Chapter 13
AMRI
I can’t help but feel like I’m in Indiana Jones or Tomb Raider as the six of us sneak into Kom Ombo Temple.
My beast lends me her night vision as we make our way past the preserved carvings on the walls.
It’s nearly three in the morning. I still haven’t slept, and at this point I’m running on strong Egyptian coffee and adrenaline.
It’s been over twenty-four hours since I overheard Mara and Circe’s conversation, and sure, maybe I should have stuck around and found out more about what was going on, but I can admit that my anger got the better of me.
It happens.
Ahead, Sadie leans into Alexandros’ space, peering at the phone in his hand, the two of them whispering and pointing, trying to figure out which way to go.
Rian hangs back, slowing at my side, nudging me with his shoulder. “You okay?”
The faint whiff of smoke still clings to his hair, and I recall what they told me about the hunters burning down Rian’s estate in Thailand, the brief appearance of Askari, and their escape.
They’ve been on the move ever since, evading hunters, and now unfortunately they also have to worry about an attack from Circe.
I nod, shrugging as I say, “Yeah, just tired.”
His hand lands on my arm, halting us both as the others turn to the right and disappear around a columned wall. “Thanks again for coming to warn us about Circe.”
My smile feels tired on my lips as I say, “Forewarned is forearmed.”
His brows crinkle. “Let’s hope so. It feels like our enemies have surrounded us on all sides.” A small smile softens his expression. “It’s nice to have an ally with us.”
As soon as I told them all what Leonora and Circe were planning, Sadie and Kat wasted no time putting out the alert to the Silver Thread Coven.
The witches are currently working on their own concealment spells, warding spells, and detection spells.
I hope it will be enough, but a part of me suspects it won’t be.
Not with Circe involved. She’s too powerful.
We start walking again, turning the corner to follow the others who are huddled around yet another stone wall covered with carvings, whispers flying between them.
I ask Rian, “Do you really think this Tooth of Sobek is here? It’s a very well-preserved historical site. I would think if a relic like this tooth was found, it would be in a locked display or have been shipped off to some museum.”
He shrugs as we join the others. “We’ll find out tonight.”
As I wait for Sadie and Alexandros to decide where to head from here, I finger the stone in my pocket, wishing we had figured out how to expand the reach of the concealment spell contained within this rock to others—not for lack of trying.
Pop. Pop.
Bodi cracks his knuckles, the alpha on high alert as he stands guard over his mates. Kat takes Rian’s hand, and I … I stand here with a hole in my heart because I could be a part of this, of this family, of this love. But Malik doesn’t want me.
“He doesn’t want the bond. Not the same thing.” My beast reminds me.
It still hurts.
Alexandros tilts his head at the wall, weaves some signs that pique my interest because while there are a few movements that I recognize, there are some I don’t, and the order in which he is weaving this spell …
It’s hard to remember that he’s so new to all this.
He’s a real natural. He’d be a great enforcer actually.
With a low rumble, the ground trembles, and the wall in front of Alexandros shakes, sending sand cascading around his feet. My brows climb towards my hairline as the wall sinks into the sand, revealing a pitch-black passageway that looks like it hasn’t seen the light of day in centuries.
“So cool! What if there’s treasure in there!” My beast vibrates under my skin with her excitement, and I can’t help but smile as we step inside.
Bodi leads, because of course he does, and Sadie and Alexandros turn on the flashlights on their phones. The rest of us follow—and Rian who enters last—weaves a quick spell to close and seal the door.
I gulp, suddenly feeling, well … entombed.
As we walk, I realize there’s a slight slope to the passageway, and as we descend, my shoulders bunch tighter. To distract myself from my sudden claustrophobia, I ask Rian, who’s right behind me with his hand in Kat’s, “Weird question. I asked Malik but he didn’t know.”
Bodi’s steady stride stutters, crunching on the sand-covered stone underfoot, and the smallest hiss of breath expels from Rian. They miss their brother, and I’m sure his absence hangs heavier on their shoulders with every passing hour he remains captive.
But both males are quick to recover, and Rian says, “Shoot.”
“Do you three have the same sire?”
Kat barks a laugh that echoes loudly off the sandstone walls and low ceiling. “They’re triplets.”
I nod, trying to keep my expression more patient than patronizing, though I doubt Kat can even see my face very well in the dark. “I’m aware.”
Rian’s triceps flex as he squeezes her hand and says, “Female panthers have an ability called superfecundation, and shifters have the same ability. They release multiple eggs during their heat cycle, which means each egg has the potential to be fertilized by a different male.”
Up ahead, Sadie skids to a stop, whipping around. “Really?”
Bodi comes up behind her, his large hands cupping her shoulders as he leans down and says right in her ear, “Yup.”
Sadie jumps and shivers, and Bodi grins at his stunned mate.
Kat angles her head to the side, brows furrowed. “That’s … unsettling.”
Rian shrugs, focusing back on me. “To answer your question, I don’t know, but I’ve always assumed so.”
I nod. “That’s what Malik said.”
I turn to look at Bodi, and he says, “Yeah. I don’t know either.”
Sadie waves her hands at the two brothers. “I mean, look at them. They are so similar.”
Alexandros jumps in. “Why does it matter? Did you find something out, Amri? ”
I shrug and shake my head. “No. It’s just a hunch I’m following.”
The six of us go quiet, and when Bodi turns back around and continues down the passageway, we all follow.
After ten minutes that feel like an hour, we jump down into a chamber.
My boots sink about six inches into the sand-covered floor as I look around at the large room.
Columns dot the space, spearing up to the ceiling that still has flecks of paint clinging to it, depicting different scenes of Sobek.
Alexandros crosses the room with Sadie on his heels, and they tilt their heads up at one of twelve arched alcoves in the walls.
A carving of Sobek peers down at them, the end of the alligator god’s snout chipped off.
Bodi hovers around his mates, and Rian and Kat wander off to look at the other alcoves. As Alexandros and Sadie whisper over their phones, trying to unravel the mystery of the Tooth of Sobek, I stare up at the ceiling again, wondering how far under the sands of the surface we are.
I shiver, but despite my trepidation, I can’t help but be swept away by the history of this place.
I am standing in a room that’s been lost for who knows how long.
It’s pretty amazing. I wander the room, wondering if there’s another secret passage in here or if the one we came down is the only exit.
I run my hand over the surprisingly smooth stone of one of the columns, my fingers dipping along the faded script carved into the surface.
Squinting, I lean closer to look at a strange symbol.
Whispering to myself, I press my finger against the column. “Is that a…?”
Boom!
Sand rains on us from the ceiling, and we all look up.
Boom. Boom!
Bodi runs to the opening we came through, peering into the darkness, his panther ears twitching. Without turning around, he growls, unsheathing his claws. “Hunters.”
Rian curses, “Damn it.”
Kat weaves a spell, and her hands glow blue as she calls out, “If we’re going to find something, it needs to be now!”
Alexandros and Sadie frantically search the wall in front of them with eyes and hands.
I don’t know why, but I turn my attention back to the column I still have my hand pressed against. I hover my thumb over the small symbol that caught my eye a moment ago.
It’s faded, and the edge of the design is chipped, but it sure does look like …
I press my finger against the carved image of a lion on its back, its mouth open, something sharp impaling its stomach. The stone under my touch vibrates, and for a second I think it’s from another explosion from the hunters trying to get in, but then the column rotates.
“Um, guys.”
Bodi remains focused on the doorway, and Alexandros and Sadie must not have heard me, because they continue to search the wall in front of them. Rian remains at Kat’s side as she holds the spell in her hands, ready to fire it off at the first sign of danger.
The column does two full rotations, and then … click .
From overhead, comes a loud, Boom! Crack!
Bodi shouts, “We’re running out of time! We are going to have to fight our way out of here!”
Through the chaos, something scratches at my attention. My wolverine ears pop out, and I strain to focus.
There!
I look down, and right between my feet, sand trickles away. I crouch, swiping a hand in the sand, and the trickle turns into a cascade, the funnel of space growing wider.
My beast spins in a tight, excited circle. “Let me! ”
A bolt of gold magic illuminates the room behind me. The hunters are in, and by the sound of the footsteps, they will be here any second.
I shift, sinking into my beast’s mind as she leaps forward. I scurry out of my clothes and use my powerful claws to dig through the sand, revealing a square stone that’s slightly depressed in the floor. I jump, throwing my dense bulk on the stone. It sinks an inch. I do it again and again.