Page 100 of Somnium

Looking back to the rows of books still left unchecked, Cadi knew that she wouldn’t get through them all, and something told her that the darkened computer sitting on the desk in front of her held more promise anyway.

She returned the books to the shelf, making sure everything was as she had found it before slipping into the high-backed leather chair. She pulled the keyboard toward her and tapped one of the keys, squinting against the harsh light that poured from the screen. Her gaze flashed to the door, and she prayed the hallway beyond was bright enough to mask any light that would spill from beneath it.

Turning back to the computer, she let out a quiet grumble. A small dialogue box had appeared asking for a password. She quickly searched the surface of the desk, sifting through papers and checking the sides of the screen for anything that may hint at what it could be, but came up empty. It looked like she would just have to try her luck. Pursing her lips, she tried to imagine the password creation habits of the Order administration, then typed out her first attempt.

“OneiriosRulez333”

The box shook in an immediate rejection of her pathetic attempt at hacking. She sighed, bouncing a finger against her lips before she let out a self-satisfied chuckle at her next idea.

“Dreamdaddy69”

Her stomach sank when the box shook again. It would seem that whoever had created this particular profile had failed to upload a sense of humor. This time, however, her failure was compounded by the red warning message informing her that only one attempt remained before the system locked her, and the true user, out.

If she had been worried an errant dust pile would make people suspicious, she could only imagine what would happen when it became clear that someone had been trying to get into this computer. Access logs for the door would definitely be checked, meaning she might as well leave a note giving a detailed account of her presence.

There had to be a hint somewhere that would point her in the right direction. She pulled open the desk drawers again in a last-ditch effort and stuck her hand as far back as it would go, digging through pens and paper clips until her fingers brushed against what felt like a small piece of paper taped to the inside. Her heart pounded as she pulled the drawer out farther, shoving away the clutter to reveal a long sequence of numbers and letters scribbled on a sticky note. She smirked. Apparently even servants of deities weren’t immune to password fatigue.

She typed each character carefully, flexing her hands against the prickling sensation that had sparked at the tips of her fingers. Then, she held her breath, and hit Enter.

Time stopped, the machine slowly judging her as it decided her fate. It wasn’t until the screen switched, revealing a simple desktop filled with tiny folders, that Cadi finally let herself breathe.

She punched the air and froze when her sudden movement knocked the keyboard, making it jump against the desk with a painful clatter. The silence pressed around her as she listened, waiting for the sounds of footsteps or doors being opened, but none came.

Leaning forward, she read the file names that filled the screen, her eyes catching on one near the bottom marked by a single word: “Invoices.” It seemed like a good place to start. With a smooth double-click of the mouse, the file opened.

Her brows pinched as she selected a document labeled “Security.” A flurry of forms populated, most of them detailing purchases of some sort of system for an offsite location, but only one document included an itemized list. She scanned it, realizing this particular invoice included a hefty charge for the services of twenty guards, and she swallowed hard when she saw the small box marked with an X.

“Armed.”

Considering she had never seen any men with guns lurking around the temple, she felt confident that they were most likely stationed around a very specific aviation hangar.

Digging into her pocket, she pulled out her phone and snapped pictures of each of the files on the screen before she closed everything and logged out. Without the steady glow from the screen, the office was plunged back into darkness, forcing her to wait in the heavy silence for her eyes to readjust.

Once she could see again, she checked her surroundings, ensuring that everything was as it should be, when her gaze snagged on a swirling design peeking out from beneath a spiral notepad. She lifted the pad, careful not to disturb any of the surrounding papers, and her eyes went wide when she found herself staring at another page of sigils.

Retrieving the smaller page she had found in the book, she set it next to her newest discovery. The symbols looked similar, but were markedly different in their complexity. Where the first page contained designs reminiscent of those she had seen carved into the walls of the main hall, the second felt … ancient.

She held her phone over the two pages, angling to make sure everything fit on the screen, when a distant scuff made her freeze. Her breath stilled in her chest as she strained to listen, and adrenaline shot into her veins when the sound came again. Even with her heart pounding in her ears, there was no mistaking the distinct sound of footsteps as they echoed against stone from beyond the door.

And they were getting closer.

Someone was walking toward the office, and she had no idea if this just happened to be along their chosen route, or if it was their final destination. Either way, she had to move. Struggling to hold the phone steady, she quickly snapped the picture and swore when the blinding flash on her phone illuminated the room. Without the light from the computer, her phone had reverted to its infuriatingly inconvenient setting that might as well have been a beacon for whomever was currently in the hall.

Cadi quickly moved the notepad back into place, then shoved the smaller piece of paper into the book where she found it before diving under the desk. Her heart slammed against her ribcage as she waited in the deafening silence, listening to the approaching strides that grew louder with each passing second.

Then, they stopped. She didn’t dare look, noting with a flash of fear that she never heard the steps recede. Whoever it was that had been walking toward her was now right outside the door.

Her body stiffened at the sound of a muffled chirp, followed by the click of a latch as the door opened. She clamped her hand over her mouth, desperately trying to muffle her panicked breaths, but even then, she was sure her new companion would be able to hear the way her heart was galloping in her chest.

A soft light illuminated the room, and Cadi prayed the chair in front of her was enough to block her reflection in the full window. She squeezed her eyes shut, not daring to breathe as her entire body shook.

Then, after the most excruciating few seconds of her life, the light went out and the door clicked shut, leaving her once again alone. Cadi listened for any sign that the person had only pretended to leave to lure her out of her hiding place under the false sense of safety, but there was nothing. Only her tight, shallow breaths and the hammering of her pulse. Slipping out from beneath the desk, she found the room empty, and her chest finally relaxed enough to let out a full breath. Any longer, and she was pretty sure she would have passed out.

Cadi crept back to the door, holding her bag tightly in her fist. She pressed her ear to the wood to listen for any sounds of a lingering presence in the hall before she gripped the handle and cracked the door open. Poking her head out, she looked left, then right, then left again. Once she was confident that she was alone, she slipped out and took off back toward the main entrance to the temple.

She tried her best to keep her pace casual as she wound through the corridors, digging in her bag for her keys. Her entire body was wired, and she was suddenly exceedingly grateful for the morning’s late start that had necessitated her driving herself to work. The hell that was finding parking in downtown Fiddler’s Green was well worth the trade-off of not having to wait for a train right now.

Her fingers shook as she typed out a message to Elias to meet her at The Crow. If what she had found was half as good as she thought it was, he would definitely want to be there when she showed Sera.