It faced to the left, jaw open as if shouting. It was oddly deformed, the back of the head elongated. Something about it unsettled Krämer. Maybe the survivor’s ravings about demons had got to him . . .

He shook off the thought and hid the object inside his coat. Even if the gold wasn’t pure, its weight told him it was still worth a lot of money. And the only other person who knew about it was a madman, in shock from his ordeal. He wouldn’t be believed. No, you didn’t have anything when we found you. You must have lost it in the water. Sorry.

The German pulled his zipper back up. He felt no guilt about what he had just done: the man was still alive, wasn’t he? That was worth more than any piece of treasure. And it gave Krämer the chance to escape from the drudgery of life aboard a freighter. He knew of places online where such salvage could be sold, with no awkward questions asked. A few months from now, his life could change for ever.

He smiled at the thought – then looked down in alarm as the man stirred. ‘We’re at the ship,’ he said hastily. ‘You’re safe.’

‘No, not . . . safe,’ came the weak reply. ‘More demons. Sleeping in . . . the ice.’ His hands searched for the object with growing desperation. ‘The key! Where is it?’

‘I don’t know,’ replied the German. ‘You must have lost it in the water.’

‘No, I had it! Listen!’ He suddenly clawed at Krämer’s coat, pulling the startled crewman closer. ‘The key – it wakes them. Sanna woke one. It . . . it killed her, killed everyone on the ship! If they wake, they’ll kill us all!’ His voice rose to a shout. ‘The demons will kill us all!’

Chapter 1

1

New York City

Four months later

Professor Nina Wilde paused for dramatic effect as she regarded her students, then spoke. ‘My first rule of archaeology: no find is worth risking your, or anyone else’s, life over.’

That aroused surprise from her audience. ‘Yes, I know that may sound weird, from someone with my track record,’ she went on. ‘But I’m speaking from experience – very, very painful experience. I’ve lost count of how often I’ve almost been killed out in the field, and a couple of times in my own home. But I’ve forced myself to keep a very good count of the people who actually were killed because of my discoveries. And it’s too many. Which is why I’m talking to you in a lecture hall rather than chasing around the world after legends.’

‘But you’ve found so many,’ said a young woman. This early in their first semester, Nina hadn’t yet memorised all her students’ names. Madison?