would ripple under his fingers? The giant carried a trident in his right arm and wore a simple tunic that reached his knees. It was clearly a nod to their ancient seafaring history. The Atlanteans had ruled the seas long before their human counterparts; Atlantis itself had never left its island roots.

“Who do you think they are? Atlanteans?” Rieka asked, as she moved to stand next to him. “Or the Anki?” she added, whispering.

Rieka made it sound like saying their name out loud was sacrilegious and may transfer them some sort of power. Perhaps it was. The Atlanteans had tried to wipe out their existence from history for a reason.

She turned and smiled at him, her eyes crinkling at the corners as she gazed upon the statues. Her excitement was contagious. “It will take a lifetime to study them all.”

There was an element of bittersweetness in her tone. A lifetime for an Atlantean was thousands of years. For a hybrid, it could be as short as a human life span, barely over one hundred years. He pushed the dark thought away. For the first time, something other than his drive for power and wealth was influencing him. It was terrifying. The need to safeguard Rieka was paramount. She would baulk at a cage, but that wouldn’t stop him from ensuring that no one would think of harming her.

“Whoever they are, they were important enough to immortalize,” Dante answered after a few minutes. “Can you still hear the humming?”

“It is quiet here. Peaceful.” Rieka looked down at her arm. “It has stopped.”