Kat grimaced. "What are you doing?"
"Can you read Sumerian?"
"It's been awhile, but I used to."
He handed her a scroll. "We're looking for anything to do with the Rod of Time."
She snorted. "Rod of Time, Forsaken Moon, Tablet of Destiny... you Sumerians really liked your hokey terms, huh?"
He gave her a droll stare. "They didn't exactly ask my opinion before they named them."
"Good, cause my estimation of your intellect would be seriously scarred if they had." She leaned playfully into him and nudged him sideways.
Hiding his amusement, he jerked his chin toward his desk. "Get your butt over there and start reading before I beat you with my Rod of Time."
She tossed him a playful look. "I can think of much better things to do with your rod than beat me, baby."
Sin made a painful noise. "Aww, gawd, we've degenerated into really bad punage. I yield. Save me before my IQ points are damaged."
"Fine, you fun-vampire. I'll take my scroll over here and play by myself."
"Fun-vampire? What is that?"
"That would be you sucking all the fun out of life."
Sin shook his head. "You have the most interesting terms for things."
"Yes, but notice mine are creative unlike the so stellarly named Rod of Time."
Ignoring her, he spread the first scroll out and started reading.
Xypher came in and joined the search. Time seemed to drag as they read line after line with no clues. Sin had forgotten just how long-winded and boring his people could be.
Damn, imagine what a good editor could have done with the story of Gilgamesh...
He was about ready to give up when Xypher stepped back from his side of the bed. "Found it." He held up the scroll to show them an image of the Rod. It looked like a dagger with a crooked blade.
Sin took the scroll and studied it. He only vaguely remembered seeing this centuries before. "Now the question is, what house did he put it in?"
Xypher shrugged. "He said you would know."
And in that instant he did. It was genius really and it was the only place Zakar could have meant. "Ishtar's tomb."
Kat's face paled. "What?"
Sin set the scroll aside, feeling ill at the thought of having to go there again. "It's the only safe place. No gallu would think to go there and it's hidden-not even the nosiest of archeologists would be able to find it. Zakar must have stashed the Rod there after he locked the Dimme down last time. It's the only place that makes sense." He took a step back, intending to leave.
"Wait," Kat said, taking his hand. "I'm going with you."
He shook his head. "Kat..."
The stern, determined look she gave him both touched and warmed him. "You don't need to be alone there."
He would have argued had she not been completely right. It was the last place he wanted to be without her and he knew it. "Thank you." He laced his fingers with hers.
She inclined her head to him before he flashed them out into the remotest area of the Sahara, into a hidden cave that was concealed by ever-changing sands and guarded by a spell that would never allow mortal eyes to see what it contained.
It was here that Sin had laid his daughter to rest and here Ishtar slept in a peaceful repose he had never been able to find for himself. At least not until Kat had come crashing into his life.