“Yes.”
“I’m not leaving without Talik,” Khalida said in a tone that would leave no room for an argument.Not that she was expecting one.
“Neither am I.”
“I’m glad we both agree on that.”She nodded and began to copy Kade’s movement, tracing the wall, feeling for any cracks.They were moving in the opposite direction while staying close enough that they could support each other if something decided to pay them a visit.The wall was warmer than she had expected, the texture unnaturally smooth, but then it had been created by a god rather than nature.
Running out of patience, she grabbed her backpack and searched for the extra magazine she had packed.Iron was fatal to Ninhursag.Maybe they could get lucky and shoot the ice?She quickly discarded the thought, not quite ready to risk any form of ricochet.After pulling the magazine out, she dropped the backpack to the ground before she slid the first iron coated bullet out.She aimed the bronze point toward the ice, using it as a glorified nail, and stabbed it into the wall.
The round stuck out, its tip embedded.A small piece of ice fell to the ground.Khalida stared at it as Kade came to stand next to her.They watched with bated breath as a small crack slowly appeared, the perfect concentric circle continuing to grow, taking up more of the wall.She grabbed one of the iron-coated knives and slammed it into the wall.This time it sliced straight through, stopping at the hilt with a pleasurable crack.
A loud, visceral cry echoed through the sky.Goose bumps exploded along Khalida’s arms as the hairs on the back of her neck rose up.Every primitive instinct told her to run, but she held firm, a smile on her face.“I think we found our way in.”
Chapter Fifty
TALIK
Talik jumped into theshaft, hitting the ground with a loudthump.The rope ladder had not so conveniently stopped a good twenty feet above the ground and had been drawn back up to the surface as soon as he had released it.
He waited until his eyes adjusted to the darkness before he moved, mentally chiding himself for not packing a flashlight.Although, the bright green light coming through the ground was a dead giveaway that he was in the right place.For a heartbeat, he paused, holding his breath, waiting for the telltale signs of scurrying rodents, but he heard nothing.At least he didn’t need to be concerned about rats.
The bottom of the shaft was wider than the top, about twenty feet in diameter, where roots and rocks hung precariously from the sides.One decent-sized explosion or impact on the surface, and it could very well come rushing down on him.He was also farther underground than he had expected, a good fifty feet from the surface.Hopefully their energy expenditure was impacting Ninhursag—there had been a split second just before he had launched himself down here that she had winced.A small cut on her shoulder had gushed black blood.The sight had given him hope that he might be able to pull his plan off.Give Khalida what she really wanted and stop the Anki.
He walked toward the broken piece of material sticking out of the ground, it was the only piece that was near him.He traced the edges.Metal.
“Hey!”one of the human wayfarers yelled from above, their voice fading as it reached him.
Talik ignored them.The bright green light beams looked like they were coming from underneath the ground at the center of the shaft.Kneeling, he sent a silent prayer to any god or devil who might be on his side and started to dig.Pulling off clumps of clay, burnt earth, and dead tree roots, he maneuvered himself around the growing light.
He really hoped the ground wasn’t booby-trapped.
Continuing to clear the dirt out of the way, he started to excavate underneath the object.Loosening it from the hold the earth had on it.Whatever it was, the material was cool to touch, and felt like it was the size of an oversized ostrich egg.Without removing the object, he kept the loose soil over it, so he wouldn’t be blinded by its brightness, and began to trace the outer layer, trying to identify the shallow carvings that seemed to cover every part of it.Not for the first time, he really wished dead languages were his specialty.
“Atlantean,” Ninhursag sang out.
Talik ignored the call, too focused on the circular object.The tracings were similar to those that covered the box they had found in the catacombs.Perhaps another legacy from Vandana and another clue on how to find the O’hurani and Atlantis.The ground around him shook.Two blaster rounds went off near him—warning shots if he wasn’t mistaken, but he didn’t flinch.In the distance, one of the creatures screamed.The sound went through him, leaving him with an ache through his body.
