Page 13 of Left Hand of the Divine
“I get that you’re angry and scared and a million other things, Thane, but like it or not, Erebus would still have ended up down here. Even if everyone had spoken out against it, Zeus would have overruled you if this was where he wanted Erebus to be.”
I pulled my arm free and stepped away, running my hand through my hair. I knew Atticus was right, but somehow, it didn’t make me feel any better. I still felt… uncertain.
I didn’t like it one bit.
In fact, I think I hated it.
“Atticus, I—”
An electric charge hummed through the air, halting my words.
“Thane?”
“I can sense something.” Something that was calling to me. Something ancient. Something familiar.
Prometheus’ mark heated on my arm. “We’re close.”
I walked forwards, picking up pace the warmer the mark got. I was aware of Atticus calling the others to follow us, but I was lost to the desperation of finding this key. I didn’t stop until the mark burnt and seared my skin. Until I thought the mark would melt through to my bones. Until I stood facing a cabinet that was empty, except for one tiny, incongruous wooden box. Plain, except for the small outline of a golden triangle inlaid in the lid.
There was nothing else around the box. No other artefacts. It sat alone in this small forgotten corner of the chamber, buried beneath years of dust and cobwebs.
“Is that it?” Rafe asked, his breath misting against the glass as he peered into the cabinet. “It’s so small.”
I pulled open the door and wrapped my fingers around the wooden box. The mark on my skin instantly cooled the moment I had the box in my possession. It was light, not that I’d expectedanything different, but it barely felt like there was anything in the box at all.
There was no seam, no hinge, no obvious way of opening the box. I shook it, and something tumbled around in the bottom of it. At least it wasn’t empty.
I put the box into the folds of my coat and closed the cabinet. I didn't have to solve the puzzle; all I had to do was deliver it to Prometheus and I'd be free from my oath.
“I have to say, I was expecting more booby traps,” Magnus piped up from behind me. He wasn’t wrong. Apart from the never-ending corridors and endless stream of rooms, there hadn’t been anything more dangerous than the Lycaons earlier.
“Perhaps there will be more on the way out,” Magnus added rather ominously and with a waggle of his eyebrows. I swear that vampire never took anything seriously.
“You do know there is a chance that we may all die down here?” Rafe said with one of his dark brows arched.
Magnus shrugged. “I’m a vampire, love; I’m already dead. And besides, we have Death with us. What’s the worst that can happen?”
“I am right here, you know,” I grumbled. “I might be the God of Death, but that doesn’t mean you all get a free pass.”
“Atticus did,” Magnus quipped, his arms folded across his chest.
“That was different,” I bristled, snapping the lapel of my coat in frustration.
Atticus cocked his head to one side. “Was it?”
“You know it was.” I hit him with a hard stare, full of flint and fire, but the man just smirked back likehe was amused by me.
“Sure thing, sugar,” he replied with a grin, and something inside me warmed at the term of endearment. “Whatever you say.”
“Well, I’m sure we will all survive this, and we’ll all be laughing about this when we get out of here,” Rafe drawled as he headed deeper into the chamber and into the shadows beyond.
“Come on, let’s find our girl, and then we can get out of here,” Atticus said as he followed the twins into the darkness.
I just hoped we made it out of here before Zeus found out we’d even entered the Vault. I didn’t want to discover what kind of punishment he’d serve us for this intrusion. It would probably be as creative as it was cruel.
Chapter Five
Roux
