“… I can’t refuse a direct order from my Lama,” Be muttered, clearly struggling to hold back the words to no avail.

    “No, you can’t. Take me to the safe.’

    Gabriel’s jaw worked like he wanted to refuse, but the Luna Voice made it impossible for him to disobey. With obvious reluctance, he nodded and gestured toward the mansion.

    “This way.”

    I followed him through the front door and down the hallway. We passed Alexander’s office, the formal dining room, and several other rooms before Gabriel stopped in front of the basement door.

    Pulling a small keyring out of his pocket, he unlocked the door and pushed it open, revealing the narrow staircase that led down to the basement. I wrinkled my nose at the musty smell; I never went down there, finding the entire space creepy, and Alexander had never given me ess to the Ashw jewels like a typical Luna would, so there was no reason for me to enter.

    Because to him, my neck wasn’t worthy of wearing his family heirlooms.

    But I wasn’t going down there for jewels or gold, just wanted a little silver locket that was far more valuable to me than any diamonds.

    “The safe is at the bottom,” Gabriel said, flicking on the light switch and illuminating the stairs. “But Luna, I really think you should reconsider. Alexander won’t be pleased if he finds.

    out

    “Alexander doesn’t need to know about this visit. I started down the stairs without waiting for his response. “Unless you n to tell him?”

    “No, Luna.” Gabriel’s footsteps echoed behind me as he reluctantly followed. “I won’t

    mention it.”

    The air grew cooler and more dank as we descended the spiral stone staircase. When we reached the bottom, Gabriel moved past me to unlock another door-this one much heavier and more secure.

    After punching a code into the keypad, Gabriel stepped back. The door swung open with a loud groan, revealing the vault within.

    The space wasrger than I’d imagined, with congrete walls and climate-controlled air that felt cool and dry against my skin. But what really aught my attention were the ss disy cases lining the walls, each one containing an array of jewelry, artifacts, books, scrolls, and other valuables that gleamed under the bright lights.

    Rings, nes, bracelets, ornate daggers, silver goblets, antique watches-the collection

    123

    was massive. Hundreds of pieces, maybe thousands, all carefully disyed.

    “Goddess,” I breathed, turning in a slow circle to take it all in.

    “Five generations of Alpha acquisitions,” Gabriel said from where he was leaning against the entryway. “Each piece has historical significance or substantial mary value, so the space ispletely climate controlled. We’re not supposed to have the door open for longer than five minutes at a time.”

    “Why?”

    “Because the oxygen can harm the artifacts,” Gabriel responded with an eye roll as if I’d asked why the sky was blue. “Once the door locks, all of the air is sucked out of the vault to ensure that nothing gets damaged.”

    “Well, I won’t be here for long. Just tell me where the locket is and I’ll leave.”

    Gabriel hesitated for a moment, then pointed toward a case near the back of the room. “It was catalogued this morning. Case seventeen.”

    I walked toward the indicated disy, my eyes scanning the contents for Lilith’s ne. There were a lot of other pieces there, most of them probably worth more than most people’s homes, but I didn’t see the locket.

    “It’s not here-”

    m. Click.

    I whirled around, gasping, to find that the door had been mmed shut. Therge wheel on the door turned, then clicked ominously as the lock slid into ce.

    I was locked in the vault-and I realized with a sinking feeling, judging from the timer on the wall counting down from one minute, that I didn’t have long before I ran out of air.