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37
Zeke’s eyesnarrowed on his brother. What the hell was he doing?
Having the museum’s access card in hand was an unexpected turn in their favor. Even now, Rohan would be working his way to the nearest window, having heard their conversation through his earpiece.
A quick scan, a little Rohan magic, and they’d have their own gold card within the hour.
At Phin’s suggestion, tension eased from Nicola’s royal frame. “Thank you, Mr. Blackwell, but the only way in and out of the museum is via this elevator.” She released the button holding the door open. “We will see you both in a few minutes.”
The door closed, and silence settled over the trio before the elevator began its slow descent.
“One ingress and egress,” Zeke said. “Ever worry about getting stuck down there?”
Nicola’s shoulder pressed against his. “No. I have too many backup systems in place. It would take an apocalypse to stop this elevator from running.”
“How do you get the larger pieces below?”
“We manage.”
She said nothing more, which led him to believe that the museum had a hidden service elevator as well.
“Do you have a curator for your museum?” Liv asked.
Nicola nodded. “Dr. Bentley. You might have noticed a sandy blond-haired man hovering near the display table.”
“I thought he was a security guard.”
“He might as well be.”
The elevator door binged open, and a hundred lights flickered to life across the room, illuminating hundreds of artifacts that stretched over centuries and continents.
Zeke’s blood pumped hotter, faster. If Sardoff’s intel was good, Lupos was in this room.
After years of searching every corner of the black-market world, his family legacy was right here. In his own backyard.
Maybe.
Liv released his hand and strode to the nearest table. A six-inch, centuries old, ceremonial mask stood on a metal pedestal. The piece appeared to be made of wood, though in certain places he could see a sheen of gold.
Behind the piece rose an illuminated concave glass with the artifact’s provenance etched onto the surface.
“No wonder you’re so protective of this space,” Liv said, moving on to the next priceless display. “Every piece is unique. The history you have contained within these four walls is incredible.”
Nicola beamed like a proud mother. She took in all the pieces on the large round table. “I inherited these from my father. They’re very special to me and the impetus to what has become a lifelong obsession.”
“I can see why. Is everything in your collection one-of-a-kind?”
“With a few exceptions, yes.”
Their conversation faded into the background as Zeke turned toward the far wall, where an array of clubs, spears, firearms, knives, and swords were displayed.
Leaving Liv to search for the doll, he shoved his hands into his pockets and made slow, steady progress toward the ancient weapons. It took every bit of self-control he possessed—and then some—not to sprint across the room.
His pulse shot up several digits with every step. As a collector of antique weaponry, he couldn’t help but feel awed by the history splayed out on Nicola’s wall.
He stared at implements that were handcrafted to hunt, kill, and protect various cultures around the world, through war, famine, peace, and prosperity.
Eight longswords. He searched the pommel of each one, looking for the unique four-headed wolf.
