“That goes without saying,” he said, winking.
“Theo! Daniela!” Andreas called from the beach, waving them back. “We’ve got food!”
“This is so weird, isn’t it?” Dani asked as they started wading back to the chairs. “Like days ago we were being held hostage by criminals who were forcing us to search for the eye, and now we’re at a beach resort chilling and eating with someone whomightbe your cousin, and willingly still on a quest for that same artifact.”
“Well, if you hadn’t come along, I’d still be playing in the sandbox at Knossos. Andreas and I may be the archaeologists, but you’re the one who’s piecing together the puzzle.”
She blushed. “Guess you can say I’m the better half.”
“Juicy, you’ve always been my better half.”
He pulled her in for a quick kiss, then released her body and started swimming to the beach.
Chapter
Twenty-One
Theo
He wantedher. That’s whathe should have said.
But after opening the door only for her to so quickly shut it, he froze. She didn’t seem interested in talking about it. So as they drove up to the Temple of Poseidon he decided any discussion about what was going on between them would have to wait for another day.
He’d been to the temple before. He’d been many times, actually. And each time was as intriguing as the last. Though this would be the first time that he’d be staying after it closed.
The sun had started to set, casting an orange-yellow glow over the entire sea. They walked up to the ticket booth, and the man sitting at the desk leaned out the window to give Andreas a hug.
Seriously. He kneweveryone.
“Go on and head in,” the man said. “I’ll be around shortly to tell people that they need to leave. But you can stay when I dothat. Wait to cross any of the ropes until everyone else is gone, though. I don’t want to get fired.”
“Of course,” Andreas said.
They walked up the path toward the temple. There were still many visitors, all hoping to catch sunset at the temple. A must-see for any Greek tourist. A must-see for Theo, as well. In all his many visits to Greece, Theo tried to make a sunset stop at the Temple of Poseidon a habit. And on more than one occasion when he made this stop, he thought about Dani while he did so, wondering what she was doing, where she was, what it would be like if she were there with him. Never in his life would he have imagined that she would finally be here with him in this very spot.
He didn’t know what they’d be looking for. He’d skimmed through Andreas’s diary, but he hadn’t found any more clues. They’d have to hunt for it.
They scoured the temple. Looking at the stones from the public side of the ropes. Checking to see if there were any markings or other differentiations that would tell them that there was something there. They walked across all the grounds. Inspecting each spot in case there was something that they’d missed. But there was nothing.
Theo started to worry. They needed these people to leave so they could cross the ropes and look around the marble temple.
Eventually, the sun had set, and the remaining visitors made their way to the exit. Once the coast was clear, they turned on their flashlights and broke past the barrier.
“Let’s split up. Everyone take a side, and I’ll take the top,” Theo instructed. “Take your time. Look for anything out of the ordinary.”
Slowly, they walked the length of the temple, shining theirlights on the stone. As Dani, Christos, and Andreas each took an edge of the temple, Theo scoured the platform on top inch by inch. He poked and prodded the stones, searching for trap doors or stones out of place. The wind picked up, casting a chilly breeze over the site. But after an hour…two hours…three…the likelihood that the site would prove fruitful was starting to fade.
What was he thinking? Dani had been right. They’d had a chance to leave, and they should have taken it. But there he was, dreaming of fairy tales and myths, all the things that his parents had told him to let go of. It was time to grow up.
He’d been writing these stories for so long that he started to think that maybe, maybe those stories could be real. Maybe that could be his life, the Indiana Jones type. The hero. Saving the damsel in distress from bad guys. Searching for lost treasures. Confirming myths were actual realities.
It sounded pretty childish when he thought about it. The worst part about it was that he had chastised Dani earlier because she hadn’t left when she had the opportunity to do so. Yet there he was putting both of their lives at risk. Sure, he may have meant it when he said that he didn’t want to put her at risk anymore, but actions spoke louder than words.
The truth of the matter was that he wasn’t Indiana Jones. And this wasn’t a fun search for lost treasure. This was dangerous.
God, what Dani must think of him right now.
“Hey, what’s wrong?” Dani asked.
