"Get the door open," Rhett commanded, his voice edged with urgency.
Lucia didn't hesitate. Her fingers moved across the aged chapel floor, pressing into symbols carved into the marble, symbols no one else seemed to notice until now. The altar gave a low groan and shifted, revealing a hidden stairway descending into darkness.
Savannah stood behind Rhett, arms crossed tightly, jaw clenched. "Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?"
"Because I might have," he murmured, before descending into the passage.
The steps were steep, lined with damp stone, and the scent of earth and something older wafted up as they moved deeper. Savannah followed silently. The air grew colder, heavier, like every breath cost more.
"Sterling used to come down here," Rhett said without turning around. "I always thought he was praying. Turns out, he was planning."
