As if to prove his point, a guard strolled by on the path before us. Kael stretched his arms out, then settled one around me. I didn’t have to pretend too hard to lean into his side with a sigh.
The guard gave us a nod as he continued on his way. Kael didn’t remove his arm. Was it in an effort to blend in, or did he really just want to have his arm around me?
“So, back to the issue at hand,” I said. “How are we going to get in?”
“I think our best option would be to hide out here.” He waved lazily around the expansive garden.
I laughed. “What do you want us to do, squat in some shrubbery?”
Kael shrugged. “Do you have a better idea?”
“I suppose not. Still, just because we’ll be on the grounds doesn’t mean we would be able to get into the building.”
With a smirk, Kael pulled a guard’s ID badge out of his pocket. “This acts as a key card.”
My mouth popped open. “How did you get that?”
When had he gotten it?
“Jaguar shifters can easily go unnoticed.”
I knew jaguars were able to ghost unseen in the Amazon, but it amazed me, given Kael’s size, that he was capable of being just as stealthy in the real world as well.
“Perhaps I should keep a closer eye on my wallet,” I mumbled.
Kael chuckled, then stood and pulled me up off the bench.
“Let’s go back to the hotel, finalize our plans, and get some rest.”
Great. I was embarking on a mission of theft from what was likely one of the most protected places in the world. This was, of course, after being on the run after it had appeared we’d murdered the witch sisters in Scotland the last time we were pursuing the mage. I supposed next it would be grand theft auto in Italy.
I shifted my bag onto my shoulder as we headed toward the open gates. “So, planning, rest, and then…?”
“We come back later this evening before they close, hide, and hope we don’t get caught.”
Chapter 13
I grumbled as I crawled out from underneath the evergreen. This was absolutely ridiculous. I crouched beside the shrub and picked bits of twig and needles from my hair as I waited for Kael. A moment later, he came strolling up as if hiding in fancy gardens were a regular occurrence for him.
“Something wrong?” he asked.
I straightened to my feet and moaned as my back protested. “Oh, no, not at all. This was so fun I think I may pick up this hide-and-seek: danger version as a new hobby.” I glared at him as he let out a quiet chuckle. “What are you doing just waltzing around? I thought we were supposed to be stealthy?”
“I was only several feet away,” he said. He pointed at a large, cone-shaped tree.
“Well, yours looks roomier. How come I got stuck hiding in this thing?” I kicked lightly at the juniper beside me.
Kael shook his head. “Do you honestly want to argue about this or shall we get going?”
I tilted my chin in the air and started toward the museum. Kael’s hand landed on my shoulder, and he pulled me to a halt.
“Hang on a second. I have better eyesight in the dark. I’m going first.”
I didn’t like being bossed around, but I couldn’t really argue with his logic. As a jaguar shifter, his eyesight was better than mine. He would be able to keep a better lookout on the guards.
The pair of us stayed away from the walkways and instead ghosted across the manicured lawns, letting the grass cushion our steps.
“Isn’t there likely cameras?” I squinted through the darkness toward the building, but if there were, I couldn’t see them from where we were.
“Probably, but we have to take the chance they aren’t keeping a close enough eye on it. It’s not like there’s a perfect way to sneak in. Besides, seriously, who would try to break into the Louvre?”
I rolled my eyes. “Um, us?”
This was certainly shaky ground we were traversing, but Kael was right: we didn’t have much of a choice. Getting caught was a risk we had to take in order to get the key before Vehrin did. Together, we slipped from shrub to shrub, or ducked behind statues and fountains.
At one point, I managed to catch the muffled footsteps of a security guard just before we rounded a corner. I clutched the back of Kael’s shirt and tugged. We hid, and I held my breath as the guard walked by. Kael’s breathing also went silent until the guard had passed.
Walking across the garden seemed to take an hour, instead of mere minutes, and I let out a sigh of relief when we finally neared the door which would lead us straight into the Sully wing of the museum. We crouched as the guard outside the door glanced at his watch and then left.
“We’ll have twenty to thirty seconds,” Kael whispered. When the guard walked away, he touched my hand. “Now.”
My heart nearly jumped in my throat as Kael took off toward the door. The guard was still in sight. All he had to do was glance back and he would see us.
I ran as quietly as I could and shouldered up to Kael without incident.
The shifter took the key card from his pocket, placed it at the top of the slot near the door handle, and slid it down. A glaring, red light of denial burned in the dark.
It hadn’t worked.
The other guard would be at his post any second. If we tried to back out now, we’d be caught for sure. We only had maybe ten seconds now to get in the door.
The sound of footsteps reached me. We were nearly out of time.
“Try again,” I said.
Kael slid the card into the slot once more, and a quiet click sounded. I wanted to cry in relief as he turned the handle and pushed the door open. I eased the door shut behind me, and we waited. On the other side of the door, we heard the guard walk up. Then, silence.
I smiled at Kael. “We did it,” I said quietly. “I don’t think he saw us.”
“Good.” My partner started toward the stretch of hall that would lead us to the Middle-eastern antiquities room, and the third key.
We hadn’t gone a dozen steps when an alarm started blaring. I covered my ears and turned to Kael with wide eyes. He stood rooted to his spot for a heartbeat, then swore, grabbed my hand, and started running.
“How did they know? I could have sworn we weren’t seen.”
“This place is guarded,” Kael said. We paused beside a water fountain.
“Yeah, no kidding. We saw the guards, remember?”
“Not just those kinds of guards. I think there’s—” The braying sound of dogs suddenly fractured the quiet of the sleeping museum. Kael grimaced. “Hell hounds.”
I blinked. “Excuse me? Hellhounds? Did you just say hell hounds?”
The dogs were getting closer by the sound of their frenzied howling.
“Yes.” Kael had his hand on mine again and was practically dragging me. “Don’t let them bite you. You’ll burn to death.”
“Well, they sound like delightful pets. Why would they have something like that here? Aren’t hell hounds, you know, evil or something?”
“They guard the demon realms and keep demons from getting out. Also, apparently, they are being put to use in other ways.”
I raised my hand not being crushed in his grip. “We can beat fire with fire.”
“No. Don’t use your magic in here. We don’t know what kind of cursed or magical objects this place holds, but there could be something that would feed off your power, amplify it, or even steal it completely. It’s too risky.”
Great. Now what was I supposed to do? “Kael…”
Toenails clacking on the shining floor caught my attention. I turned and found myself facing a pack of hellhounds. I hadn’t spent much time in my life wondering what hellhounds looked like, not believing in such things, but if I had, I would have said they were black beasts built like Rottweilers with red eyes and jaws dripping with smoke and flame.
I was way off.
These hounds were tall, and their wiry gray fur almost reminded me of an Irish wolfhound. Their eyes weren�
�t red, but the piercing silver of starlight. Instead of fiery wrath, these hellhounds seemed all cold fury. Even their teeth gleamed like shards of ice as they growled at us.
Kael was already shucking off his clothes. “Use your sword,” he said. “The less people know you have magic, the better.”
Without another word, he twisted and shifted into his jaguar form.
I pulled in a quick breath and imagined the sword in my hand, the feel of the handle in my grasp. The bracelet tingled on my wrist, and then I was holding the weapon. I shifted my feet into an offensive position, held the blade in front of me, and braced myself for the nearest hound.
The creature leaped at me with its lips peeled back. I slashed, and my sword cut through nothing but air as the hound easily dodged my strike. Kael snarled, and in that vicious sound, I could almost hear him berating me to be faster. He sprung toward one of the hounds and clung to its back, narrowly avoiding its snapping jaws as it twisted its neck.
I let out a growl of frustration as I stepped back from tearing teeth. It was easy for Kael to be quick, but I wasn’t a jungle cat. The hound jumped at me again, and this time, I gave myself into those deep-rooted instincts.
Just as I had done in the cemetery in Chicago, my memories seemed to take over my limbs. My movements were smoother, more precise. I stepped quickly to the side and swung the sword in a downward arc to catch the hound on the back of the neck. I winced as it let out a painful bellow. It dropped to the floor, kicked for a moment, and then grew still.
Another quickly replaced it, and I pivoted just in time to avoid the gnashing teeth. Instead, the creature’s jaws latched onto my bag. I let out a shriek as it jerked me to the floor. My elbow cracked against the cool tile and sent a jarring sensation up my arm. The sword fell from my hand.
The hound released my bag and stalked toward me with its icy gaze locked on me. I reached back, trying to find my weapon. I had no choice—I had to use my magic.
My palm started to burn when suddenly Kael jumped over me. With a clash of snarls and teeth, the two fought. I sat, unmoving. Kael’s skill never ceased to amaze me. I found him sort of beautiful as he attacked. His form was fluid and graceful, even in such violence.
The battle was over quickly. I twisted to find my sword as Kael shifted back. My weapon had only been a foot farther than I’d thought. I grabbed the sword and let it turn back into a bracelet.
“We need to hurry.” Kael tugged his shirt over his head. “The guards won’t be far behind.”
I nodded. Already, urgent voices were echoing through the museum in addition to the alarm. They were close. If this had been daytime, when there were more guards on staff, this never would have worked.
Harsh voices rang out, and a group of security guards rounded the corner. They yelled at us, but I couldn’t understand what they were saying. My heart raced as Kael swore. What were we going to do now? I didn’t want to hurt these people. They were innocent. They were only doing their jobs. I already regretted killing the hounds, horrifying as they’d been. I would not add innocent human lives to the list.
“Run.” I tugged on Kael’s arm and headed down the left corridor. Shouts and footsteps chased us.
“We can’t outrun them. We need to fight.”
“Against how many?” I said. “There were, what, four back there? You know there will be more. How many innocent people do you want to kill, Kael?”
“I don’t want to kill anyone, but―”
“In here.” I pulled Kael into a room dedicated to ancient Egypt. My eyes quickly scanned the room, and then fell on a pair of sarcophaguses on display across the room. “No more excuses. Look for a solution.”
I hurried across the room with Kael on my heels. Each one had hinges added, no doubt to make it easy to open each day so visitors had a chance to see inside of them. I opened one, and jerked my head at the other.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Kael said.
Right. He was claustrophobic. “Just get in. You’ll be okay.” I didn’t give him a chance to argue before I climbed into the sarcophagus and eased the lid almost shut. “Just don’t shut it all the—” I heard a click beside me “―way.” I sighed sharply. I really hoped it hadn’t locked on him. I’d once spent two weeks trying to figure out how to get one open.
I slowed my breathing and strained to listen over the blood pounding in my ears. I could hear voices, and then footsteps entered the room. What if there were shifters among them? Kael could catch the scent of others, and I was certain other shifters would be able to, as well.
I bit my lip as footsteps neared and a voice spoke right in front of me. I really wished I’d bothered to learn French at some point in my life.
Minutes seemed to stretch on, and I didn’t dare crack open the lid until I was certain the room was empty. I stepped out and tapped on the sarcophagus hiding my partner.
“Kael,” I whispered. “Are you okay?”
“Please, get me out of here.”
I stifled a laugh. Luckily, I only had to twist a small lever for the lid to spring open. Kael stepped out and immediately started brushing himself off with a look of disgust. I glanced behind him. Whoops. His had already been occupied. I pulled my gaze from the mummy and gave Kael an apologetic smile.
“Sorry,” I said.
“Let’s just go,” he said gruffly.
The room with the middle-eastern antiquities was the next one over. The pair of us eased our way as quietly as we could down the short stretch. I let out a breath when we entered the room unnoticed, but my relief was short-lived.
I crossed over to the case which held the key. “How are we going to get it out without drawing attention?”
Kael shook his head. “We can’t. We just have to grab the key and run for it.”
“Fantastic.” I frowned, then glanced at Kael. “Well, go ahead, Shoulders. I certainly can’t do it.”
He gave me a grin. “Watch your face.”
He cocked his elbow back. I winced as the glass shattered. There was no way the guards hadn’t heard.
I reached in, grabbed the key from the pillow, and turned. We started to rush from the room when I slowed and peered down at the key. My brows knit together.
“Uh, Kael…”
He stopped and looked back. “What? Come on, we have to get out of here.”
“We have a problem.”
With a sharp sigh, he stepped over to me. “What kind of problem?”
I held up the key. “This is not what we’re looking for.” The two keys around my neck held an almost magical aura about them. This key was…nothing. I peered up at Kael. “It’s a fake. This isn’t it.”
Voices reached us again.
“Put it back,” Kael said. “We can’t let them know what we were after.”
I hurried to do so. Where was the real key? My gaze locked on a little sign next to the key. I quickly pulled out my phone and snapped a picture. It was our only clue.
“Let’s get out of here.” My stomach twisted. All of this trouble and planning had been for nothing.
Fortunately, Kael managed to find a window that was unlocked, and I wondered if that had been his backup plan all along...or the entry and escape route taken by whoever got to the key first. The pair of us slipped quietly to the ground outside and ghosted our way across the grounds. I wasn’t about to spend the night in the gardens, so Kael and I scaled the tall fence and jumped out.
We didn’t stop running until we reached our hotel.
“Get your phone out,” I said. “I need you to translate this.”
I held up the picture of the key in the museum and zoomed in on the sign beneath.
Kael squinted at the photo and quickly tapped it into a translation tool. “It says that while the key had been found in what was formerly Anatolia, now modern-day Turkey, it is believed to have originated in what is now…Kenya.”
I moaned. So the real key hadn’t been stolen. It just hadn’t been there to begin with. This one was a repli
ca, perhaps even switched out years ago before it came to the museum. And the real relic was most likely in Africa.
Kael sagged onto the mattress of the bed. “I can’t believe it wasn’t there.”
“Yeah.”
Which meant, Alastor either hadn’t known his relic had been a fake all along, or he had known, and had sent us on a wild goose chase. If that was the case, Vehrin may already know the true whereabouts of the third key.
And for all we knew, he may have already beaten us to it.
Chapter 14
A constant babble of voices drifted in on hot air through the open window of our hotel room. The bed creaked beneath me as I shifted, while Kael paced the room.
Aidan’s deep voice carried through the phone at my partner’s ear, loud enough for me to hear even from across the room. It made me miss the bear shifter who had been my sparring partner and impromptu trainer back at the PITO headquarters. I hoped I’d have a chance to go back there someday, even if it was for a short visit. Aidan had grown on me.
I turned my attention back to my bag in my lap and dug around in it until I found my phone. I frowned. The signal wasn’t the greatest here in Nairobi, Kenya, and likely wouldn’t be anywhere in Africa, but I scrolled through my contacts until I found Renathe. I hadn’t checked in with him since before we infiltrated the Louvre.
Hey. Alastor is either incompetent, or a traitor, I tapped out on my cell.
He answered me almost immediately. You know, I’ve never waited so long for a date before.
I rolled my eyes. Can’t you read? Alastor may be a traitor. The key in the museum was a fake. He may be working for the mage.
I’ll look into it, sweetheart.
Now he was just trying to aggravate me. I could almost see the smirk on his face.
A little smile quirked at my own lips. Yes, you do that, darling, and be careful. I’d hate for my date to be taken out before we can get together.
There was a longer delay than usual before the next text come through: Tease.
I laughed. I did enjoy our little conversations. I need to get ready to traipse across Africa. Seriously, be careful of Alastor.
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