The old mining city had gone silent.
Too silent.
John stood at the edge of the ruined street, staring toward the mountain where the black gate was buried.
The others were nearby.
Elias had been reunited with his daughter after they returned to Bellmere, but John had decided not to bring Elena any farther. She was safe now, and there was no reason to drag a twelve-year-old into whatever waited beneath the old temple.
They had spent the afternoon gathering information.
The original archive was somewhere beneath the temple.
That was their next destination.
But first, they needed to cross the northern side of the abandoned city.
It should have been easy.
It wasn't.
John suddenly stopped walking.
"Everyone."
The others froze.
Lythriel looked at him.
"What is it?"
John didn't answer.
He was listening.
Something was moving underground.
Slowly.
Heavy enough that every step caused a faint vibration through the ground.
Darius's face tightened.
"You feel it too?"
