Page 57 of Descent

Her eyes widen for a split second before her cheeks flush. “Not what I was referring to. I meant the approach.”

“Oh. Right. Yeah, I’ll play the bounty, you play the hunter.”

“Sounds good. Maybe after we can revisit certain aspects of?—”

“Don’t even think about it.”

“Why? Did I hit the nail on the peg?”

“That was …”

“Yeah.” I swallow against the nauseating smell of burning warlords.

“We should have gone with the stealth approach.” Circe chokes on a cough, gagging slightly.

“It was working fine until he tried to seduce you.”

“And his brother challenged him to a duel for dibs,” Circe scoffs, spitting soot and rinsing her mouth.

“I mean, you did kinda wink at him.”

“I did not! They just haven’t seen a woman in months. I could have rolled around in mud and covered myself in pig shit and they would have fought over me.”

“But the blindfolds? And the shooting match? Really?”

“I thought it would be funny.” She shrugs, coughing through a laugh.

“It would have been if there wasn’t dynamite stored in those crates.”

“Or if they had any aim.”

“Or if there hadn’t been gasoline in that water tank,” I add.

“Seriously! Who stores it like that?”

“And who keeps a brick of C-4 in their pocket?” Finally catching my breath, I straighten, dusting off my clothes.

The gang of roving warriors who set up shop in this old palace stockpiled a hoard of supplies. Guns. Munitions. All billowing into the sky behind us.

We never even fired a single shot. Circe offered me up as the killer of the old sheikh that ruled this territory. They took the bait. Then they proceeded to blow themselves up trying to decide who would marry her.

“I guess we could have slipped in through the drainpipe in the dungeons,” I mutter, scanning the endless sandstone wall off into the distance toward the old barracks. This place is beyond huge.

“Are you serious? That would have been…wait. How do you?—?”

“I just know. Must have been here before.” The words trail off as I feel my feet pulling me in.

Her eyes narrow for a split second. Suspicion? But of what?

The fact that I know that she suspects that I might know?

Fuck me. I really am turning into my brother.

Leading the way, I head across the compound, letting my feet guide me. The prize we came here for should be on the lower floors of the palace. Possibly in the tunnels and vaults beneath the main level.

Circe references a map once or twice, taking us through various storerooms, holding cells, cellars, and cold storage. At the base of a final staircase, we find a door, locked with a digital pad.

“Shit. This wasn’t in the schematics.”

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