‘But where is Tartarus?’ said Zan.

‘I don’t know . . . but he’s got a good idea.’

The Nephilim leader kept glancing at the qi tracker while talking to his son – at the Chinese base, he had seen the map of earth energy flowing around the entire globe.

Sidona, carrying the key, emerged from the mausoleum and called out to her husband. His interest in the tracker was confirmed when he pointed at it. She gave the Chinese technology a quizzical look, then went to it. The two Nephilim men started towards her, Gadreel issuing instructions. ‘What does he want her to do?’ Nina whispered to Zan as she set the key in the altar.

‘He says it will lead them to Tartarus – and we will show them how it works.’

‘Oh, we will, huh? This might be a good time for you to tell him that not only am I not a weapons designer, I can’t even read Mandarin—’

Movement behind Gadreel and Turel, a shadow shifting in the stairwell – and Colonel Wu appeared, pistol raised.

Nina instinctively dropped behind the nearest altar. Zan stared at the officer, frozen in surprise, but he was not Wu’s target. The gun found Gadreel—

His son reacted to Nina’s movement, realising there was a threat. He spun and shoved his father aside – as Wu fired.

The first bullet slashed Gadreel’s forearm. The next two slammed into the younger Nephilim’s chest. Turel fell, knocking down his father and crashing limply to the floor.

Zan snapped out of his shock and sent a burst of fire at Wu. The colonel fled back down the stairs.

Sidona screamed and rushed to her family. Gadreel gasped as he flexed his wounded arm, but forgot the pain as he saw his son slumped beside him. ‘Turel!’ he cried. The youth did not respond, eyes wide and unmoving. Sidona crouched beside him, breathlessly repeating his name.

There was no reply.

She sagged, starting to sob. Gadreel’s face, however, filled with pure fury. He glared at Nina and Zan with such intense hatred the archaeologist feared he would kill them on the spot – then snatched the trikan from Turel’s belt. He clenched his fingers around the handgrip and raced after Wu.

Nina looked back at Sidona as she wept over her son, feeling a gut-wrenching pang of parental sympathy. But then survival instinct took over. This might be her only chance to escape . . .

Gadreel charged down the stairs. Zan started after him – then fell with a cry as Nina body-slammed him to the deck. The rifle spun away across the smooth metal.

She snatched the key from the altar and sprinted for the stairwell where she’d first entered. Zan scrabbled to retrieve his weapon. She reached the stairs—