DIVINE » l. valdez

xxv

❝be very careful of these rumors that prevail ❞

Hina wasn't sure if it was a good thing as the hatch above them closed automatically, cutting off their pursuers but trapping them below. It also cut off all the light, leaving them in inky darkness. 

A dim glow emitted from Hina's hands, lighting the tunnel enough for her to see Frank's face meters from her own.

"What now?" Frank asked.

"Okay, don't freak," Leo said. "I'm going to summon a little fire, just so we can see."

"Thanks for the warning."

Leo's index finger blazed like a birthday candle. With their lights combined, Hina could see the stone tunnel stretching before them with a low ceiling. Just as Hazel predicted, it slanted then went southward.

"Well," Leo said. "It only goes in one direction."

"Let's find Hazel."

There was no other option and they trudged forward. Leo led the group, keeping Hina close behind with Frank trailing keeping his distance from the fire. She felt safer between the two, still worried about the ground breaking through the stone and dragging her away.

Hazel was only a hundred feet or so away, her back to them as she examined a door. She was so engrossed she didn't notice they were there until Leo said, "Hi."

Hazel whirled around, swinging her spatha. Fortunately for Leo's face, the walls stopping the sword before it severed Leo's nose. 

"What are you doing here?" Hazel demanded.

Leo gulped. "Sorry. We ran into some angry tourists."

Hina stepped in, explaining what happened with the Eidolons.

Hazel hissed in annoyance. "I hate eidolons. I thought Piper made them promise to stay away."

"Oh..." Frank gasped. "Piper made them promise to stay off the ship and not possess any of us. But if they followed us, and used other bodies to attack us, then they're not technically breaking their vow...."

"Great," Leo muttered. "Eidolons who are also lawyers. Now I really want to kill them."

"What do you have against lawyers?" Hina mumbled.

"Okay, forget them for now," Hazel said. "This door is giving me fits. Leo, can you try your skill with the lock?"

Leo cracked his knuckles. "Stand aside for the master, please."

The door was complicated. Leo grabbed Hina's arm, ignoring her protests and used the light from her hands to illuminate the door while he studied it. The door was coated in Imperial gold with a metallic sphere sitting in the middle. The sphere was built out of five interlocking rings, inscribed with zodiac signs, letters and numbers.

"These letters are Greek," Leo said in surprise.

"Well, lots of Romans spoke Greek," Hazel said.

"I guess," Leo said. "But this workmanship...no offense to you Camp Jupiter types, but this is too complicated to be Roman."

Frank snorted. "Whereas you Greeks just love making things complicated."

"Hey!" Hina and Leo protested, turning to shoot Frank a glare. 

"All I'm saying is this machinery is delicate, sophisticated. It reminds me of..." Leo stared at the sphere as if he was willing it to open. "It's a more advanced sort of lock," he decided. "You line up the symbols on the different rings in the right order, and that opens the door."

"But what's the right order?" Hazel asked in annoyance.

"Good question. Greek spheres...astronomy, geometry... Oh, no way. I wonder...What's the value of pi?"

Frank frowned. "What kind of pie?"

"He means the number," Hazel guessed. "I learned that in math class once, but—"

"It's used to measure circles," Leo said. "This sphere, if it's made by the guy I'm thinking of..."

Hazel and Frank both stared at him blankly.