“Smart ass.” He tugged on her ponytail. “Fine.” He looked at his watch. “We’ll head west.”
They headed off, but Layne took one last glance behind them.
The sun was rising directly opposite, giving the oasis a hazy flush of color. The temple looked beautiful in the morning light.
I’m coming back to study you. Layne made the silent vow. To show your beauty and secrets to the world.
Then she saw the silhouettes moving through the oasis.
Declan grabbed her arm and pulled her away.
They moved quickly at first, but once the sun started to rise and the sweat started beading on their faces, they slowed down.
The hours passed, and soon Layne felt weariness tugging on her. God, what if she got Declan killed out here?
“Follow the path of the birds, look for the buried marks of the birds.” Frustration welled inside her. “There are no birds out here! It’s a desert.”
“The climate was different thousands of years ago, right? Maybe there used to be birds.”
She huffed out a breath and swiped her arm across her forehead. “Then there’s nothing to find. How are we supposed to find buried marks?”
“Come on, Rush. You’re not going all negative on me, are you?”
“You’re chipper.”
He smiled at her. “Sweetheart, I spent most of the night with my cock lodged inside you. Not even Anders, or being lost in the desert again, can ruin my mood today.”
A reluctant smile tugged at Layne’s lips. God, it was so nice to see him so happy and…lighter.
“Oh, yeah,” she said. “Hmm, some of last night is coming back to me…but it’s a bit fuzzy.”
“Fuzzy?” Declan snatched her into his arms.
She gasped, and while her mouth was open, he took advantage. His mouth hit hers, his tongue delving inside.
“Mmm.” She gripped his hair and kissed him back. God, she loved that wild edge beneath the tough, controlled man.
He set her back on her feet. “Remember now?”
She licked her lips, liked the way his gaze zeroed in on the movement. “Yes. Every glorious detail.”
He grabbed her chin, his thumb rubbing her jawbone. “Remember, we’re heading to that beach after this.”
She smiled. “Red bikini.”
“Screw the bikini. I’m finding a private beach where I can keep you naked the entire time and push you down and fuck you whenever I like.”
Layne shivered. In all her previous relationships, no one had ever talked dirty to her. She liked it.
Declan gave her a light swat on the butt. “Come on. Let’s find your undiscovered oasis so we can get to the beach.”
They trudged on. Layne searched the desert sands for any signs that Seth’s followers might have left behind. Nothing.
“You think the others are okay?” she asked.
“Yep.” There was absolute firmness in Declan’s voice. “Logan is far too tough and cranky to die. And Morgan and Hale are damn good at their jobs.”
“And Aaron?”
Declan’s jaw tightened. “We’ll get him out of there.”
Another hour passed, the sun reaching its zenith, beating mercilessly down on them.
“Rest,” Declan ordered.
She flopped in the sand and pulled out her water. The lukewarm fluid still felt beautiful on her dry throat. “There’s nothing here, Declan. Whatever signs Seth’s followers left, the desert has reclaimed them.”
A hand settled on her neck, rubbing. “You’re sure?”
She nodded. “I don’t want to risk our lives on this.”
“Our best bet is to get back to the temple oasis, then. And hopefully avoid Anders and his men.”
She nodded glumly.
They drank in silence. Then Layne saw a flutter of movement.
She narrowed her gaze and realized it was just the breeze whipping some sand into the air.
She sighed. She’d started to believe that somehow Zerzura, a haven for the god Seth’s followers, was out here, somewhere.
But if it was, the path to it was now long buried.
Another flutter of movement. Layne looked up.
A tiny bird landed on the sand in front of her.
It hopped a little, then took to the air again. She watched, stunned. “Where the hell did you come from, little guy?”
He wasn’t pretty. He had black feathers, short legs, and a short beak.
Layne scrambled to her feet. “He doesn’t look like a desert bird.” She scanned the rocky dunes around them. “How could he survive out here?”
“He’s landed again,” Declan said.
They hurried over. The small bird was clinging to some rocks.
And right below him, partially covered by sand, was an engraving.
“Oh, my God.” Layne dropped to her knees, heedless of the hot sand burning through her clothes and brushed the sand away from the rock.