Chapter 31
The narrow passage drops straight down before curving slightly to the side.
It’s pitch black, but the small flashlight lets off enough light for me to find my way forward.
My lungs start to burn, and I kick my feet harder.
Damn merman. He probably doesn’t know how often humans need to breathe.
I push against the wall to propel myself faster.
Really wishing I was a stronger swimmer right about now.
Phoenix and I were both on the swim team in college, but that was a long time ago, and he was always faster than I was. These days, I barely spend any time in the water, apart from the occasional summer barbeque at the University President’s house.
Something brushes against my feet, and then a body is half on top of me.
Hands shove my ass. I’m not sure how I know it’s Phoenix, but my reaction is entirely inappropriate.
I know he’s just trying to help out, but my cock doesn’t seem to understand that.
I really don’t need a boner while stuffed in a narrow tunnel underwater, running out of oxygen.
Phoenix’s push shoots me forward, away from the narrow walls. Just when the urge to breathe is almost unbearable, the passage opens up, and I break the surface of the water with a loud gasp. I’m too old for this.
Phoenix rises next to me, looking a lot less winded than I am. The cavern is dark, but my flashlight gives off just enough light to see him.
“You need more exercise, old man,” he teases, splashing water in my face just as I take a large gulp of air.
I sputter and cough. “You’re only three years younger than me, jackass.”
“But I’ve got a lot more stamina.” Phoenix treads water so close, his feet brush against mine, our legs tangling under the water.
“I have plenty of stamina when it counts.” My voice comes out husky. The darkness of the space makes everything feel more intimate. Neither of us look away from each other.
He leans even closer, stubbled cheek brushing against mine. “Prove it.”
Before I can register the words, he’s pushed away from me, swimming toward the edge of the small pool and lifting out of the water.
We’re in an open cavern about the size of a small amphitheater. Shining the flashlight around the space reveals that the pool only covers part of the cave, and the rest is solid rock.
As I’m swimming to the edge, the light from my flashlight illuminates something shiny.
I run my thumb over it and suddenly glowing streaks paint the ceiling, their color similar to the runes on the i'xal when they’re activated.
The blue gleam makes it easier to see what we’re dealing with.
Half of the walls are too smooth and too perfectly spherical to be anything but intentional, while the rest looks to be the natural texture of whatever mountain or cave originally stood here. But it’s clear someone made this place.
As soon as I’m out of the water, I tighten the straps on my backpack, since they came a little loose during the swim.
I’m glad we have some supplies on us, even if it’s not as much as I’d prefer.
The bag’s not waterproof, but there’s nothing inside that will be damaged by getting wet.
A few archeological tools, some bags for storage if we find anything small we’d like to collect to take back, and my waterproof camera.
Phoenix and I are checking out the patterns on the wall as Caspian and Madi come up out of the water. Madi doesn’t look winded or desperate for air. All I hear is a normal breath, almost like a sigh, and then an excited squeal. “This is it. We found it.”
“We don’t know what this is yet,” Phoenix hedges.
“It’s the entrance to Ocearus!” Madi says.
“Or, well… I think so anyway. Maybe.” Madison’s confidence dims when she sees my friend’s face.
I want to punch him for making her doubt herself.
But even I have to admit, I’m not sure this is Ocearus.
All we really know is that it wasn’t made by natural means.
Someone carved this cavern and put those markings on the walls and ceiling.
Most likely, someone with the same technology as whoever made the i’xal.
Phoenix looks at Madi’s crestfallen expression and tries to pivot. “You might be right. It’s definitely something. Let’s look around and see if we can find any clues.”
That perks up the omega a little, but she’s still hesitant as Caspian helps her out of the pool. The merman doesn’t make a move to get out, and I look at him in question.
“I’m going to search underwater, there may be something hidden here for my kind.”
Like whatever turned on the glowing lights.
I nod to him in understanding, and he flips around to dive below, his tail flicking water at me. I wipe the droplets off my face and move closer to Madi while Phoenix moves to one of the rough walls and traces a line along it with his finger.
“You okay?” I ask softly, just for her.
“Yeah, why?” She twists her hair, squeezing out the water.
“The passage was a little longer than I expected, I just wanted to make sure…”
The smile she gives me is easy and light. “I barely noticed it, honestly. Maybe Caspian just moved faster than you.”
He probably did, but I’m still surprised that the little omega would have that kind of lung capacity.
“Were you worried about me?” Her wet shirt is plastered against her body, and I can’t help stepping forward. There’s a magnetic draw between us that I can’t seem to resist.
“I always worry about you.” I brush her hair away from her face, then kiss her forehead before forcing myself to step back. Getting closer to her before she graduates will just make the wait harder on both of us. “Come on, let’s look around.”
Madi stays beside me as we walk to the opposite side of the cavern from where Phoenix is exploring.
He’s dragging his hands along the walls, knocking on random protrusions like he’s going to find a secret latch.
My methods have always been a little more stoic.
I get close to a smooth portion of the rock, examining how perfectly flat it is.
There are no markings or carvings like I would expect to see in something manmade like this.
It looks as if benches have been left along this side, almost like it was a place people waited often.
What they could have been waiting for, I have no idea. There isn’t anything here.
I turn to look across the cavern at my friend. “Find anything?” My voice echoes a little in the empty space.
“Ugh, no.” Phoenix sighs and turns, then leans back against the wall. A rumbling noise fills the cavern, and he jumps up in alarm. A few cracks sound, reminding me of tree limbs snapping or a geode cracking open. Then part of the wall next to where Phoenix just was begins to shift.
“Holy fuck!” Phoenix shouts. “Did I do that?” We watch in anticipation as a large slab of the stone lifts almost like a garage door, sliding into some hidden recess.
None of us move until the door stops and the rumbling ceases.
Even then, we stay frozen and silent for a few beats until a splash breaks the quiet.
I whip my gaze to the left and see Caspian’s head sticking out of the water.
“I was hoping that would happen,” Caspian says.
We all stare at him. “Down below, there was, uh, a device embedded into the rock similar to the ones on our doors in Tythas. I placed my palm on it, and an opening appeared, large enough I could swim through if I wanted.” He points at the new opening in the wall.
“I am glad it opened something on land as well.”
“Damn,” Phoenix pouts, “and here I thought I did it.” He steps toward the new opening.
“Nix,” I growl. “Be careful.”
“I’m always careful,” he sings. He’s a liar, he’s nearly never careful. “Wow, you never would have seen the split in the rock for this door since it’s camouflaged in the—”
He cuts off when we hear more splashes from the pool behind us. Three heads pop out of the water, one right after the other. Branson, Carter, and Rodrick Prescott. Three grad school chumps who never fail to get on my nerves. What the fuck kind of name is Rodrick, anyway?
“What the hell are you doing here?” I say before I can curb my aggression into professionalism.
These boys have always rubbed me wrong. It’s not just because I know they dated Madison.
It’s also the entitled way they approach the world.
The first time I had Branson in a class, he made a point of introducing himself as Theodore Prescott the Third’s grandson—the man who donated the current library—and the son of Gregory Prescott, who’s a well-known board member at the University.
He then proceeded to correct my lecture with facts from an AI article that were entirely ungrounded and false.
“We’re gonna find the lost city of Ocearus,” Branson says casually as he pulls himself out of the water.
“Like hell you will.” Madi stomps over to him and stabs her finger into Branson’s chest. “This is my thesis. My dig. My discovery. You’re not gonna take credit for it.”
“Sure we will,” Carter says, still doggy paddling pathetically toward us, breathing hard after the tunnel. Did I look that winded when I came up for air? I hope not.
“Carter, Rodrick and I are taking over this expedition.” Branson crosses his arms over his chest and glares back at Madi, though his dripping clothes take some of the intimidation out of the posture.
Phoenix moves to her side, angling slightly in front of her, but letting her keep the lead.
Caspian still hasn’t lifted out of the water, clearly not wanting these boys to see his tail.
Thankfully the pool is deep and dark. His worried gaze flicks to me, and I give him a subtle nod, letting him know he’s made the right choice and should stay right where he is.
I sigh and step forward. “There’s no way you’re claiming this discovery, Branson.”
His packmates finally climb out of the water to stand on either side of their leader like watchdogs.
“Well, the way I see it,” Branson says, stepping closer to me. “You’re gonna back us up and say we found this first.” He points toward the open door in the wall.
“And why would I do that?” I counter.
“Because if you don’t, I’ll tell everyone you took advantage of sweet little Madi here.” His glare burns through me. “Didn’t you?”
“Fuck you.” Madi puts her hands on her hips.
But I can’t muster her same anger. I’m frozen in shock. “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I say slowly.
“Oh, I think you do. And I believe my dads would be very interested to learn about what I heard and scented from your office yesterday.”
My heartbeat falters, hands curling into fists. Branson’s dads have had it out for me since I passed the kid up for a spot on a dig last summer. With his father’s position on the school board, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to ruin my reputation and my career, taking down Madi in the process.
“Ah, that’s no fun.” Phoenix steps away from Madison and grins at Branson with a smile I know well. It’s the same one he gets when he’s about to destroy me at poker. “Let’s make this more interesting.”
Branson narrows his eyes. “What do you mean?”
“If this is really Ocearus,” he gestures around us, then at the door, “the real treasure is in the library. Everyone knows that’s what historians really covet. So, let’s make a little wager.”
I stare daggers at my oldest friend, hoping he can feel the intensity of the ire I currently hold for him.
Why the fuck would he entertain a bet with these pompous alphaholes, and even more importantly, why would he gamble with Madi’s future?
This discovery could make her a known name in the archeological world.
It could change the trajectory of her life.
There’s no way in hell I’m going to let Branson Prescott take that away from her, even if it does cost me my career.
Nix clearly can’t sense my wrath because he continues, “Whoever finds the library first gets to claim first discovery.”
“Why would I take that bet when I can just claim it for myself? We all know the naughty professor over here won’t want to risk his tenure.”
Fuck. This little weasel. Little does he know I’d risk anything for Madi. I just don’t want her getting wrapped up in the scandal.
“Because,” Madi jumps in, “if you find the library first, you can finally prove you’re better than me.”
“I am better than you,” he snarls. “Omegas have no place in the field.”
“Except, I found this first. Well, we did,” she corrects herself, looking at Caspian.
“But you didn’t. If you blackmail us into saying you made the discovery, you’ll always know you lied.
That I beat you to it, even if no one else knows.
You won’t have really earned it.” She’s goading him, and it’s clear she knows exactly how to push his buttons.
“If we do what Phoenix suggests, you can prove yourself.”
“I don’t need to prove myself to you,” he says, but the way his posture has changed, the shift in his expression, all of it says he does. He wants to be the big man who beat the little omega. And that’s his weakness.