Rafa and Miri took their time as they explored each of the buildings on their way toward the temple. They were careful not to disturb anything. Rafa took photos, capturing the lives of the people in the city exactly as they had left it. The buildings hadn’t been destroyed through an invasion but rather—as evidenced by the caches of withered food, clothing set out to dry, and half-woven baskets and other trinkets inside the homes—abandoned. There were no bodies. No human remains. As if the people of the Moon City had departed in haste, leaving behind all their belongings and reminders of home, like a cast of the day they’d fled.
“It’s a little eerie, isn’t it?” Rafa asked.
Miri nodded. “These people. What must have happened that they left in such a hurry?”
“I’m a little worried about what we might find.”
Or who might find us.
They headed toward the temple, no taller than a two-story building, climbing the stairs worn away by the rain. She ran her hand along one of the steps, feeling the grain of the stone beneath her fingertips. The mineral deposits in the stone had an enchanting glint in the moonlight. This was what people were talking about when they said the city was only visible in the moonlight. It wasn’t some special coating. Truth had been overtaken by legend. It wasn’t that the city was invisible during the day, but there was something magical about finding it in the night, something magnificent about the way the moon hit the stone. Casting a sparkle throughout the dark sky.
They entered the temple. The roof had partially collapsed in one corner of the room, providing light for the rest of it. A tablesat in the center, likely used for religious ceremonies. Intricately woven baskets on the floor held beautiful textiles. She wanted to pick them up to examine their artistry. But they shouldn’t be disturbed. Not without proper equipment to document and preserve everything properly. So for now they only looked as Rafa took his photos. He snapped a photo of her.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Capturing the moment when the brilliant Dr. Miriam Jacobs found the Cidade Perdida da Lua.” He snapped another photo.
“Do I look like a boss?”
He smiled from behind the camera and clicked again.
“A badass boss. Come here,” he said, setting the camera down on the table.
“Can you believe it?” she said, looking toward the ceiling and spinning in a circle.
“Yes,” he said without hesitation, causing her to shoot a glance back at him. “You never gave up. Even when everything, and everyone—myself included—got in your way. Youearnedthis, Pringles. I’m sorry I had any doubt, even for a second.” He pulled her into her his arms and brought his hand to the back of her neck.
“You doubted me?”
“Well, not you so much as the existence of this place. If this didn’t seem like such a holy room, I would totally take you on this table right here.”
She pulled his face toward her. She could kiss him forever. Their tongues tussled together. Their hands worked their way around each other’s bodies. Their lips broke free from each other.
“I can’t wait to write this story about you,” he said.
“I can’t wait to spend my life with you.” She kissed him one more time. Then pulled away and reached for the satellite phone in her bag. “We should probably let Anissa know where we are so she can send the authorities before Vautour gets here.”
“It’s a bit late for that.”
Miri and Rafa jumped, snapping their heads toward the doorway of the temple. There stood Vautour and his henchmen. Though Miri couldn’t help but notice the look on Hunter’s face, a mixture of shock and nervousness.
Vautour stepped into the room, clapping slowly. “Congratulations, you found it. And all you needed to do was to steal the lidar.”
“I didn’t need those goddamn images. I figured it out all on my own,” Miri said proudly.
But Vautour looked at her and narrowed his eyes. “Cute,” he said.
“How the hell did you get here so fast?” Miri asked.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” he responded.
Miri looked around, then back at Vautour. Was he for real? “Yes. That’s why I asked.”
“Spunky,” Vautour said, ignoring her question and walking around the altar toward Miri. “But did you really think those were the only copies?”
Ugh. She frowned. Of course he would have had a backup. How could she have been so naive?
“Though I have to hand it to you,” he continued, “you’ve surprised me.”
