Page 10 of Monsters in the Museum

She made her way to the crate where the sword was being kept and put on the clean gloves she had retrieved from a drawer in her workstation. Now appropriately attired, she lifted the bundle from the crate and began unwrapping the sword. As she worked, the warmth from Adam’s body behind her seeped through her clothes as he stepped closer. It seemed backward that warmth would make her shiver, but a pleasant tingle crept up her spine.

Maybe she really had been spending too much time holed up in here alone.

As the last of the protective wrappings fell away, Adam inhaled sharply, and she spared him a glance. His eyes were wide and shining as he beheld the blade.

Nora stepped to the side so he could slide up next to her and take a closer look. Putting some distance between them reduced the tingling in her spine as well, and Nora decided that was a good thing, as it had made it difficult to focus. Adam leaned in before asking, his tone bordering on reverent.

“Where was this found again?”

“On a dig just outside of Athens.” Nora watched as his eyes ran up and down the blade, taking in every lethal inch of it. “It was found buried far deeper than most of the other artifacts from its period, although we have carbon-dated it to about 400 BC. It was right next to the spear that was found, too.”

His voice was so soft when he responded that it almost felt as if he wasn’t talking to her. “It’s in such perfect condition; it looks just like it did when it was left there… so long ago.”

Nora raised her eyebrows at the odd phrasing of his comment, but then she remembered why she had brought him there in the first place.

“See these markings here on the blade?” she asked, gesturing to the delicate engravings down the top half of the flat side of the blade. They ran along the gentle fuller, expertly crafted to make the sword light and maneuverable. “Are these the same markings as that language you were studying?”

Adam squinted at the markings before answering, “They do look similar. I think I could make out what they say if I could get a clearer look at them.”

Nora pulled out her toolkit, rifling around for her magnifier in the bundle of tweezers and scalpels. He took it from her without taking his eyes off the blade and held it up.

“Fascinating,” he whispered, using the magnifier to look up and down the length of the blade several times. Nora resisted the urge to tap her foot, giving him time to inspect.

“As far as I can translate, the inscription on this blade says, Through the darkest night.” Adam straightened and handed her the magnifier.

Nora pursed her lips and repeated the phrase, “Through the darkest night. That’s not any sort of army or family motto we’ve seen before. It may have been some sort of personal inscription. I wonder what it meant.”

Adam’s eyes were filled with a far-off look as he responded, “It probably was something important to the person who owned the sword.” Nora pondered in the brief silence that followed before he asked, “Does the spear have any markings on it?”

“Not that we’ve observed.” Nora hesitated, contemplating the happiness bubbling in her chest at having somebody look at ancient artifacts with the same awe she felt every day. Adam might be odd, but he seemed to share her curiosity.

“Do you want to take a look at it anyway?” Nora offered, despite her better judgment. “It’s quite spectacular.”

Adam nodded, making his glasses slide down his nose. He pushed them back up as Nora turned to lift the spear onto the table. It went much better this time as she was prepared for its weight. She worked quickly to unwrap it, feeling Adam’s gaze heavy on her, although it was likely due to his excitement to see the artifact.

They stood in silence for a moment, staring at the fantastic weapon on the table before them before Nora sighed again, placing her hands on her hips in satisfaction. “I think this one is my favorite.”

“I can see why,” Adam murmured. His voice came from so close to her ear that Nora jumped, not realizing he had leaned in so close to get a better look. His breath stirred the hairs that had escaped from the messy bun at the top of her head, and she stole a glance at his chiseled profile. She stared for a moment longer than was strictly proper, momentarily lost in how mesmerized Adam was by the spear.

That was when the screaming started.